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[NALOL>>EU]

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[gnΩhmChild]

Disclaimer - I'm a current applicant so take this as an opinion at best
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I think your post will get more traction if you provide more context about the rest of your application so potential weak spots/areas of improvement can be identified (and your choice can be better informed that way). I will say, though, planning this kind of thing with COVID has been a challenge so option 3 might be difficult (in terms of institutions allowing new people onto campus, rather than allowing students/staff already in the system back on campus). For example, I've been told the NIH won't allow new students onto campus until at least April, if not later. Just keep that in mind if you try to pursue this option.

Regarding options 1 and 2, I think the devil is in the details. You mentioned you're an international student - if you take an unpaid lab job will that be difficult for you financially? If you take a job as a lab tech, will you still be able to develop yourself as a scientist rather than being another set of hands in the lab? I'd argue that MD/PhD admissions looks for people who can ~think~ scientifically, not necessarily those who are skilled with a particular instrument/technique.

Option 1 could be interesting - even though it isn't laboratory science, synthesizing information and scientific writing are critical skills and lend themselves to remote work. I don't think volunteering is sus - I did it for the majority of my lab experience.

I know this isn't a cut and dry answer, but hopefully it helps you sort your options out.

 

[kepler16b]

I would recommend either option 2 or 3 but spend two years instead of just one. I wouldn't worry about getting a weaker LOR from the surgeon. A good mentor should support your career goals.

 

[NALOL>>EU]

Disclaimer - I'm a current applicant so take this as an opinion at best
~~
I think your post will get more traction if you provide more context about the rest of your application so potential weak spots/areas of improvement can be identified (and your choice can be better informed that way). I will say, though, planning this kind of thing with COVID has been a challenge so option 3 might be difficult (in terms of institutions allowing new people onto campus, rather than allowing students/staff already in the system back on campus). For example, I've been told the NIH won't allow new students onto campus until at least April, if not later. Just keep that in mind if you try to pursue this option.

Regarding options 1 and 2, I think the devil is in the details. You mentioned you're an international student - if you take an unpaid lab job will that be difficult for you financially? If you take a job as a lab tech, will you still be able to develop yourself as a scientist rather than being another set of hands in the lab? I'd argue that MD/PhD admissions looks for people who can ~think~ scientifically, not necessarily those who are skilled with a particular instrument/technique.

Option 1 could be interesting - even though it isn't laboratory science, synthesizing information and scientific writing are critical skills and lend themselves to remote work. I don't think volunteering is sus - I did it for the majority of my lab experience.

I know this isn't a cut and dry answer, but hopefully it helps you sort your options out.

Thanks a lot for the suggestions! To provide more context (which I should have done in the first place XD), I have 2 years of substantial research experience on cell/cancer bio leading to a couple of pubs (this will be area I want to pursue my PhD in). And also one year of not really productive experience of research during second year. So the rationale for me to seek for a lab tech job is to gain more experience of working independently and make my productive research years count to 3, as I am worried that without this extra year of basic lab my file will be put on the weaker side for MSTP. I'll be applying to some MD programs as substitutes as well (as a lot of MSTP are NIH funded therefore international exclusive), but just for MSTP, the length of research experience is probably my weakness.

For option 1, I will still get paid--but for my clinical research work, and I will not be paid by my basic science lab. This is what I'm not sure because Idk how MSTP adcoms will view this gap year volunteer work. I feel like they might consider this part-time volunteering less legit as a full time job or ask “why do clinical research if you want to do MSTP?”. I'm hoping I will go in to a lab that will help me learn some new techniques I can bring to the table when interviewing with future PIs, and maybe have an individual project I can commit to for a year.

But just going back to your advice--I agree with what you said and actually I enjoyed working on this clinical project a lot. But I'm just not sure if looks weird to adcoms that I do clinical research and then volunteer for basic lab.

 

[NALOL>>EU]

I would recommend either option 2 or 3 but spend two years instead of just one. I wouldn't worry about getting a weaker LOR from the surgeon. A good mentor should support your career goals.

Thanks for responding! I did consider the 2 gap years option but my parents seem to be the biggest obstacle on that (They paid for my education so I need to respect their opinion to a certain degree). And I am also a bit worried that staying out of school for 2 years will make me not want to stay in the academia any more. Any thoughts on that? Do you think option 2/3 are still good if only for a year?

 

[kepler16b]

Thanks for responding! I did consider the 2 gap years option but my parents seem to be the biggest obstacle on that (They paid for my education so I need to respect their opinion to a certain degree).

I hear you, but at the end of the day it is your career and your life. You need to take care of numero uno first and worry about what other people think second. Explain to your parents that gap years don't mean the same thing for them as they do for us- the average age of first year medical students is steadily rising and research gap years for MD/PhD students is becoming the norm rather than an exception. Please take this advice seriously- I only took 1 gap year due to family pressure and I seriously regret it.

And I am also a bit worried that staying out of school for 2 years will make me not want to stay in the academia any more. Any thoughts on that?

All the better if you realize research/academia is not for you during these gap years. Much better to realize that you enjoy the 9-5 now than after 15 years of brutal training. If being a physician scientist really is your calling, you will be itching to return to school after two years.

Do you think option 2/3 are still good if only for a year?

It wouldn't be nearly as helpful for your application as a 2 year stint since you would only be able to talk about what you've done during the summer/fall on your interviews.

 

[NALOL>>EU]

I hear you, but at the end of the day it is your career and your life. You need to take care of numero uno first and worry about what other people think second. Explain to your parents that gap years don't mean the same thing for them as they do for us

This is really something I need to consider and I totally agree with you. The hard part of explaining for me is I'm technically a first gen and my parents have no idea about the US education system nor they know anything about gap year. Gap year for them basically means grade retention. And they don't really respect my goal of being a MD/PhD--instead they want to push me to the MD end. So even this one gap year is won in a hard way after they threatening me of cutting off my financial supply (while I can't take any aid or work due to citizenship).

It wouldn't be nearly as helpful for your application as a 2 year stint since you would only be able to talk about what you've done during the summer/fall on your interviews.

I guess my thought now is to try take one gap year and see how it goes. If I start to contact labs now I can have more than half a year of work to talk and maybe a good LOR by the time I apply (like volunteer for them till I graduate then transition into full time). And if after some time I feel that I can feed myself and my parents' money is not needed, I'll probably be more comfortable telling them that it's my choice and my life lol.