Advice for application and gap years

[sabr1992]

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I graduated May 2015 from Northeastern with the intention of getting an MPH and entering public health. I had always wanted to be an MD but had personal and family issues freshman and sophomore year that I handled poorly. Well, 9 months later I realized that I'd rather take the risk of going for an MD than playing it safe with an MPH (I have a more complete MPH application right now; I'm not trying to say it's easy getting into public health schools.)

Ended up getting a C+ in Gen Chem II, C in Genetics, and I withdrew from Orgo I. This was all during during the end of freshman year and sophomore year. Mix in some A's and B's for the remaining courses.

I retook Genetics for an A and got A's in the rest of my science courses during junior and senior years: Physics 1 and 2, Orgo 1 and 2, Microbiology, and Biochemistry (A-). Ended up with a sGPA of 3.53 after factoring in both Genetics grades and cGPA of 3.65.

Volunteered with Big Brother as a mentor for 2 years. Worked as an Ophthalmic assistant at MEEI for 6 months (full-time) and then as needed for the next year. Then worked as a Public Health Associate for 9 months for a municipal health department. I did research with a biology professor for 6 months during my senior year and also with a public health professor for a semester (as a capstone project).

Right now my job isn't anything health-related, but the pay is okay and I have some free time during the day to study for the MCAT. I was planning on getting a clinical volunteer job, doing more shadowing, and taking the MCAT towards the end of this year. Looking at the 2017 application cycle. Would it make sense to look for a clinical job this year or is it fine to stay and look for one if I don't get in during my first application cycle? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[Goro]

Any patient contact experience is OK, volunteer or not. What you need to show in this process is that you know what you're doing and that you really want to be around sick people for the next 40 years. The upward trend is always a good sign.

I love the Big Brother volunteering!

 

[sabr1992]

Any patient contact experience is OK, volunteer or not. What you need to show in this process is that you know what you're doing and that you really want to be around sick people for the next 40 years. The upward trend is always a good sign.

I love the Big Brother volunteering!

Thank you! And I really enjoyed my time with Big Brother. It was hard to leave the program.


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[orthojuniorfaculty]

I graduated May 2015 from Northeastern with the intention of getting an MPH and entering public health. I had always wanted to be an MD but had personal and family issues freshman and sophomore year that I handled poorly. Well, 9 months later I realized that I'd rather take the risk of going for an MD than playing it safe with an MPH (I have a more complete MPH application right now; I'm not trying to say it's easy getting into public health schools.)

Ended up getting a C+ in Gen Chem II, C in Genetics, and I withdrew from Orgo I. This was all during during the end of freshman year and sophomore year. Mix in some A's and B's for the remaining courses.

I retook Genetics for an A and got A's in the rest of my science courses during junior and senior years: Physics 1 and 2, Orgo 1 and 2, Microbiology, and Biochemistry (A-). Ended up with a sGPA of 3.53 after factoring in both Genetics grades and cGPA of 3.65.

Volunteered with Big Brother as a mentor for 2 years. Worked as an Ophthalmic assistant at MEEI for 6 months (full-time) and then as needed for the next year. Then worked as a Public Health Associate for 9 months for a municipal health department. I did research with a biology professor for 6 months during my senior year and also with a public health professor for a semester (as a capstone project).

Right now my job isn't anything health-related, but the pay is okay and I have some free time during the day to study for the MCAT. I was planning on getting a clinical volunteer job, doing more shadowing, and taking the MCAT towards the end of this year. Looking at the 2017 application cycle. Would it make sense to look for a clinical job this year or is it fine to stay and look for one if I don't get in during my first application cycle? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

I think you are a fantastic applicant. It has been more than a decade since I entered medical school, and I'd seen a good deal. I don't make decisions about medical student applicants, yet, but don't think my thoughts on the matter are isolated. It would be difficult for me to recommend accepting any applicant to medical school who hasn't had a job. Not a volunteering job, not a 'I run my own nonprofit', but preferably a low-playing, work-that-isn't-glamorious-but-needs-to-be-done kind of job. Why? Because the second half of medical school and a good chunk of residency is about getting done the important but unsung work that needs to be done. I learned more from my low-ranking job on campus photocopying papers and balancing Excel sheets (with a boss, with coworkers, with mistakes and successes) about how to be a good junior medical school and resident than volunteering or research could ever teach.

You have real work experience. You've faced real challenges. I have no doubts you can succeed academically/intellectually in the rigors of medical school and practice (... many can). But importantly you've seen real life, and are better positioned to be a good team member and doctor in my opinion. Not that years away from undergrad are necessary. For you I say apply, and for those earlier in schooling I strongly recommend getting a real job. It would be hard for me to recommend admitting anyone who has never had a down-to-earth job.

For what it is worth.