I am looking into taking 1-2 semesters off to volunteer at a Navajo orphanage after this summer. I have various reasons for wanting to do this (it's all still in the hypothetical stage right now), one of them being that I am a registered member of the Navajo Nation and want to help the reservation, and this is a prime opportunity into a closed community that is very difficult to get into.
Would doing something like this hurt my med school application? I understand individual med schools will have varying opinions on something like this; where Loma Linda would probably think good of it, perhaps Mayo would not. However, I just wanted to get a good sense of the general consensus among anyone who has an opinion to share.
Thanks much
jfowler85,
I can't imagine that the type of break you are considering would be viewed negatively anywhere, but that is just my opinion. I think that taking time off would only be viewed negatively if the time is really wasted. It is common for people to take time off for various things, such as work, travel, or even explore other interests. Your idea definitely seems like a positive opportunity.