Advice for Undergrad Deciding Late

[baltimoreman]

I am finishing up my junior year and recently decided that I want to go into medicine. I have no clinical volunteering or shadowing experience, but I do have a 3.9 GPA in engineering. I have non-clinical volunteering experience, research experience, and leadership positions in clubs at my university.

What is the best route for me to enter medical school? Apply the summer after I graduate? Wait a year after graduation to apply? I will be an engineering intern this summer working 40 hours per week.

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[baltimoreman]

Also, what to do during gap year?

 

[Neurosis]

I am finishing up my junior year and recently decided that I want to go into medicine. I have no clinical volunteering or shadowing experience, but I do have a 3.9 GPA in engineering. I have non-clinical volunteering experience, research experience, and leadership positions in clubs at my university.

What is the best route for me to enter medical school? Apply the summer after I graduate? Wait a year after graduation to apply? I will be an engineering intern this summer working 40 hours per week.

Good Lord, I have never seen or read this before, and no I'm not being sarcastic.

But in all seriousness due to your engineering degree i would assume you have completed and done well in Physics, Calculus, and General Chemistry? I would next do general biology and organic chemistry. Next, I would use the next summer to do as much volunteering, shadowing, and ECs as possible. Since your finishing your junior year I'm thinking you might have to wait a year after graduation to actually matriculate, considering you have to take the MCAT sometime in your senior year and then start your applications.

 

[yellowfish]

I am finishing up my junior year and recently decided that I want to go into medicine. I have no clinical volunteering or shadowing experience, but I do have a 3.9 GPA in engineering. I have non-clinical volunteering experience, research experience, and leadership positions in clubs at my university.

What is the best route for me to enter medical school? Apply the summer after I graduate? Wait a year after graduation to apply? I will be an engineering intern this summer working 40 hours per week.

Have you taken the MCAT? If not, I would suggest taking that within the next year sometime.

I would apply the summer after senior year. Use your senior year to, in addition to taking the MCAT, gain various clinical experience. I'll list some suggestions:

-Volunteer at large hospital
-Volunteer at smaller clinics
-Shadow physicians
-Work as an ER tech, ER scribe, EMT, etc.
-Volunteer with red cross or similar organizations
-Find an international medical aid trip to attend
-Volunteer in hospice care or senior care

Will let you know if anything else decides to pop into my head...

 

[Neurosis]

Also, what to do during gap year?

Relax, get a job, enjoy life.

 

[235788]

you need an MCAT. Try to figure out a good time that you'll be able to allot 2-3 months or so to study.


I'd also suggest to get some shadowing in or clinical volunteering (emergency room), just so you can honestly say you have a clue of what you're getting into.

gap year can be spent doing whatever you feel is best for your situation. Try to avoid anything that is time intensive, so you can easily find time to fill any gaps in your application. Also keep in mind that the application cycle takes 1 year, so plan accordingly.

 

[baltimoreman]

Thanks. FYI I am studying chemical engineering, so getting all the pre-reqs in before graduation should not be a problem.

 

[Quanticks]

Just out of curiosity, how hard is it to manage that GPA in ChE? Im going to be entering ChE also, and may want to get into med or dental also. But I hear Engg is hard. Just looking for any advice you may have.

 

[NeuroLAX]

Have you taken the MCAT? If not, I would suggest taking that within the next year sometime.

I would apply the summer after senior year. Use your senior year to, in addition to taking the MCAT, gain various clinical experience. I'll list some suggestions:

-Volunteer at large hospital
-Volunteer at smaller clinics
-Shadow physicians
-Work as an ER tech, ER scribe, EMT, etc.
-Volunteer with red cross or similar organizations
-Find an international medical aid trip to attend
-Volunteer in hospice care or senior care

Will let you know if anything else decides to pop into my head...

OP, this. Great advice.

 

[Praefectus]

Have you taken the MCAT? If not, I would suggest taking that within the next year sometime.

I would apply the summer after senior year. Use your senior year to, in addition to taking the MCAT, gain various clinical experience. I'll list some suggestions:

-Volunteer at large hospital
-Volunteer at smaller clinics
-Shadow physicians
-Work as an ER tech, ER scribe, EMT, etc.
-Volunteer with red cross or similar organizations
-Find an international medical aid trip to attend
-Volunteer in hospice care or senior care

Will let you know if anything else decides to pop into my head...

