Gap Year Advice

[neuroj93]

Hi All,

I'm currently a Virginia resident in the middle of the 2015-2016 application cycle. I am currently a senior completing my undergraduate degree in Neuroscience. I have received nothing but pre-interview rejections this cycle. I am currently waiting on about 12 schools, but seeing as it is so late in the cycle, I'm not particularly hopeful. Here is the school list if it's helpful to anyone:

Rejected Pre-interview
Hopkins-rejected
EVMS-rejected
VCU-rejected
Rochester-rejected
Dartmouth-rejected
Cornell-rejected
NYU-rejected
Georgetown-rejected
Pittsburgh-rejected
Case Western-rejected
Tulane-rejected
Boston University-rejected
Rush-rejected

Still haven't heard from
UVA
Tufts
Emory
Wake Forest
Northwestern
Brown
Sinai
Jefferson
Baylor
Yeshiva
NY Medical College
Miami
Loyola

I absolutely understand that my school list included some unreasonable reaches. Here are my credentials at the time of application:

cGPA: 3.68
sGPA: 3.70
MCAT: 35
1500+ hours of research with award, poster presentations, and authorship in an extremely prestigious journal
President of collegiate a Cappella group with numerous volunteering and philanthropic opportunities (1000+ hours)
Minimal shadowing and clinical experience (<40 hours)

From my own research and what others have told me, the biggest problem is my lack of clinical experience. This has affected not only the number of hours I have, but my essays detailing my commitment to medicine. My application unfortunately did not have the best essays articulating my reasons for going to medical school. Since applying, I have shadowed 150-200 hours, but obviously at this point it's too little too late (still sent schools updates on my experiences). What those experiences have given me are good reasons to go to med school and good reasons to continue getting clinical experience. My main question is about my impending gap year(s?) and what to do with them. Here are the options I am currently playing with:

Medical Scribe (which would start this semester)
Post-Bac program
Clinical Research Coordinator

In an ideal world, I would be able to apply the next cycle (to matriculate in fall of 2017). The problem is that with a job starting in June/July, it's already too late to apply with any significant changes in my application (unless I could get a job that starts in Febuary/March). The second problem is waiting until 2017 to apply comes with the risk of having to take the MCAT again (not sure about this, have heard differing information). I'm very happy with my score and do not feel like studying for the new test would be a good use of my time. I would like advice on 1) what you feel my application needs and 2) what would be the most efficient, yet meaningful, experience to help me get into medical school. This is a tricky situation, so I'd be happy with any info or advice you can give me.

I'd be happy to answer any questions you have and will take any advice to heart.

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[spiffysteve]

Hi! First off, I would share your apprehension about taking the MCAT again. That's a pretty solid score and I wouldn't want to risk getting a lower one on a retake.

I would scratch the clinical research coordinator off of your list. It looks to me like you have pleeeeenty of research experience. Unless the job is in a lab that you've worked in for a long time and does research in a topic you're very passionate about, you can probably safely skip it. The strongest choice based solely on your hours seems to be scribing. I don't have any first-hand experience here, but many people think that scribing is a very valuable experience.

Lastly, what kind of letters of recommendation do you have?

 

[QofQuimica]

Dude/tte, you need to think this through logically. Your grades are fine. Your MCAT score is excellent. Your research experience is way more extensive than that of most of your peers. You noted yourself that your weakness is your lack of clinical experience, and you are correct: having fewer than forty hours of shadowing with no volunteering or work experience is a glaring, red flag, do not pass go, do not collect $200 weakness. Ok, so how do you fix that? You fix that by getting more clinical experience. Right?

Therefore, of the options you mentioned, if your goal is to strengthen your app, you should take the medical scribe job, no question. I'd suggest adding in some medically themed volunteering as well. You don't have to go crazy; just 2 hours of volunteering per week over the next year would be reasonable. If you don't want to do the typical hospital gig, consider volunteering at a free clinic, a hospice, or a nursing home. And start the volunteering now, so that you'll have that to add to your app in six months.

Best of luck to you.

 

[neuroj93]

Hi! First off, I would share your apprehension about taking the MCAT again. That's a pretty solid score and I wouldn't want to risk getting a lower one on a retake.

I would scratch the clinical research coordinator off of your list. It looks to me like you have pleeeeenty of research experience. Unless the job is in a lab that you've worked in for a long time and does research in a topic you're very passionate about, you can probably safely skip it. The strongest choice based solely on your hours seems to be scribing. I don't have any first-hand experience here, but many people think that scribing is a very valuable experience.

Lastly, what kind of letters of recommendation do you have?

My LORs were from science teachers and my research mentor, all of whom knew me best in a research capacity. My professors, even though they taught me classes, also commented on my research credentials, so as a result, research was again heavily emphasized.

Thanks for the advice so far! Much appreciated. What do you guys/gals think about a postbac that has a focus on developing clinical experience? I'm trying to apply to all sorts of programs and then make decisions based on what I get/what will give me the best opportunities.

 

[Faha]

Your lack of clinical experience appears to be the main reason you have not received any interviews. The medical scribe position would help. Also when you reapply in June forget about all the reach schools and add a large number of newer and lower tier schools. Apply to all the schools in Virginia and consider these:
Quinnipiac
Albany
New York Medical College
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Oakland Beaumont
Western Michigan
Rosalind Franklin
Loyola
St. Louis
Creighton
Tulane
California Northstate
Any new private MD schools that open in 2017 (Henricopolis, Seton Hall, Roseman, etc.)
You applied to some of this this year but it would be worth reapplying to them again.

 

[spiffysteve]

I really don't think you should go through any kind of post-bacc program. You'd be much better served just taking a job that gives you clinical experience. The main point of post-bacc programs is to boost GPA, and then some will give a little boost to research or clinical experience. You'd get much more experience working for a year than taking classes and doing a few hours per week of clinical stuff. Also, you can make some money before school, instead of blowing $30,000 on something you don't really need.

 

[QofQuimica]

Thanks for the advice so far! Much appreciated. What do you guys/gals think about a postbac that has a focus on developing clinical experience? I'm trying to apply to all sorts of programs and then make decisions based on what I get/what will give me the best opportunities.

No, that would be the exact WRONG thing to do. Post bacs are for people who need grade remediation and/or to complete the prereqs, neither of which applies in your case. You've already shown you have the ability to hang in the classroom. What you haven't shown is that you are committed to and knowledgeable about a career in medicine. That is what you need to focus your effort on for the next year: acquiring clinical experience and some personal maturity. I know going off the beaten path feels awkward to you, but seriously, you should embrace this opportunity to get a taste of what it's like to be a regular working stiff. Hold down a FT job for the next year, put away a little money, explore different areas of medicine, and step outside of your comfort zone a bit. You'll be a better candidate for it, and you're also going to come out of this whole experience a better doc than you would have been if you'd gotten in on your first try.