gap years/SM struggle - and what I have come to discover about being a premed post-grad

[lostnconfused]

Hi everyone!

So I'm in a sticky situation.. See when I 1st graduated, I had this beautiful plan, and recently reality took a big hit and shattered it pretty well. To give you a little background, I just graduated with a degree in psychology from UC Berkeley with a cumulative GPA of 3.5. I have finished all pre-requisites. I am lacking in science letters of recommendation (since I wasn't a science major, and the science classes I did take for pre-requisites were all very big and competitive). I am lacking in clinical experience - or more specifically, I have no clinical experience. The one thing I do have is two years of research experience - but no publications (and lots of clerical experience working administrative assistant jobs throughout college).

I got a late start on this pre-med thing and really didn't know what I was doing for the longest time - and now I'm sort of in trouble.

My original plan was I was going to take the MCAT post graduation in August, get a job at a hospital for a year, and then go on to a special masters program, and then apply (for a total of 3 years off - 1 year working/getting clinical experience, 1 year masters, 1 year applying).

What I have come to find out since graduation in May is I have absolutely NO qualification to get the hospital jobs I would want (i.e. secretary/front desk assistant). I have no medical terminology, no experience with insurance, and no certification.

Moreover, I found out I needed way more preparation for the MCAT than I had originally anticipated. As of today, I plan on taking it on 11/7.

So.. I'm feeling a little hopeless as nothing seems to be going according to plan, and I was already originally behind enough as it is. My priority right now is still to get clinical experience, but now I have much less than a year to do so. I have signed up to for volunteering at UCD Medical Center, but they only allow one 4 hour shift. I I could become a scribe - but I was told by the scribe programs they only allocate 18 hours/week to each scribe. I could volunteer at multiple hospitals, but I just feel like volunteering and being a scribe alone wouldn't be enough.

Currently I am still sending out job applications every now and then. Ultimately, I was hoping to end up with a full time administrative assistant job at UCSF Medical Center and move back to the bay, and become a scribe on the weekends - but that option isn't looking too realistic at this point.

Any advice? Especially for people that have taken gap years off to do a special masters. I desperately need both clinical experience and to raise my science GPA, but I'd hate for my 3 gap year plan to turn into 4+ years.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[gyngyn]

The time needed for a strong application is a good investment.

 

[TheRhymenocerous]

There are tons of hospitals in the Bay Area (if you're still in the area) that you can volunteer at to get clinical experience while you're trying to find a job. You should check out One Medical Group in SF – I have a friend who just interviewed for an admin position there and thought it seemed cool. And if a job in a clinical setting is what you're after, maybe look into EMT programs or something – as an administrative assistant you won't really be in a clinical environment.

 

[lostnconfused]

The time needed for a strong application is a good investment.

Hi! Thank you for your response!

Would you have any recommendations on what I should do with my years off?

Should I go ahead and invest another year trying to gain clinical experience, and then potentially do a special masters after (for a total of 4 gap years)? If so, what do you think I should do to get the most valuable clinical experience?

Would you have alternative suggestions for what I should do during my gap years?

Thanks in advance!

 

[lostnconfused]

There are tons of hospitals in the Bay Area (if you're still in the area) that you can volunteer at to get clinical experience while you're trying to find a job. You should check out One Medical Group in SF – I have a friend who just interviewed for an admin position there and thought it seemed cool. And if a job in a clinical setting is what you're after, maybe look into EMT programs or something – as an administrative assistant you won't really be in a clinical environment.

I am unfortunately not located in the bay area, although I do hope to move back there - but I would need a stable income first. I am residing in a very residential area located near/around Sacramento. UC Davis is the closest medical institution, and there are a couple of large hospitals in town, but not nearly as many opportunities as in the bay.

And as for being an administrative assistant - I was hoping to learn more about how clinics are run, how insurances are processed, etc. I think it'd be very valuable and insightful to gain some experience in this before emerging myself into the medical field. EMT is an option.. It would just take more time (and money..)..

 

[gyngyn]

Hi! Thank you for your response!

Would you have any recommendations on what I should do with my years off?

Should I go ahead and invest another year trying to gain clinical experience, and then potentially do a special masters after (for a total of 4 gap years)? If so, what do you think I should do to get the most valuable clinical experience?

Would you have alternative suggestions for what I should do during my gap years?

Thanks in advance!

Each year that you live is the fabric of your actual life! In the same measure that you develop yourself as a person, you will improve your desirability as a candidate. For medicine, you need to distinguish yourself in the sciences and show us evidence of the qualities that we do not intend to teach you. There is no recipe for this.

