Should I take two gap years? Low research, high stats

[littleblue888]

State/Country of Residence: GA
Ties to other States/Regions: strong ties to southern CA (immediate family)
URM? (Y/N): no
Year in School: senior
Undergraduate Major(s)/Minor(s): Neuroscience and music composition
Cumulative GPA: 3.97
Science GPA: 3.92
MCAT Score(s): 522 (131/129/132/130)
Research Experience:

• 80 hours as a music therapy researcher (mostly writing summaries and interviewing music therapists)
• projected 300-400 hours as a clinical research assistant (doing this for my gap year + scribing); patient interviewing, data collection/analysis

Publications/Abstracts/Posters: None
Clinical Experience (paid or volunteer):

• 800 hours scribing in a heme/onc clinic, expecting to add a few hundred more during my gap year
• 100 hours volunteering at an infusion center

Physician Shadowing: Currently none, but can add at least 40 hours outside my scribe job
Non-Clinical Volunteering:

• 150 hours as a volunteer orientation leader for first year students
• 200 hours teaching underserved children at a library

Other Extracurricular Activities:

• 1000 hours leading, arranging, and teaching music for two a cappella groups as co-president and music director, won awards in competitive a cappella
• Thousands of hours in competitive Rubik’s cube speedsolving since I was 11, ranked top 15 in the state, but I’ve stopped competing since 2022

Other Employment History:

• 250 hours as an orientation coordinator (recruiting, hiring, training new orientation leaders, emphasis on servant leadership)
• 100 hours as a bio lab TA
• 100 hours as a chemistry supplemental instructor
• Work as a freelance music producer/arranger, have done a few projects for small artists

LORs: physician I scribe for, music composition professor, orientation coordinator supervisor, bio prof who I TA'd for + committee letter
Specialty of Interest (if applicable): not sure yet, curious about anesthesia
Interest in Primary Care (Y/N): probably not
Interest in Rural Health (Y/N): no
Medical School List: I made an initial list with admit.org, then added a bunch of mid tiers since it felt way too top heavy, but now I have 56 schools and unsure how to narrow down to 35.

• Harvard
• Hopkins
• UPenn
• Columbia
• Stanford
• UCSF
• Duke
• Vanderbilt
• WashU
• Cornell
• NYU
• Yale
• Michigan
• Northwestern
• Pitt
• Mayo Clinic
• Icahn
• UChicago
• UCLA
• UCSD
• Baylor
• Emory
• UT Southwestern
• Case Western Reserve
• Colorado
• Ohio State
• USC
• UVA
• Rochester
• BU
• Brown
• Wisconsin
• Cincinatti
• UC Irvine
• UMass
• Miami
• Iowa
• USF
• Long
• Tufts
• Sidney Kimmel
• Stony Brook
• VCU
• Vermont
• Hofstra
• MCG
• Hackensack
• SLU
• Geisinger
• USC Greenville
• UCF
• Quinnipiac
• Western Michigan
• UA Phoenix
• MCW

I’m not really sure which schools align best with my experiences, and I’m not sure what to cut considering my high stats but relatively average research (which may not even be productive) and volunteering. I’d appreciate any feedback!

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[Mr.Smile12]

What are your service orientation activities where you directly help people in distress?

 

[littleblue888]

What are your service orientation activities where you directly help people in distress?

I'm planning on volunteering in hospice care, talking to patients and their families and helping them run errands. I also want to switch my current clinical volunteering position to something more patient-centered, like working as a volunteer patient care technician at a free clinic, if that counts. My current role is more greeting patients and bringing them snacks, which I don't find very fulfilling anymore. Hoping to do either one of these throughout my gap year on top of my research job. What would you recommend?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I'm planning on volunteering in hospice care, talking to patients and their families and helping them run errands. I also want to switch my current clinical volunteering position to something more patient-centered, like working as a volunteer patient care technician at a free clinic, if that counts. My current role is more greeting patients and bringing them snacks, which I don't find very fulfilling anymore. Hoping to do either one of these throughout my gap year on top of my research job. What would you recommend?

Food distribution, shelter volunteer, job/tax preparation, transportation services, or housing rehabilitation. Something that is independent of or adjacent to clinical work.

