If you have, I would really appreciate any advice regarding things to do with my year off. I could get a job with the research project I'm involved with, but that seems so trite and I don't think it would give me very much to talk about at an interview. Also, is it possible to defer your loans for that year. Thank you for your time.
Anyone here apply at the end of their senior year of undergrad?
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AmeriCorps and working on a research project are probably the 2 most common choices for people planning to take only one year off. I will comment on AmeriCorps because that's what I chose.JSW8405 said:
I did AmeriCorps*VISTA, which was a good experience although not great (the pay is ridiculously low and I didn't feel particularly appreciated, but I learned a lot and got to work in a non-stressful healthcare setting for a year). AmeriCorps is good because it shows that you're committed to service, and it often gives you an interesting & pragmatic project to discuss at interviews. I also got to know several truly great people. However the pay is so crappy that you really need to be in good financial shape if you're going to apply while you're serving in AmeriCorps--I lived at home rent-free and got some help from my parents for application and travel expenses, but I've still wiped out 100% of my earnings during the application process and subsequent move to my school. One other issue is that fact that you only get 10 vacation days (and 10 sick days you can invoke if necessary) so after interviews are over you will have basically zero vacation left.
The way loans work is that you can apply for a forebearance if you aren't making much (for instance, AmeriCorps members qualify for an automatic forebearance). If you don't qualify for that, but still can't swing your payments, I believe that you can sign up for one of the "extended repayment" plans where you barely have to pay anything for the first year. Don't forget that you get a 6 month grace period where you don't have to pay a cent, so you won't be in repayment for long before you go back to school.
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Hey SUNY Buffalo and AmeriCorps buddy!
I did a state-based AmeriCorps program. My program was much more flexible than VISTA as far as vacation/sick days (and probably other aspects as well), but overall, with any AmeriCorps program your experience will really depend on where you do your service. I love my site, and couldn't have asked for a better experience, and while some of my fellow AmeriCorps-ers had similarly good experiences others absolutely hated their sites.
But all in all I had a great experience; I learned a ton, made a lot of good friends and connections, felt very useful and appreciated, and would recommend it to anyone. Having done AmeriCorps in Rochester has made me that much more excited to be going to med school just an hour away - I really feel like I know Rochester in a way I don't know any other city, including my hometown.
I did a state-based AmeriCorps program. My program was much more flexible than VISTA as far as vacation/sick days (and probably other aspects as well), but overall, with any AmeriCorps program your experience will really depend on where you do your service. I love my site, and couldn't have asked for a better experience, and while some of my fellow AmeriCorps-ers had similarly good experiences others absolutely hated their sites.
But all in all I had a great experience; I learned a ton, made a lot of good friends and connections, felt very useful and appreciated, and would recommend it to anyone. Having done AmeriCorps in Rochester has made me that much more excited to be going to med school just an hour away - I really feel like I know Rochester in a way I don't know any other city, including my hometown.
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haha, okay, so now we have it all figured out--if you want to go to SUNY Buffalo, then it might be a good idea to do AmeriCorps 😉
Anyway, if I could do it again, I would do AmeriCorps, but I don't know that I would do VISTA. The difference is that VISTAs do "indirect service"--which means write grants and recruit volunteers and run programs and stuff, but you rarely do work in the field. Other AmeriCorps members do more "direct" service, such as tutoring and teaching for example. VISTA also requires a 365-day committment, while other AmeriCorps programs have a minimum number of hours of service, which you can complete in 10+ months. That would be a real consideration if you're still looking for a job--unless your VISTA service started already or is starting on Monday (as many are), you would not finish in time for most med schools. You can of course quit, but then you lose the education award so it's not an ideal situation. In that case, you should definitely not do VISTA. Also, as Kazema mentioned, since AmeriCorps counts hours instead of days, logistical stuff surrounding interviews wouldn't be as messy.
Anyway, if I could do it again, I would do AmeriCorps, but I don't know that I would do VISTA. The difference is that VISTAs do "indirect service"--which means write grants and recruit volunteers and run programs and stuff, but you rarely do work in the field. Other AmeriCorps members do more "direct" service, such as tutoring and teaching for example. VISTA also requires a 365-day committment, while other AmeriCorps programs have a minimum number of hours of service, which you can complete in 10+ months. That would be a real consideration if you're still looking for a job--unless your VISTA service started already or is starting on Monday (as many are), you would not finish in time for most med schools. You can of course quit, but then you lose the education award so it's not an ideal situation. In that case, you should definitely not do VISTA. Also, as Kazema mentioned, since AmeriCorps counts hours instead of days, logistical stuff surrounding interviews wouldn't be as messy.
Hey guys,
I went a little different route.... I moved back home (which sucked a$$ after having my own place in college) and I went out and applied for a bunch of research positions....
Found an immuno. research tech position at weill cornell in nyc ..... great job in the sense of being able to get your name on abstracts/pubs. and also since I went to a state college, having a letter of rec. from my PI at Weill Cornell went a long way to lending me credibility when it came down to interviews
On the same hand tho... I was applying for MD/PhD programs and so MD only program people may not need all the research background
I went a little different route.... I moved back home (which sucked a$$ after having my own place in college) and I went out and applied for a bunch of research positions....
Found an immuno. research tech position at weill cornell in nyc ..... great job in the sense of being able to get your name on abstracts/pubs. and also since I went to a state college, having a letter of rec. from my PI at Weill Cornell went a long way to lending me credibility when it came down to interviews
On the same hand tho... I was applying for MD/PhD programs and so MD only program people may not need all the research background
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