 

[mehc012]

You don't need an SMP with your GPA. There are definitely scribe opportunities around the Bay Area, I'd look into that more. Best experience I've ever had, and invaluable for gaining both clinical knowledge and an understanding of physician lifestyles/opportunities.

 

[Dormouse]

as an administrative assistant you won't really be in a clinical environment.

^This.
It'd be nice for you to be able to tie your psychology background with clinical work. There may be counseling/psychiatry related clinics open for volunteers, or clinical research studies looking for a research coordinator. Best of luck!

 

[lostnconfused]

You don't need an SMP with your GPA. There are definitely scribe opportunities around the Bay Area, I'd look into that more. Best experience I've ever had, and invaluable for gaining both clinical knowledge and an understanding of physician lifestyles/opportunities.

3.5 is my cumulative GPA, my science is lower unfortunately. Plus I would still need letters of recommendation from science professors. :/

And yeah, I would absolutely love to be a scribe so I will look into that again.

Dormouse thank you! And I'm sorry, for clarification, I meant administrative assistant at i.e. a clinic or hospital - doing things such as checking in patients, taking phone calls, etc., not like at the admissions office or something. And yes, local psychiatry clinics is definitely something I could look into as well.

 

[mehc012]

3.5 is my cumulative GPA, my science is lower unfortunately. Plus I would still need letters of recommendation from science professors. :/

And yeah, I would absolutely love to be a scribe so I will look into that again.

Dormouse thank you! And I'm sorry, for clarification, I meant administrative assistant at i.e. a clinic or hospital - doing things such as checking in patients, taking phone calls, etc., not like at the admissions office or something. And yes, local psychiatry clinics is definitely something I could look into as well.

No seriously, it would be foolish to do an SMP with a 3.5. Take a few science courses on the side for a refresher, LORs, and to boost your sGPA...it'll cost a few thousand, tops. An SMP is like fifty thou. While your current GPA isn't going to be opening top doors for you by itself, it also won't be the reason you don't get in. So instead of doing an SMP, which is a hail mary for low GPA folks, why not try things which address the actual weaknesses in your app? Get a clinical position, take some courses, work on LORs.

 

[EMDO2018]

Hi everyone!

So I'm in a sticky situation.. See when I 1st graduated, I had this beautiful plan, and recently reality took a big hit and shattered it pretty well. To give you a little background, I just graduated with a degree in psychology from UC Berkeley with a cumulative GPA of 3.5. I have finished all pre-requisites. I am lacking in science letters of recommendation (since I wasn't a science major, and the science classes I did take for pre-requisites were all very big and competitive). I am lacking in clinical experience - or more specifically, I have no clinical experience. The one thing I do have is two years of research experience - but no publications (and lots of clerical experience working administrative assistant jobs throughout college).

I got a late start on this pre-med thing and really didn't know what I was doing for the longest time - and now I'm sort of in trouble.

My original plan was I was going to take the MCAT post graduation in August, get a job at a hospital for a year, and then go on to a special masters program, and then apply (for a total of 3 years off - 1 year working/getting clinical experience, 1 year masters, 1 year applying).

What I have come to find out since graduation in May is I have absolutely NO qualification to get the hospital jobs I would want (i.e. secretary/front desk assistant). I have no medical terminology, no experience with insurance, and no certification.

Moreover, I found out I needed way more preparation for the MCAT than I had originally anticipated. As of today, I plan on taking it on 11/7.

So.. I'm feeling a little hopeless as nothing seems to be going according to plan, and I was already originally behind enough as it is. My priority right now is still to get clinical experience, but now I have much less than a year to do so. I have signed up to for volunteering at UCD Medical Center, but they only allow one 4 hour shift. I I could become a scribe - but I was told by the scribe programs they only allocate 18 hours/week to each scribe. I could volunteer at multiple hospitals, but I just feel like volunteering and being a scribe alone wouldn't be enough.

Currently I am still sending out job applications every now and then. Ultimately, I was hoping to end up with a full time administrative assistant job at UCSF Medical Center and move back to the bay, and become a scribe on the weekends - but that option isn't looking too realistic at this point.

Any advice? Especially for people that have taken gap years off to do a special masters. I desperately need both clinical experience and to raise my science GPA, but I'd hate for my 3 gap year plan to turn into 4+ years.

I call this the post pre med humbling, its not easy to get a job, even (especially) ones you are overqualified for. Trust me I know.

