Doing something profound during the gap year

[alsab]

Some poor planning and work ethic/motivation freshman year has left me in the following situatio

Junior Class of 2016, 3.39 cGPA, 3.5sGPA, 7mo. hospital volunteering, 2yrs elementary reading tutor, no research, no MCAT yet. Gap year it is.

That being said, I want to make the most of what hopefully isn't going to be a year of just lying low for a while, working or doing some research. Can anyone give some example of gap year experiences which have actually boosted an applicaiton's success? Is there ever a situation where the gap year is seen as being an advantage, or is it just a way for students who performed poorly during pre-med to work more on their application? Any gap-year specific programs (like summer programs)?

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[NickNaylor]

Some people do a fellowship at the NIH for a year. Some people get tech positions in labs, which typically involves some sort of independent research project if your PI is willing and you express interest. Some people go abroad and do some kind of academic or research fellowship (e.g., the Rhodes program and others like it). Some do international health work somewhere - not just showing up for a week or two, but actually living abroad and working on a research project or establishing a clinic or other similar things. There's a multitude of options. You'll just have to explore what is of most interest to you. In general, I view gap years as helpful if you were productive with that time - not necessarily something "profound," as you say, but just something that demonstrates you were working on something. Gap years in which you do nothing - and, frankly, I have never seen this as an admissions committee member because I imagine those people don't make it to the interview phase - can be harmful. That said, you could also split the time - perhaps do something productive for 8-10 months while living large the remainder of the time before you matriculate. It's just important that you do something.

 

[referee3]

Embrace the gap year OP. Gap years are not for people who did poorly in undergrad; they are for people who want to do something interesting and different before being thrown into hell (ie. medical school) for 4 years. Personally, I spent my 2 gap years as a lab tech in a academic research lab and have learned and grown so much during this time. Just do something that you will enjoy, will make you a little money and give you time to prepare your med school apps for the coming year.

 

[maccu5000]

Unless you are really gunning for a research career, I'd recommend doing a medical volunteer service program like healthcare for the homeless or work in a shelter if those things interest you. You'll get real world experience and do something that challenges and changes you. Lots of AmeriCorps positions available. You won't benefit much financially, but maybe that counts toward the profundity of what you're looking for.

 

[Chansey]

"Profound"? Are you hoping to cure cancer or something?

Gap years are not designed to be "profound". They are designed to be productive. One option is research. First author publications are impressive to med schools, but they're hard to get and certainly not a requirement. Scribing is another great option since it gives you a lot of clinical exposure. Teach for America or the Peace Corps also look significant, but don't expect to cure poverty in the third world (or even make much of a difference) in those stints.

Honestly, the best thing you can do to improve your chances is bring your GPA up and score well on the MCAT. GPA and MCAT are much more important than extracurriculars or anything you can do in your gap year. (Unless you actually DO cure cancer and get a first author publication in Nature, which ain't happening. Sorry.)

 

[seminoma]

You'll do nothing profound. You can do things everyone else does and set yourself apart by reflecting on how the time spent made you a better applicant.

 

[itsthat1guy]

you make it sound like a gap year is bad by default