 

[Faha]

Your lack of non clinical volunteering will limit your chances for interviews. Projected hours during your gap year will not matter if they have not already occurred at the time you submit your application. You also need 40+ hours of in person physician shadowing before you submit your application. Some of the top tier schools on your list also value research and you will have only 80 hours at the time you submit your application. I suggest these schools:
Medical College Georgia
Mercer
Emory
USF Morsani
Miami
Vanderbilt
Washington University (in St. Louis)
Northwestern
Western Michigan
U Michigan
Cincinnati
Ohio State
Duke
U Virginia
George Washington
Pittsburgh
Jefferson
Temple
Drexel
Hackensack
Hofstra
Einstein
Mount Sinai
New York Medical College
Rochester
Vermont
Tufts
UMass
Iowa
Colorado

 

[littleblue888]

Hi all, unfortunately my research job has fallen through, and now I'm feeling conflicted on next steps.

State/Country of Residence: GA
Ties to other States/Regions: strong ties to southern CA (immediate family)
URM? (Y/N): no
Year in School: senior
Undergraduate Major(s)/Minor(s): Neuroscience and music composition
Cumulative GPA: 3.97
Science GPA: 3.92
MCAT Score(s): 522 (131/129/132/130)
Research Experience: 80 hours as a music therapy researcher (mostly writing summaries and interviewing music therapists)
Publications/Abstracts/Posters: None
Clinical Experience (paid or volunteer):

• 800 hours scribing in a heme/onc clinic, expecting to add a few hundred more during my gap year
• 100 hours volunteering at an infusion center

Physician Shadowing: Currently none, but can add at least 40 hours outside my scribe job
Non-Clinical Volunteering:

• 150 hours as a volunteer orientation leader for first year students
• Volunteer crisis counselor for crisis text line; should have about 60 hours by June, definitely 200+ by next year

Other Extracurricular Activities:

• 1000 hours leading, arranging, and teaching music for two a cappella groups as co-president and music director, won awards in competitive a cappella
• Thousands of hours in competitive Rubik’s cube speedsolving since I was 11, ranked top 15 in the state, but I’ve stopped competing since 2022

Other Employment History:

• 250 hours as an orientation coordinator (recruiting, hiring, training new orientation leaders, emphasis on servant leadership)
• 100 hours as a bio lab TA
• 100 hours as a chemistry supplemental instructor
• Work as a freelance music producer/arranger, have done a few projects for small artists

I am currently working on getting another research position, though it is difficult because I'm a senior with almost no research experience. Even if I were to find a position and start this month, the vast majority of my research hours would be projected (as would my non-clinical volunteering). I'm aware that projected hours don't mean much to adcoms. I'm hoping to pursue more competitive specialties in the future, so would it be in my best interest to take an additional gap year and strengthen my application for more research-oriented schools, or should I be okay to apply this cycle?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

You don't have service orientation activities. Orientation leader is campus involvement and doesn't alleviate one's distress. Crisis text line is common among premeds since the pandemic, but in-person activities have more value (say as a domestic violence or LGBTQ+ shelter volunteer).

You need 150 hours to avoid getting screened out at most schools. If you are going for brand schools, you need 250 to 300 to keep pace with other peer applicants.

Traditional research helps but is not crucial depending on your mission fit.

 

[LindaAccepted]

Hi all, unfortunately my research job has fallen through, and now I'm feeling conflicted on next steps.

State/Country of Residence: GA
Ties to other States/Regions: strong ties to southern CA (immediate family)
URM? (Y/N): no
Year in School: senior
Undergraduate Major(s)/Minor(s): Neuroscience and music composition
Cumulative GPA: 3.97
Science GPA: 3.92
MCAT Score(s): 522 (131/129/132/130)
Research Experience: 80 hours as a music therapy researcher (mostly writing summaries and interviewing music therapists)
Publications/Abstracts/Posters: None
Clinical Experience (paid or volunteer):

• 800 hours scribing in a heme/onc clinic, expecting to add a few hundred more during my gap year
• 100 hours volunteering at an infusion center

Physician Shadowing: Currently none, but can add at least 40 hours outside my scribe job
Non-Clinical Volunteering:

• 150 hours as a volunteer orientation leader for first year students
• Volunteer crisis counselor for crisis text line; should have about 60 hours by June, definitely 200+ by next year

Other Extracurricular Activities:

