Interview With a Home-Educated Med School Graduate

Q: Do you feel that homeschooling gave you any advantages? If so, please elaborate:

A: Definitely, yes. It helped to give me a tailored education, rather than a “cookie cutter” experience. It gave me the freedom to go at my own pace and taught me the fundamentals of independent learning. This equipped me to perform far better in higher education.

Q: When going through the interviewing process for med school, did the decision makers make any observations or comments about your education?

A: They were definitely impressed with how well rounded I was. They commented on how unique it was that I could play several instruments, speak another language proficiently, work in a skilled trade, enjoy sports, and do community service/ volunteer work, rather than simply excelling in academics. My unique education intrigued them and seemed to help me to stand out.

Q: What did you find most helpful in gaining a quality well-rounded education?

A: Having a schedule and structure definitely helped me to make use of my time to develop academically, socially, and in every other area of life.

I am diametrically opposed to the unschooling philosophy and have seen it to be harmful to those that have been immersed in it.

A child’s mentality is all about immediate gratification. They need parents that will help them to develop skills that will help them long term. This is going to involve discipline and hard work, which kids don’t naturally love. But if parents are consistent, they will eventually see the value in it.

Over the years, our schedule ebbed and flowed- in some seasons being more rigid than in others. Early on, we had very little structure, but as we began to implement a schedule, I discovered the satisfaction that comes with it. Although it was somewhat difficult at first, I began to develop a taste for it. We had a general framework of the day, and as I got older, I had the freedom to schedule within those blocks of time. I found that scheduling every half an hour of my day helped me to be much more productive, and that I was able to develop the skills that I thought were important.

Q: Have you seen any negative aspects of home-schooling?

A: Yes. My parents worked very hard to make it a positive experience, but I have seen some examples of young people that are very awkward socially, and uncomfortable associating with peers. I have also seen examples of students not being equipped academically because they were not given enough structure in that area.

One positive aspect of home-schooling is that you learn to interact with all ages, however, when taken to an extreme, it can be detrimental. I believe that as a homeschooling parent, you must be very intentional about covering all the bases of education. You must provide ample opportunities for the children to interact with peers and to be well-rounded. This will not happen on its own, but takes proactive planning. Like any investment, the bigger the risk, the greater the reward. To do it right, it takes intentionality, hard work, and sacrifice.

Q: Do you plan to homeschool your own children some day? If so, why?

A: Yes, because I feel that if it’s done properly, and with intention, it gives the child a great foundation.