Need advise on whether I should delay medical school

[BlueCircle]

Its a somewhat lengthy read but please bear with me. I've come to the sobering realization that I have very poor ECs. I was originally planning on one gap year but now I'm starting to think I might need two.

Here are my stats:
BIO major at a state school in CA, GPA = 3.75-3.85// mcat yet to be taken
volunteered ~300 hours at a hospital which ended a year ago
did two summers of full-time research ('14 and '13),
stood on a student funding board this past year for the entire school year
Tutored students on the side

And thats it! Things I would like to do?
be a part of student government
volunteer more in clinical settings
shadow physicians
Do research during the school year - I have only one more year left of UG

Problem is, (plan A) I haven't taken the MCAT and was scheduled to take it in January of this year school year (was really hoping to take the old mcat) along with a light load and no ECs for the fall quarter (I would take it after the end of the fall quarter) and then resume ECs for my last two quarters at uni before applying next summer. However, I feel that my app is quite inadequate for the competitiveness of CA schools (I'm a resident of the state)

Should I go with plan B, which is starting my planned EC's in the fall instead of loosing a quarter (and also gaining a whole extra year of ECs) - and therefore push out the MCAT and take the new one, and then not apply until summer of 2016 (effectively taking two gap years)? Or stick with my original plan? I was really only planning on one gap year but if I'm not going to be competitive I feel like I shouldn't rush things - even if it means taking the new mcat and delaying med school by another year.

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[hoihaie]

take a gap year and do those activities

 

[Dr. Retractor]

You will have a very hard time getting in anywhere without shadowing. You can either work on ECs during the school year and not take the MCAT then only study for the new MCAT in the summer after you graduate (so you'll be complete a little late) or take two gap years and have time to take the new MCAT and work on ECs. Some will say delaying med school by a year is losing a year of attending salary, but if you think having a better chance of getting into medical school is worth losing a year of attending salary, then you should go for it.

 

[LizzyM]

Shadowing shouldn't take a year full-time. Start dialing now and set something up in the next year. You can study for the MCAT, etc and still find 8 hours once a month from now until next June to shadow various specialties (and by that I'm including primary care providers). Use a snowball method of recruiting docs to shadow; as you set up to shadow one, ask him/her to refer you to a friend or colleague in the same specialty or another specialty.

Student government and sitting on a student funding board are similar activities. I wouldn't feel that you were adding anything to your file.

Research for a year after doing research for 2 summers? Again, not really adding more of substance to your file. You will have additional opportunities for research in med school, residency and fellowship.

Clinical volunteering. See Research. Same song, second verse.