• 1000 hours leading, arranging, and teaching music for two a cappella groups as co-president and music director, won awards in competitive a cappella
• Thousands of hours in competitive Rubik’s cube speedsolving since I was 11, ranked top 15 in the state, but I’ve stopped competing since 2022

Other Employment History:

• 250 hours as an orientation coordinator (recruiting, hiring, training new orientation leaders, emphasis on servant leadership)
• 100 hours as a bio lab TA
• 100 hours as a chemistry supplemental instructor
• Work as a freelance music producer/arranger, have done a few projects for small artists

I am currently working on getting another research position, though it is difficult because I'm a senior with almost no research experience. Even if I were to find a position and start this month, the vast majority of my research hours would be projected (as would my non-clinical volunteering). I'm aware that projected hours don't mean much to adcoms. I'm hoping to pursue more competitive specialties in the future, so would it be in my best interest to take an additional gap year and strengthen my application for more research-oriented schools, or should I be okay to apply this cycle?

Unless your interested in a research oriented school, you don't have to have research. It's nice, but not a must.

For many if not most programs, you will need service to the underserved. I didn't see that in your post. If you start that ASAP and make it a significant time commitment, you could have enough hours by the time you apply and also enough to be able to talk about the experience intelligently in applications and in interviews. If not, you might want to take that second gap year.

f you start that ASAP and continue it, you could have enough hours by the time you apply. if not, I would suggest a second gap year, but to avoid that I'd first try to get the service hours up.

 

[Med Ed]

Agree with the posts above.

I see the pattern of high stats/strong research/low non-clinical volunteering a lot in reapplicants. So often that I call it The Mistake.

You're in a situation where you have high stats/weak research/low non-clinical volunteering. Get the non-clinical piece shored up and you'll be competitive.

 

[candbgirl]

And do the shadowing while you are setting up your nonclinical opportunities.
Are you applying in May 2024 or are you putting it off until 2025?

 

[Reanox24]

Hi all, unfortunately my research job has fallen through, and now I'm feeling conflicted on next steps.

State/Country of Residence: GA
Ties to other States/Regions: strong ties to southern CA (immediate family)
URM? (Y/N): no
Year in School: senior
Undergraduate Major(s)/Minor(s): Neuroscience and music composition
Cumulative GPA: 3.97
Science GPA: 3.92
MCAT Score(s): 522 (131/129/132/130)
Research Experience: 80 hours as a music therapy researcher (mostly writing summaries and interviewing music therapists)
Publications/Abstracts/Posters: None
Clinical Experience (paid or volunteer):

• 800 hours scribing in a heme/onc clinic, expecting to add a few hundred more during my gap year
• 100 hours volunteering at an infusion center

Physician Shadowing: Currently none, but can add at least 40 hours outside my scribe job
Non-Clinical Volunteering:

• 150 hours as a volunteer orientation leader for first year students
• Volunteer crisis counselor for crisis text line; should have about 60 hours by June, definitely 200+ by next year

Other Extracurricular Activities:

• 1000 hours leading, arranging, and teaching music for two a cappella groups as co-president and music director, won awards in competitive a cappella
• Thousands of hours in competitive Rubik’s cube speedsolving since I was 11, ranked top 15 in the state, but I’ve stopped competing since 2022

Other Employment History:

• 250 hours as an orientation coordinator (recruiting, hiring, training new orientation leaders, emphasis on servant leadership)
• 100 hours as a bio lab TA
• 100 hours as a chemistry supplemental instructor
• Work as a freelance music producer/arranger, have done a few projects for small artists

I am currently working on getting another research position, though it is difficult because I'm a senior with almost no research experience. Even if I were to find a position and start this month, the vast majority of my research hours would be projected (as would my non-clinical volunteering). I'm aware that projected hours don't mean much to adcoms. I'm hoping to pursue more competitive specialties in the future, so would it be in my best interest to take an additional gap year and strengthen my application for more research-oriented schools, or should I be okay to apply this cycle?

If you want to go to literally any T20, you need research. My 300 hours of unproductive, crap research was not enough to make the cut. However, you should ask yourself whether you really want to sacrifice 1-2 years of your life + physician salary to get into a "better" school

 

[chilly_md]

I have merged these similar threads together. Please try to maintain discussion in one thread instead creating new ones.