If you're applying after senior year, you should work as a scribe or EMT with your gap year.

 

[baltimoreman]

Just out of curiosity, how hard is it to manage that GPA in ChE? Im going to be entering ChE also, and may want to get into med or dental also. But I hear Engg is hard. Just looking for any advice you may have.

ChemE is very difficult, but if you work hard and are willing to put in the time, you can do it.

 

[baltimoreman]

Have you taken the MCAT? If not, I would suggest taking that within the next year sometime.

I would apply the summer after senior year. Use your senior year to, in addition to taking the MCAT, gain various clinical experience. I'll list some suggestions:

-Volunteer at large hospital
-Volunteer at smaller clinics
-Shadow physicians
-Work as an ER tech, ER scribe, EMT, etc.
-Volunteer with red cross or similar organizations
-Find an international medical aid trip to attend
-Volunteer in hospice care or senior care

Will let you know if anything else decides to pop into my head...

Thanks kdizzle for the list of options.

Will it look bad if I have only been volunteering in a clinical setting for 1 year prior to applying?

 

[baltimoreman]

I have not taken the MCAT yet. I plan to do that sometime in the next year.

 

[DryHopped]

Thanks kdizzle for the list of options.

Will it look bad if I have only been volunteering in a clinical setting for 1 year prior to applying?

I also decided to pursue medicine late, and my application this year had about 10 months of clinical volunteering on it. It did not hurt me as I will be attending medical school in the fall. I think admissions committees understand that not everyone applying was set on this path from day one. What really matters is that you have some legit reasons for pursuing medicine and can convince people through your PS and at an interview that you know what you are getting into and that you have a passion for it.

 

[baltimoreman]

If I can get 150 hours of clinical volunteering and 50-70 hours of shadowing in during the next year, would I be better off working a research job during gap year?

 

[gettheleadout]

Good Lord, I have never seen or read this before, and no I'm not being sarcastic.

A friend of mine has a 3.96 over two engineering Bachelors. Some people have a very high sum of aptitude + work ethic. Props to the OP on an excellent academic performance.

 

[namiie]

The key here is clinical experience accumulated directly under a physician. If you don't have this experience, it will be a red flag to admissions committees and, more importantly, you won't be sure a life in medicine is right for you. EMT and other certifications will require time and money to obtain and the job market can be tight in certain regions for these "non-degreed" fields, so get started now if this is your intent. Next, prioritize your focus. Your primary goal should be 1) a cursory exploration of the medical field to assess your level of interest followed by 2) studying for the MCAT and achieving a competitive score and 3) accumulating the breadth and depth of clinical experiences that will make you a stand out applicant (see TheKDizzle's excellent list above).

Agree with both this and TheKDizzle's advice. I'd also try to keep up the shadowing/clinical volunteering all throughout the time you're applying. A research job would help but imo longevity of clinical experience does too.

Also, congrats on that amazing GPA (and in chemical engineering, no less!!!). That's definitely going to make you stand out, given the notoriety of such a major.

 

[kpcrew]

A friend of mine has a 3.96 over two engineering Bachelors. Some people have a very high sum of aptitude + work ethic. Props to the OP on an excellent academic performance.

your friend is awesome

 

[jevo]

...clinical experience accumulated directly under a physician. If you don't have this experience, it will be a red flag to admissions committees...

Is this another one of those blanket statements that is regurgitated on sdn SO MUCH so, that other premeds start stating it as fact?

I think so.

 

[tn4596]

One year of clinical volunteering is more than enough, what more can you learn from folding blanket, getting juice, newspaper and going around rounding on people... so OP u r still in good shape
you need lisence for emt...it doesnt make sense to get an emt lisence just to volunteer especially when you are setting for med school AND have a degree in ChemE.
I am thinking: do ur mcat this summer, start volunteer in ur senior year ~3-4 hr a week u shud get about 100 hrs, apply for med school in ur senior year,after graduation get a contract/w2 job with ur engineering degree and save up some money for med school (should be ez with ur high gpa in engineering)