Advice on work during my gap year?

[moe_eves]

Hi everyone,
I'm currently in my senior year of college and plan on applying to medical school in June, right after I graduate (pending a decent MCAT score). Since I will have a gap year between graduation and matriculation into medical school, I am thinking about what I will do during my gap year.
I have a pretty much guaranteed job as an ER tech at a local hospital that I used to be a CNA at. However, I was also considering applying for some jobs as a research assistant. I already have around 2,000 hours of patient care that I accumulated as a CNA, but I don't have as much research experience (2 semesters worth of research in undergrad, a lot of lab courses, poster presentation but no publications). I'm wondering if it would be better to try to something research-related during my gap year since I have less research experience than I do clinical experience, or is this one of those "it's your gap year, do whatever you'd rather do" situations?

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[Frogger27]

Hi everyone,
I'm currently in my senior year of college and plan on applying to medical school in June, right after I graduate (pending a decent MCAT score). Since I will have a gap year between graduation and matriculation into medical school, I am thinking about what I will do during my gap year.
I have a pretty much guaranteed job as an ER tech at a local hospital that I used to be a CNA at. However, I was also considering applying for some jobs as a research assistant. I already have around 2,000 hours of patient care that I accumulated as a CNA, but I don't have as much research experience (2 semesters worth of research in undergrad, a lot of lab courses, poster presentation but no publications). I'm wondering if it would be better to try to something research-related during my gap year since I have less research experience than I do clinical experience, or is this one of those "it's your gap year, do whatever you'd rather do" situations?

I think it is a "it's your gap year, do whatever you'd rather do" situations. 2 semesters of research with a poster should be adequate unless you think you are going to be competetive for top 20 schools

 

[cyang55]

If you get into med school, then I would recommend taking the rest of the time traveling or doing something you like. You're going to be working really hard for the next 4 years! If you get into a school, you need a break from everything schools related and just recharge so you'll be ready for when you start! And you can't do much within that short time period, nothing that'll make a HUGE impact on your med school career anyways. I backpacked for 6 months and it was the best decision I could have make!

 

[Dagrimsta1]

Yeah I agree with @cyang55. If you get in then go do something you genuinely enjoy. If its working in a lab then do that, but if it's not, then don't ruin your life.

 

[drhopeful2018]

I'm currently a senior who will be doing the same. I will be applying for research jobs/programs since I am thinking about applying MD-PhD.

 

[aldol16]

Research assistant jobs that will take you for only one year are rare and hard to come by. This is because meaningful research can hardly be completed in a year unless one already has preliminary data that the project will work and there will be no pitfalls. You might be able to find a job as clinical research coordinator or the like though. In some data-driven fields, one may be able to get enough data to publish in a year.