Does volunteering abroad can increase your chances of admission to medical school? Volunteering is a great way to improve your medical school resume and some schools require volunteer hours for admission. However, the potentially high cost of volunteering abroad and the amount of time that could be spent on other aspects of your medical school application prep might make you wonder if it is worth it. We will cover all of the pros and cons of volunteering abroad and discuss whether this experience can make your application stand out.
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Does Volunteering Abroad Help Your Medical School Application Stand Out?
This seems like a straightforward question, but the answer is a bit more complicated when we push beneath the surface. Many aspiring medical students think that volunteering abroad will demonstrate their dedication to the field, their willingness to push beyond their own comfort zone, and ultimately make their medical school application stand out.
Any trip outside your own home country will likely offer fresh perspectives, more awareness of other cultures and global health disparities, and other benefits detailed below. There are, however, some significant cons that are worth considering before volunteering abroad.
So, ask yourself, why do you really want to volunteer abroad? Here are some things to consider in answering that question and deciding whether or not to volunteer abroad in order to make your med school application more attractive to admissions committees.
Top Things To Consider About Volunteering Abroad as a Premed
To start things off, no school will require you to study or volunteer abroad in order to get in. While volunteering abroad is not mandatory, it could help your application in several ways.
Firstly, volunteering abroad will probably be a life-changing experience for you. This will provide you with great anecdotes and experiences for your AMCAS Most Meaningful Experiences Section and your medical school personal statement. Going abroad might even make you realize you want to pursue medicine abroad and you might decide to apply to medical schools in Europe. Either way, the positive experiences from travel and volunteering abroad are real and could lead to lifelong memories.
Secondly, you might be particularly interested in an activity or experience that is only offered in another country. For example, maybe you are interested in tropical or wilderness medicine. Maybe you are a medical major who has specialized in global health and you want to try out your degree in the real world. There are some opportunities that are just only available abroad and might help you make up your mind about what medical specialty you want to go into or where you want to practice medicine.
Lastly, some schools do value international experience in their candidates. Prestigious schools like the Ivy League medical schools, especially those with a global health focus, may look positively on volunteering done abroad. Given how competitive medical school admissions are, any experience that can add to your application is a bonus.
What are the Pros and Cons of Volunteering Abroad?
Let’s go over some pros and cons of volunteering abroad:
Pros of Volunteering Abroad
- Develop greater awareness of global health and health inequality
- Gain experiences that can be added to the AMCAS Work and Activities section
- Develop skills that are helpful in any clinical arena
- Decide if a certain field or specialization is right for you
- Foster connections with those with different backgrounds and perspectives
- “Volunteerism” (sometimes called "Voluntourism") has economic benefits for communities
Cons of Volunteering Abroad
- High cost for the volunteer, on top of the future cost of medical school
- Volunteers often use human and technical resources that could otherwise be used by local staff
- Volunteers can potentially take jobs away from local workers
- Projects may not be sustainable in the long term
- Projects from organizations outside of local communities may not have practices that reflect the values and beliefs of that community
This is not to say that international volunteerism is bad or unnecessary or selfish because there are admirable organizations doing valuable work in resource-poor settings.
However, whether you side more with the pros or cons of volunteering abroad, the decision to actually go is ultimately a personal one. To make a blanket statement, if you want to go, do your homework and go. If you don’t really want to or it doesn’t feel like the right time, it’s probably best to stay close to home.
Alternatives to Volunteering Abroad
So, there are factors that may deter you from volunteering abroad. Maybe you have decided to save money for your future medical school tuition or you simply don’t think it is the right path for you. However, you are probably still interested in improving your medical school application in various ways.
In fact, it might actually be more beneficial to gain volunteer experience in a local setting as many medical schools are looking for commitment to local and regional communities. For example, many medical schools in California prioritize in-state applicants who are planning on practicing in California. If you are applying to UCSF Medical School you might be better equipped volunteering with a local organization or shadowing with a local doctor rather than going abroad. The important thing to consider is what is your dream medical school looking for, and will volunteering abroad help you achieve that goal in any way?
Remember that not everything needs to be the “perfect” experience for medical school. You can still improve your application with things like extracurriculars on campus or participating in undergraduate research programs. Just because something is on campus and does not seem as exciting as being abroad does not mean it will not be beneficial to your application. It will still teach you valuable skills for medicine.
You should also be aware that there are many opportunities you can take advantage of virtually. For example, there are many virtual research opportunities or you can even shadow a doctor virtually. These experiences can allow you to work with others in different cultures or areas without an expensive plane ticket!
At the end of the day, we won’t tell you that you should or should not volunteer abroad. Go through this list of pros and cons and think hard about why you want to become a doctor. If you are interested in global health, adventure, wilderness medicine, or anything like that: go for it! However, if you are just looking to have the best possible medical school application, you don’t necessarily need to worry about volunteering abroad.
FAQs
1. DO I NEED TO VOLUNTEER ABROAD TO GET INTO MED SCHOOL?
Certainly not, while some international experience may help your application there is no school that requires it.
2. IS INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEERING ALWAYS BETTER THAN LOCAL VOLUNTEERING?
No! In fact, some medical schools prefer to see you have volunteered in your local community!
3. IS VOLUNTEERING ABROAD EXPENSIVE?
Probably. While different programs exist and some will cover some costs, it is likely you will be paying a high financial cost to volunteer abroad.
4. WILL VOLUNTEERING ABROAD IMPROVE MY MED SCHOOL APPLICATION?
This depends on the application, but maybe! Certainly, it is unlikely to harm your application unless you participate in an obviously unethical or suspicious program. Volunteering with a reputable program may show positive qualities and help get you accepted!
5. IS VOLUNTEERING ABROAD UNETHICAL?
Many good volunteering programs exist but unfortunately some bad ones do too. Always do your research and make sure you only volunteer with reputable programs.
6. DO I NEED TO VOLUNTEER ABROAD TO GET INTO A GOOD MEDICAL SCHOOL?
No! Just because a school is more selective does not mean you need to volunteer abroad to get into it. Some schools may look positively on international experience, but other schools may value local volunteering just as much if not more.
7. IS THERE OTHER WAYS TO GET SIMILAR EXPERIENCES TO VOLUNTEERING ABROAD WITHOUT ACTUALLY GOING ABROAD?
Certainly! If you are looking to interact with people of different cultures, trying virtual volunteering would allow you to interact with people all over the world.
8. WHERE CAN I TALK ABOUT VOLUNTEERING ABROAD IN MY MEDICAL SCHOOL APPLICATION?
It can be used in many areas such as the personal statement, resume, work and activities section, or during your medical school interview.
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