 

[Eppur Si Muove]

Also its worth noting that many schools will only take this years MCAT through next year, then it has to be the 2015 version

 

[lostnconfused]

No seriously, it would be foolish to do an SMP with a 3.5. Take a few science courses on the side for a refresher, LORs, and to boost your sGPA...it'll cost a few thousand, tops. An SMP is like fifty thou. While your current GPA isn't going to be opening top doors for you by itself, it also won't be the reason you don't get in. So instead of doing an SMP, which is a hail mary for low GPA folks, why not try things which address the actual weaknesses in your app? Get a clinical position, take some courses, work on LORs.

I've considered that too - why spend so much on SMP when I could just take classes at a regular university? Found out that I was way over my head as well on that one - there's only one state university around my area (saving on living cost is a huge factor of not investing in a SMP), and the several community colleges are very limited in their science courses. But the state university here does not allow 2nd bachelor degrees, and students that have already gotten a degree is very last priority in already impacted classes. I could definitely beg around until 1 or 2 professors let me into their class - but that also means I can't finalize my volunteer or work schedule until a month or 2 into a semester.

Moreover I am also worried about how it would look if my letters of recommendation came from an "easier" college. Although this would be more applicable to community college courses.

Definitely things I did not see coming until postgraduation. :/

 

[lostnconfused]

I call this the post pre med humbling, its not easy to get a job, even (especially) ones you are overqualified for. Trust me I know.

I'm not quit sure what you mean there.. could you please elaborate?

 

[lostnconfused]

Also its worth noting that many schools will only take this years MCAT through next year, then it has to be the 2015 version

https://www.aamc.org/students/download/398586/data/mcatexampolicy.pdf

Majority thankfully are still sticking with accepting MCATS taken 3 years within applying.

 

[mehc012]

I've considered that too - why spend so much on SMP when I could just take classes at a regular university? Found out that I was way over my head as well on that one - there's only one state university around my area (saving on living cost is a huge factor of not investing in a SMP), and the several community colleges are very limited in their science courses. But the state university here does not allow 2nd bachelor degrees, and students that have already gotten a degree is very last priority in already impacted classes. I could definitely beg around until 1 or 2 professors let me into their class - but that also means I can't finalize my volunteer or work schedule until a month or 2 into a semester.

Moreover I am also worried about how it would look if my letters of recommendation came from an "easier" college. Although this would be more applicable to community college courses.

Definitely things I did not see coming until postgraduation. :/

That's pretty much the best option you have for LORs...an SMP is not something you want to take just to get your letters. And nobody really cares what school your LOR writers came from., just that they're in a position to evaluate you as a student or professionally.

Finding classes can be hard, but keep poking around, you'll figure out something in your area. Or, yes, beg around and get into classes. You'd be surprised how flexible employers and volunteer coordinators can be once you're in. You're only really going to get LORs, so it is less important what the courses are. I'd bet you could find some evening courses near you (so you could work/volunteer without waiting), score some LORs, refresh your science, and sell it as 'I just wanted to take some classes to stay academically fresh, but had to fit it around my work schedule' .

Again, your gpa is far from your biggest problem at this point. You'll have to crank up your clinical experience, find some LORs, and take the MCAT to get into an SMP anyway, and once you do that, you'll be in a position to apply for real. Basically, the only thing you would be getting from an SMP would be LORs from classes with over 100 students and (often) a quick rotation of profs. You'd probably get a better one at community college, no joke.

 

[Eppur Si Muove]

https://www.aamc.org/students/download/398586/data/mcatexampolicy.pdf

Majority thankfully are still sticking with accepting MCATS taken 3 years within applying.

Good that you read up on it, just making sure you were aware

 

[squarecut]

Just happened to stumble upon this thread while searching for something else.
I am not sure if you already found a good place to work / volunteer. Anyway I wanted to throw in my 2 cents if it encourages you...
I was in a similar place 2 years back. Non trad with engg background and no exposure to clinical stuff whatsoever. Had to repeat all of the science courses. It seemed pretty hopeless at that time.
But I would say start volunteering at the most needy place. I did mine at a hospice location. They were very appreciative and willing to accommodate my hours to a great extent. Try to reach out to the doctors there, more often that not they will let you shadow them. If they are connected to a hospital, use that connection to volunteer there. Talk to the nurse practitioners about your job search. You will surely get some valuable insider information. So I guess you get the idea, one door would lead to the next. You cannot plan everything out in advance. Try and keep your plans fluid a little bit.
You can even get them to write your LORs. Some of best LORs came from a physician and a NP. In my opinion Ad coms appreciate this stuff more than regular LORs. Take whatever science courses you can meanwhile. Knock them out of the park..

How do you eat an elephant??? One piece at a time... Good luck. Keep working and don't lost hope. You will make it.