Help Me Decide What To Do With My (Last) Gap Year

[Spinach Dip]

So.... Due to a combination of factors, I will NOT be applying this year. Instead, I will be focusing my full efforts on perfecting my application so I can get into the best school possible next cycle. (Mayo... dare I dream?)



For those of you forgetting my resume, here it is:

40 MCAT (14/11/15)
3.4 undergrad GPA (at a state college you've never heard of) Major in Biology. Minors in Chemistry and Writing.
3.3 graduate GPA (at OHSU) Major in Biochemistry.

Oregon resident.

Personal Statement: will focus on some health issues I have been experiencing in the past years, which all came to a climax last December.



ECs

-Worked as a CNA for several months. Quit for occupational and personal reasons (I have not included this one before, so those who are stalking me should take note!)
-Shadowed an anesthesiologist (50 hrs)
-Shadowed a lab animal veterinarian (~100 hrs)
-A publication in JAALAS (2nd author) (Journal for the American Association of Lab Animal Science)
-Did a poster presentation
-Did another poster presentation
-Did another another poster presentation (all 3 were different posters)
-Did some PCR research
-Was an Ochem tutor for a year
-Produced a short video (2 mins) explaining the value of science to a grade-school audience
-Appeared in a couple university-produced educational videos
-Spent a couple years in undergrad writing novels and short stories. I'm still working on a few
-In my spare time (ha!), I play online chess through FICS. I think I'm nearing in on 2500 games

My plans for the next couple terms include finishing my MS and doing some research in a laboratory which uses swine. (and getting my wisdom teeth out...ugh...). I am also going to shadow a couple more physicians (aiming for 3) and possibly be first author on a paper regarding embryology.



So, I now have a whole extra year to polish and perfect my app. What should I add to my plate? Here are a couple I have thought about:

-Learn a new language (espanol porfavor)
-Join Americorps (probably as a bio teacher)
-Work in a study which uses human subjects (my part would likely be limited to interviews)
-Complete some training so I can get a health-related job (phlebotomist?)



Any words of wisdom?

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[Osteoth]

So it seems like reading your extracurriculars you are passionate about research. Is this correct? If so, why would you not continue to do research?

I am a proponent of the idea of doing what you would enjoy and explaining it to medical schools when the time comes, but make sure you have a good story to tell them about why you did what you did.

 

[question25]

What do you feel most like doing? If you are asking where you are lacking, I don't see any volunteering but from what I have heard, definitely only do Americorps if you are passionate about service because it is very intensive.

 

[The Buff OP]

You need to shadow more than one specialty (get some primary care in there) and you need to show that you have spend your time volunteering with human related stuff (volunteer at a hospital). In addition, it doesn't say you lift, if anything @Goro will bee looking for that. lol I kidd

 

[ridethecliche]

Are you planning on doing MD or DO?

Your GPA will screen you out of most competitive people, unless you're URM.

 

[gtbROX]

Why not Americorps? Sounds fun and it seems like it would supplement your app well.

 

[infinitessimal]

I would get some non-clinical volunteering in. You can do this alongside your main gig, of course. Also, aside from the few months of CNA (and perhaps college tutoring, to a lesser extent), your app doesn't really involve you working with and helping people, which is very important. So while research would be good, you might also look into something humanitarian.

 

[ciestar]

Didn't I see a thread of yours before stating that finances were a major issue with your application? I would go that route, get a job and make some money.

 

[Spinach Dip]

You need to shadow more than one specialty (get some primary care in there) and you need to show that you have spend your time volunteering with human related stuff (volunteer at a hospital). In addition, it doesn't say you lift, if anything @Goro will bee looking for that. lol I kidd

Getting some more shadowing in the near future. Don't worry. And I do lift (I just don't like to brag about it and make everyone else feel inferior ).

Are you planning on doing MD or DO?

Your GPA will screen you out of most competitive people, unless you're URM.

If any school wants to auto-cut me for having a 3.4 (an MS, a 40, publications, and plenty of animal-based research), that's a school I don't want to go to.

Why not Americorps? Sounds fun and it seems like it would supplement your app well.

I'm thinking about it.

But I am wondering what would be the best use of my time. Americorps? Working near home? Something else?

Didn't I see a thread of yours before stating that finances were a major issue with your application? I would go that route, get a job and make some money.

