What if you kickstarted your medical journey by wandering off the beaten track?
As an aspiring healthcare professional, you don’t need us to tell you that choosing where and how to launch your pre-med training is one of the most important decisions you’ll have to make at this early stage of your career.
But before you dive into the world of flashcards, lab benches and coursework chaos, take time out to experience something special and set your application apart from the rest.
More and more students are striking out on pre-med study abroad programs: deep-dive immersions that take them from the luscious Andes or Tanzania’s Manyara region to the holy city of Kathmandu and beyond.
If you think embarking on an adventure to the other side of the world sounds like an awesome vacation, how exactly can it give your med school application the edge, and why are so many healthcare hopefuls flocking to faraway shores?
Read on for our top five reasons why pre-medical study abroad programs in the developing world make perfect sense…
1. Getting all the exposure
Healthcare professionals in developing regions are forced to contend with infectious diseases, resource scarcity, limited access to specialists, and malnutrition on a day-to-day basis — and during your time abroad, so will you.
An international pre-med program catapults you right to the heart of some of the world’s most pressing medical challenges, giving you a hard-hitting taste of on-the-ground realities and equipping you with the practical skills needed to put you head and shoulders above your peers.
Hours of shadowing, insider insights into problems like malaria and tuberculosis, and invaluable involvement in medical rounds and patient consultations are the perfect breeding ground for experiences to rival the very best medical school applications.
This is next-level exposure you can’t get back home.
2. Making a (genuine) difference
Last year alone, our volunteers carried out close to 3,000 vitals assessments, dispensed nearly 4,000 free prescriptions, and performed 50 medical outreaches.
Getting international pre-med experience under your belt means having a tangible positive impact on the wider world, and can genuinely deepen the sense of social responsibility you’ll need as a medical professional.
Committing to a pre-med program in a developing country helps you re-center and connect with why you’ve chosen to embark on the long and winding road ahead.
Even better, in the process everyone benefits. Whilst you’re learning you’re also boosting access and providing life-changing healthcare to the under-served communities that need it most.
Now that’s something to write home about.
3. Building up your cultural acumen
Heading abroad for pre-med is about more than just getting up-close-and-personal with dengue diagnostics. You’ll be providing treatment and care to patients from a huge range of different backgrounds and cultures, putting your communication skills to the test, and fostering your empathy and cultural sensitivity.
It’s not just about the healthcare users, either. Wherever you go, you’ll be engaging with fellow pre-medders from all walks of life, coming together around your shared values and aspirations while dipping in and out of a whole bunch of different perspectives and personalities.
In an increasingly interconnected world, this is your chance to develop soft-skills that are highly valued in globalized healthcare settings, all while making friends for life.
Which leads us on to our next point…
4. Scratching the itch
Once the travel bug bites, there’s no going back. And once med school’s in full swing, your globe-trotting opportunities will narrow considerably as you settle in and hit the books.
Now’s your chance to make momos and memories: soak up all the untouched magic of the mountains and rainforests, get creative with ceramic workshops, shake the day off with sunset yoga sessions, venture into the wilderness on unforgettable safaris and pack in all the markets and temples you can handle on a trip that’s been thoughtfully curated to feed the soul.
Can you meet your pre-med requirements while hitting your own personal life goals… Why not? A pre-med program abroad is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore new horizons as you develop your AAMC Core Competencies.
5. Embracing personal growth
Nothing fosters a spirit of inquiry quite like this kind of travel experience, but you’ll be exploring so much more than different healthcare perspectives.
When you find yourself in a high-stakes healthcare setting on the other side of the globe, your resilience, adaptability, independence, curiosity, empathy, and decision-making skills will all be put to the test — and inevitably honed.
However you approach it and wherever you choose to go, this is a unique chapter of your life that will ultimately shape your vision of the world as you know it.
If you’re prepared to let go and lean into whatever an international pre-med program might throw your way, the rewards can be huge.
Beyond the professional path that lies ahead, striking out to meet the unknown can spark the kind of life-changing inner transformation that other pre-med experiences will struggle to fully offer.
Life is a journey…
…and so is pre-med. Doing your pre-med in a developing region is about saying yes to a transformative experience that goes well beyond academic learning.
Consider this the first step on a challenging (and enriching) journey that offers unparalleled opportunities for personal and professional growth.
We know just how big a deal this is, so before you take the plunge, consider what’s really driving you and carefully comb through your options.
Pre-med in the developing world isn’t an easy path, and it’s not for everyone. But if you’re an exceptional student with a genuine commitment to serving the most vulnerable and a deep-rooted curiosity for the world around you, it’s a no-brainer. The adventure starts here…
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