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IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE HEALTH PROFESSIONS COMMITTEE CHAIR, CATE TALBOT ASHTON, IN THE COLBY CAREER CENTER FOR ASSISTANCE.

Off-Campus Study and Pre-professional Preparation

Off-campus study for a semester or a full academic year is possible, but involves some trade-offs that must be considered in the context of your entire program of premedical preparation. In particular, going abroad requires detailed planning in advance involving your entire academic program.

If you go to another institution in the U.S. or Canada, the curriculum, and typically the grading system, will be familiar. You will have a relatively easy time finding appropriate premedical courses in most North American colleges and universities. You should keep in mind that credits earned for work at another institution can be transferred to Colby, but grades earned at another institution will not be counted as a part of your Colby GPA. These grades, however, will be reported on your applications to professional school, and will be taken into consideration by admissions committees. The one notable trade-off in attending another U.S. or Canadian institution is that you will be faced with new faculty and an academic environment that may be different from what you have become accustomed to at Colby.

If you attend a foreign program (defined here as non-U.S. and non-Canadian) for a semester or a year, then the situation will likely be more complicated. You may have to forgo taking any of the core two-semester premedical courses while you are abroad (see Academic Concerns ). Additionally, regardless of which specific courses you take, unless you attend a Colby program abroad for which your grades ultimately will be recorded in a conventional way on your Colby transcript, you may end up with a set of grades that are not easily interpreted by a medical admissions committee. Moreover, if you are away for the entire junior year (or even for the second semester), it may be difficult to develop an Honors project or comparable independent research for your senior year.

It is important to note that in our experience the trade-offs are less marked for the very best students than they are for those who are average or below-average. For students who have less than exceptional academic records, time spent in foreign programs may do little to enhance academic credibility. It may be more appropriate to stay on campus, or to attend a U.S. or Canadian program, taking conventional courses and earning the kinds of grades that will impress an admissions committee.

The most significant trade-off may be in regard to your timetable for applying to professional school. If you go abroad, you may have to delay taking required courses until senior year, and apply to professional schools after you graduate. Alternatively, in order to stay on a timetable that will allow you to apply to professional school in the summer preceding your senior year, you may choose to take some of the required courses in summer school.

In summary, it is possible for students preparing for medical, dental, and veterinary careers to study abroad or at another domestic institution, but it does require careful planning well in advance, taking into account the factors mentioned above. As is the case for all off-campus study, a program of study for pre-professional students at another domestic or foreign institution should fit with your entire academic program at Colby.