Add another gap year?

[frosty42]

I'm coming to the painful realization that I didn't do nearly enough in undergrad in terms of volunteering. As of now I planned on taking two gap years - graduating soon (2020) and applying (MD only) in 2021 to enter in 2022. However, looking at my numbers of hours I feel like I might need to add another year to gain some more experience.
Here is what I have as of now:

cGPA: 3.76
sGPA: 3.78

No MCAT score yet
(499 Kaplan half-length diagnostic, will be studying for 6 months; testing in Sept)

NJ

White

Wesleyan University (in CT)

Clinical Experience
Working in a schizophrenia cognition lab for 3 years
Administered neuropsychological assessments to schizophrenia outpatients at a psychiatric hospital
300 hrs total

Research Experience
Senior thesis in schizophrenia cognition lab
One summer of research at Wesleyan; independent project plus poster presentation at the school
No publications
380 hrs total (separate from clinical experience section)

Shadowing
Only 70 hrs shadowing full-time for one month the summer before my freshman year
DO, neurologist

Non-clinical volunteering
140 hrs over 4 years of science outreach (teach science lessons to elementary school students in after-school program)
10 hrs at therapeutic equestrian center (started in Feb 2020 but wasn't able to continue due to COVID-19)

Other ECs
Equestrian team member all 4 years (960 hrs of riding & competing total)
Captain of the team junior and senior years (240 hrs working on running the team)
Peer tutor for intro bio during my sophomore spring and junior fall (27 hrs total)

Misc.
Studied abroad in Italy my junior spring
Father is an Italian immigrant & much of my family doesn't speak English, hence the program (took Italian for 3 semesters prior to studying abroad)
Mom works as a physician for Hackensack Meridian (not sure if this would help me get into their medical school)

I don't have a school list yet, but will definitely apply to all NJ MD schools & planning on Drexel, Temple, and Sidney Kimmel. Would love any advice you have on creating my school list.

I had planned on gaining shadowing hours and working in a clinical position (MA or CNA) starting from post-graduation until I would (hopefully) enter med school, but due to COVID-19 that is highly unlikely.

I've applied to the Crisis Text Line to gain some volunteer hours with them while I'm quarantined at home.

Please give me some advice on ways to strengthen my application and when you think I should apply. I really do not want to take another gap year. I know a year isn't much in the grand scheme of things but I'd really prefer to apply when I had planned to if you think I have any shot of getting in.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Faha]

More clinical volunteering hours (MA or CNA) would help. Otherwise your ECs are fine to apply in June 2021. Post your actual MCAT score here when available and I will suggest schools.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Clinical Experience
Working in a schizophrenia cognition lab for 3 years
Administered neuropsychological assessments to schizophrenia outpatients at a psychiatric hospital
300 hrs total

Research Experience
Senior thesis in schizophrenia cognition lab
One summer of research at Wesleyan; independent project plus poster presentation at the school
No publications
380 hrs total (separate from clinical experience section)

I'm not sure your "clinical experience" fits the bill. It sounds like it's an extension of your research experience, even if you're trying to separate the hours.

Mom works as a physician for Hackensack Meridian (not sure if this would help me get into their medical school)

Did you include where she went to medical school in your list? Or did she go to medical school outside the US? How about residency training?

 

[frosty42]

I'm not sure your "clinical experience" fits the bill. It sounds like it's an extension of your research experience, even if you're trying to separate the hours.

Did you include where she went to medical school in your list? Or did she go to medical school outside the US? How about residency training?

Ok, I understand that.
Our lab aims to treat cognitive deficits via cognitive remediation so we administer cognitive training to our clients and then use the neuropsych assessments to collect data on whether or not the different types of cog rem are actually improving cognition and other symptoms.
Does that change anything or is it still more of a research experience?
I was not personally involved with the administration of treatment, unfortunately, I just administered the assessments.

Yes, she went to UMDNJ (now Rutgers/NJMS) for medical school which I will definitely be applying to and she completed residency training at a hospital in Philadelphia that was then affiliated with Temple and I now believe is planning on merging with SKMC.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Ok, I understand that.
Our lab aims to treat cognitive deficits via cognitive remediation so we administer cognitive training to our clients and then use the neuropsych assessments to collect data on whether or not the different types of cog rem are actually improving cognition and other symptoms.
Does that change anything or is it still more of a research experience?
I was not personally involved with the administration of treatment, unfortunately, I just administered the assessments.

Yes, it sounds like a research experience rather than a clinical experience.