Yeah. Finances. Ugh.

That's one of the reasons I'm not finishing any of my secondaries this year, and focusing entirely on next year.

 

[dorschmix]

I don't see any volunteering but from what I have heard, definitely only do Americorps if you are passionate about service because it is very intensive.

 

[ridethecliche]

Some programs will screen you out I said, not all. Your MCAT 'makes up' for your GPA as much as one can, but I don't think it's usually a good sign to have a lower grad gpa than ugrad since grad programs tend to have much higher grade inflation.

Should be an interesting cycle for you. Apply broadly next year, yada yada yada.

Americorps would be good, but you could probably also get into a study that requires drawing blood in addition to doing patient interviews depending on where you live. Learning to draw blood isn't all that hard. Some places have different requirements for clinical and research draws as well.

 

[kraskadva]

.But I am wondering what would be the best use of my time. Americorps? Working near home? Something else?.

As far as I understand it, only do Americorps if you want to do nothing but for the next year...
Perhaps better would be to get involved in something local, for a significant, but not overwhelming, amount of hours each week. If you've got CNA training, maybe check out local free clinics. Or if you like to garden and you're in a big city, maybe local community agriculture.
Most med schools have a free clinic/ community health care of some variety, so being able to show that you're interested in giving back to your community, would help when writing all the secondary essays on 'why this school?', etc.

 

[Lucca]

Americorps is a full time commitment. Remember that starting in June yojr gap year quasi-ends and you have to shift gears towards applying as early and as broadly as possible. Because of your previous financial situation I would ensure that you concentrate on budgetting and having just enough money for the app, secondaries, and travel to and from a select number of schools. I believe it is preferrable to apply to 10 schools and afford all expenses than apply to 30 and drop 20 secondaries.

Also, be prepared to answer the following questions:
Why not research?
Why not Md/Phd?
Why not vet?


Yes to the humanitarian volunteering, yes to working, and a relucant "mehhhh" to the shadowing of other specialties, imho.

Also an unpublished writer is not an author. Not downplaying your commitment or effort but that is the reality. EVERYONE is an unpublished writer.

 

[ciestar]

Getting some more shadowing in the near future. Don't worry. And I do lift (I just don't like to brag about it and make everyone else feel inferior ).







If any school wants to auto-cut me for having a 3.4 (an MS, a 40, publications, and plenty of animal-based research), that's a school I don't want to go to.






I'm thinking about it.

But I am wondering what would be the best use of my time. Americorps? Working near home? Something else?






Yeah. Finances. Ugh.

That's one of the reasons I'm not finishing any of my secondaries this year, and focusing entirely on next year.

Definitely go that route then. Get a job and save up to pay for your secondaries for next year! You don't want to go through this again. Do some volunteering and shadowing while you're doing that.

 

[The Buff OP]

Getting some more shadowing in the near future. Don't worry. And I do lift (I just don't like to brag about it and make everyone else feel inferior ).

Aight, bro. Get those human Ec's in there.

 

[HinduHammer]

Based on a previous thread where you had asked SDN whether or not to retake the MCAT, I entered this thread with the intention of writing "retake the MCAT for a better score" as my only reply. Instead, I will also add teaching chess to kids from an underserved area, along with more clinical experience. But still, should consider retaking MCAT.

 

[ciestar]

Based on a previous thread where you had asked SDN whether or not to retake the MCAT, I entered this thread with the intention of writing "retake the MCAT for a better score" as my only reply. Instead, I will also add teaching chess to kids from an underserved area, along with more clinical experience. But still, should consider retaking MCAT.

Retake a 40 mcat?

 

[Spinach Dip]

Retake a 40 mcat?

I was trolling by asking if my score was "too high" to be competitive. No one got the joke.

 

[ciestar]

I was trolling by asking if my score was "too high" to be competitive. No one got the joke.

Totally forgot about that thread!! Oops

 

[Goro]

I like this
-Join Americorps (probably as a bio teacher)

And think you would be helped by a more service oriented job(s).

Service need not be "unique". If you can alleviate suffering in your community through service to the poor, homeless, illiterate, fatherless, etc, you are meeting an otherwise unmet need and learning more about the lives of the people (or types of people) who will someday be your patients.

In short, don't run away from your fellow human beings. Learn to work with them, not on them.