Advice on graduating in December

[jd989898]

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I'm applying MD/PhD this cycle (taking the MCAT in June). I will have enough credits to easily graduate after the fall semester in December. Are there any downsides to doing this? What I'm thinking is that if I don't get in anywhere, I'd end up screwing myself over. If you don't get in, don't you have to spend a year improving your app and try again? Seems like that'd be impossible if I moved away from my school and all my ECs.

 

[cactus8910]

For MD/PhD, you'd be better off spending a gap year doing research full-time than spending an unnecessary 5th year in undergrad. Go ahead and graduate in December.

 

[jd989898]

For MD/PhD, you'd be better off spending a gap year doing research full-time than spending an unnecessary 5th year in undergrad. Go ahead and graduate in December.

If I graduated, I would be moving away from my undergrad and would have to do research at the university in my home town. Would that be a bad plan?

 

[cactus8910]

If I graduated, I would be moving away from my undergrad and would have to do research at the university in my home town. Would that be a bad plan?

No, that would be a fine plan! You can also look into government and corporate research organizations (ex. NIH post-bac program) for paid internships.

 

[tiedyeddog]

If I graduated, I would be moving away from my undergrad and would have to do research at the university in my home town. Would that be a bad plan?

That would be a good plan. Go for it.

 

[Long Way to Go]

It can be tough to find a research position for only a year, or even a year and a half. It's quite doable and there are a lot of people who have reported success with it. But a number of places will want to see a two year commitment, especially at academic medical centers that don't have a lot of regular turnover like colleges do. Is there any particular reason you couldn't do research at your current undergrad?