It’s funny how so many requirements are placed on acceptance
into professional school. One has to be a well rounded student. For example,
medical school, one has to have research experience, community service, work
experience, shadowing a doctor experience, good grades, take the standardized
exam, called the MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test) and the most
interesting of them all, community service. Let’s focus on community service. I’m
sure there are good hearts out there, but what percentage of students who are
planning to apply for medical school will do community service if they were not
applying for medical school? Or what percentage of students will continue with
community service when they get their acceptance letter to medical school. My speculation,
less than ten percent. What do you think?
In addition, all those that were big on community service,
how many will use their degree when they successfully graduate to offer free
health service to the less privileged? In the end, it was just a money game. A disguise
of purity and innocence and kindness wore to fulfill one’s dreams of making
money. One might argue, but being a doctor is my dream. So let me ask you, if you
were to toil, and sweat and read, coupled with so many sleepless nights, for
more than ten years just to get a degree that the pay is ten dollars per hour,
would being a doctor still be your dream? Let’s be real here, some people would
not do community service without an ulterior motive of trying to get into a
professional school or something else. What do you think?
I agree with your post. I think that in our culture alot of people try a their entire life to become healthy and every decision they make is influenced by money.Our culture has put an emphasis on the idea that money is happiness.
ReplyDeleteFrom an economical standpoint these cynical ulterior motives are driven by self-interest mainly. Debt is another thing to consider, by the end of the education period, unless the individual comes from a family wealthy enough to pay the entire school process. Another thing to consider is the type of individual is emotionally, is the person nurturing or not?
ReplyDeleteThis post raises an interesting question. However, another view point would be that people initially help with community service in order to get into the school they want but stay because of the feeling of satisfaction they get from helping others. Moreover, some people enjoy participating in community service and as a bonus for their hard work they can list it on applications. Community service and entry to a school go hand and hand but the way they cause and effect each other can be determined both ways.
ReplyDeleteI don't think you will get many arguments against your claim that most college students serve their communities almost entirely in order to mention it on a resume. I don't necessarily see this as a negative. Of course you would much rather see them act out of a benevolent heart but the fact that they take time to serve those around them is at the very least preferable to not taking that time. I'm also glad to see businesses communicating to their potential employees that they value selfless service.
ReplyDeleteI think your post is very controversial. I enjoy doing community service and feel that because I am a full time engineering student I do not have enough time to do as much service as I have done in the past. I also think that becoming a doctor must be considered to be a selfless action because once you are given that white coat you should never put down that white coat. I mean that because you are now a trained selfless servant, and you have the duty and responsibility to help others in need as best as you possibly can. My best friend's Dad is a doctor and I have been on a ski slope with him where he has dropped everything he was doing to save someone's life. Although he was not successful, he tried and that is what every doctor should do when they get their white coat, never take it off. I think by making these future doctors do community service to get into their schools it is setting the example of the path to which they will one day follow.
ReplyDelete