year off

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pocahontas

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I'm thinking about taking a year off to reset myself. Any ideas on making the most valuable use of the time--anything from research to travelling?
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Do what you love the most. If it was me, I would travel, but it really depends on what you enjoy. Don't feel like you need to do research. I have yet to do any and am not the slightest bit worried about matching at a good program.
 
thanx for replying to my post. you're right...i absolutely love travelling but unfortunately that takes a lot of money...so i was thinking that i should do something that i enjoy doing but that has some cash flow too. that way i can spend some time travelling and paying off my rent while also enjoying the time off (the whole point of taking time off). but i am not sure as to what that is yet:(
 
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Bartend!!! Thats what I'm gonna do next summer, the summer before MS1. You can make a lot of money and work minimal hours so you have plenty time to travel with your cash.
 
I taught English in Seoul 2 years ago. I was pretty focused on paying off my loan but I still managed to take a month to go to Thailand and Cambodia, and then left Korea a month early. One coworker took 4 two week trips over the course of the year: Oz, Vietnam, Thailand, China. Pretty sweet. Most contracts are one year, but if you don't need/want the job reference, you could ditch out after 6 months and then travel for the next 6 (easily) on what you've made.

Only cautionary note would be that it is expensive to come back for interviews. I only applied to one school when I was over there, and not applying more broadly left me in limbo this last year. Good and bad. Anywho, it's an option.
 
travel to latin american country.
teach english, learn spanish? (big asset.)
eat really good local food and live cheaply?
take weekend trips to beach and rainforests?
 
fourthyearmed said:
Do what you love the most. If it was me, I would travel, but it really depends on what you enjoy. Don't feel like you need to do research. I have yet to do any and am not the slightest bit worried about matching at a good program.
Click to expand...
I thought you mentioned you were a surgery resident :confused:
 
Blake said:
I thought you mentioned you were a surgery resident :confused:
Click to expand...

Who me? No I'm a 4th year planning on doing Peds.
 
Picking up on a previous posters suggestion, Latin America is a sweet option. My gf and I travelled there for $20-25/day (Canadian dollars) each, which is almost as cheap as it gets. Intensive one on one spanish classes can be had in Guatemala, with room and board, for under $150US (I think we paid 125, but that was a few years ago), that's for 4 hours of one on one.
 
do you think it would be safe if a girl travelled there alone without knowing spanish?
 
i taught high school bio for a year and coached soccer...ok salary...greaaaat hours and holidays..plenty of time for weekend travel...the summer b/w teaching and med school i went to cuba and europe for 2 months...i DEF suggest something similar, although i am having a hard time leaving teaching as i loved it so much. good luck
 
When in CA, we met some women who were travelling on their own. It is safe, but you will have to put up with some of the men, who personify machismo, at times. My girlfriend got her ass grabbed a few times even while I was around-very covertly, like when they helped her onto a bus. I thought it was kind of funny (dingus, I know), and since I was bigger then all the locals, they weren't about to push it any farther (although honestly I doubt they would have, the people are so much friendlier than North Americans, Europeans...pretty much everywhere I've been, fantastic people). The key is to not wear cleavage exposing, body hugging clothing like some of the *******es we saw when it was American spring break. We studied Spanish in Antigua, Guatemala-probably the most well-known place to do this. It is ridiculously safe, whatever the time at night, and is crawling with foreigners. It's harder to learn spanish, actually, because you don't really need to speak it to socialize. Many people make friends there, learn enough spanish to get around, and then go on trips with their new friends. There are volunteering opportunites all over CA, so, you could help the med school app in that respect while down there. Or just chill out, explore temples and rainforests, scuba dive and have a blast.
 
pocahontas said:
do you think it would be safe if a girl travelled there alone without knowing spanish?
Click to expand...

I don't recommend it. My sister, who is like Lara Croft and has been world over alone in SE Asia, Europe, etc, went to S. America and was so glad that this time she went with my father. She kept getting ogled by horney guys, and the sketchy tour guide even molested her a few times, playing it off like it was accidental bumping. She was a bit spooked by the whole thing...I was really surprised, thought she was a diehard. My father was pissed...but so glad he went with her.
 
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