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With the application cycle winding down and without an acceptance in hand, I guess it is time to start figuring out some gap year plans. I thought I had a solid application, but I feel that my lack of clinical experience has hurt me in the end. So of course, I will be using a gap year or two to shore up on that by doing more volunteering clinically. This might be a long post, so I truly appreciate whoever takes the time to read through and offer their advice.
Here are the options I am considering, and I would like some input on them
1. Take two years off, get an MS in Biomedical Engineering while working part time (maybe as a scribe) + volunteering. This might be my preferred route, because I am interested in the technology side of medicine and could see myself one day being involved in tissue regeneration and/or transplant working towards improving the current situation with the lack of donor organs available. I have two questions about this route. First, it will take me two years to complete this masters. I took the MCAT in June of 2014, and I know scores are valid for three years. However, with the new MCAT coming out, will that change whether my score is still valid when I apply after two gap years? Second, would an MS in BME be helpful for admissions to research oriented schools?
2. Work full time as a scribe for a year, maybe try to find some research project to do on the side, + volunteering. This would help me make some money and beef up my clinical experience. This seems like a good fallback plan if the masters in BME doesn't seem feasible or worthwhile.
3. Do a one year online masters in clinical investigation while working and volunteering. Again, this might help for getting into a research oriented medical school, but then again maybe not because I feel these types of programs aren't very rigorous and might be considered similar to an MPH. I might not be as interested in the course material compared to biomed engineering, but it will still be useful some day.
I know this is a personal decision and a lot of it comes down to preference, but if you had these three options, which do you think would be the most beneficial towards getting into a medical school? Would the MS in BME make me a more attractive applicant assuming I shore up my clinical experience by volunteering on the side? Thanks for your help, SDN - yall are the best.
Here are the options I am considering, and I would like some input on them
1. Take two years off, get an MS in Biomedical Engineering while working part time (maybe as a scribe) + volunteering. This might be my preferred route, because I am interested in the technology side of medicine and could see myself one day being involved in tissue regeneration and/or transplant working towards improving the current situation with the lack of donor organs available. I have two questions about this route. First, it will take me two years to complete this masters. I took the MCAT in June of 2014, and I know scores are valid for three years. However, with the new MCAT coming out, will that change whether my score is still valid when I apply after two gap years? Second, would an MS in BME be helpful for admissions to research oriented schools?
2. Work full time as a scribe for a year, maybe try to find some research project to do on the side, + volunteering. This would help me make some money and beef up my clinical experience. This seems like a good fallback plan if the masters in BME doesn't seem feasible or worthwhile.
3. Do a one year online masters in clinical investigation while working and volunteering. Again, this might help for getting into a research oriented medical school, but then again maybe not because I feel these types of programs aren't very rigorous and might be considered similar to an MPH. I might not be as interested in the course material compared to biomed engineering, but it will still be useful some day.
I know this is a personal decision and a lot of it comes down to preference, but if you had these three options, which do you think would be the most beneficial towards getting into a medical school? Would the MS in BME make me a more attractive applicant assuming I shore up my clinical experience by volunteering on the side? Thanks for your help, SDN - yall are the best.
