Apply or Wait?

[bluedevil61212]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hey all, I'm currently a sophomore at Duke and would like your advice on whether to apply to med school this summer/fall or wait until next year. My premed pre-reqs are done, and I am planning to take the MCATs this summer. I've been really active on campus, been doing medical related summer internships, have plenty of clinical experience, did lots of service work, and have good letters of recommendation ready (got them for a research program).

If I apply this year and get in, I can save a TON of money from graduating in 3 years.

If I apply next year, the only areas I can improve in are my GPA by about 0.1 (from 3.699 to 3.781) and more research experience (a potential publication).

My goal is to get into a top 10 med school but I would also be happy going to my in state school UNC.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[BioBA]

Hey all, I'm currently a sophomore at Duke and would like your advice on whether to apply to med school this summer/fall or wait until next year. My premed pre-reqs are done, and I am planning to take the MCATs this summer. I've been really active on campus, been doing medical related summer internships, have plenty of clinical experience, did lots of service work, and have good letters of recommendation ready (got them for a research program).

If I apply this year and get in, I can save a TON of money from graduating in 3 years.

If I apply next year, the only areas I can improve in are my GPA by about 0.1 (from 3.699 to 3.781) and more research experience (a potential publication).

My goal is to get into a top 10 med school but I would also be happy going to my in state school UNC.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

That's like saying your goal is to win the lottery. If you really want to have a chance at the top ten schools, you will need that extra year to raise GPA, get your publication, study for MCAT, etc.

 

[aSagacious]

I disagree, what's the harm in applying? If you get in, great. If you don't, then you simply continue as planned. I say go ahead and apply.

 

[BioBA]

I wasn't implying that he shouldn't try, I'm just saying if hes serious about it he has some work to do.

 

[LEUNIT]

inb4 MCATs gripe

 

[aSagacious]

...you will need that extra year to raise GPA, get your publication, study for MCAT, etc.

That seems like a pretty cut-and-dry implication to me, but then again, I was never great at subtleties.

 

[the duck]

Would you actually be graduating in 3 years, or are you hoping to get in without a BA/BS.

If you wouldn't be applying with a degree, don't do it.
If you would be graduating early, if your really set on a top medical school, you should wait to beef up your app. If your okay with the state, or another lower ranked school, go ahead and graduate early.

Just my .02

 

[BioBA]

I disagree, what's the harm in applying? If you get in, great. If you don't, then you simply continue as planned. I say go ahead and apply.

Be careful with those kind of assumptions, they will get you in trouble in the VR section of MCAT 😉

 

[bluedevil61212]

More advice please! Thanks!

 

[SilverBvllet]

Asking this question without your MCAT score is like asking what I should do with my 250 million dollars from my lottery winning....that I haven't even bought the ticket for.

Take your MCAT, come back with score then ask again.

As a general rule for when to apply: apply when your application is at its strongest point. If an extra year will make your app significantly better (+1 pub, +award, +better MCAT, etc), then take that extra year. This applies to you even more since you're aiming for top tier schools.

 

[acb88]

When are you planning on taking the MCAT? To apply this fall you will need to take it by June, at the latest. From what you are saying, it seems as if you haven't even put any thought into studying, etc. I am not sure you quite understand all that goes into applying to medical school, which makes me think you need that extra year just to get things in order.

 

[YouNeverKnow22]

you want to get in to a top 10 but would be happy to go to UNC? do you even know UNC is a top 20 school? Trying to make it sound like you are settling or something, psh Duke students are the suck

 

[dbeast]

How about this- graduate in 3 years. Save money on tuition. Get a job (gasp!) for that extra year where you will both be making money and building your resume. Apply next year and go to Haaaaahhhvahhd (or settle for any other top 20 school). You're welcome.

 

[0919mmk]

How about this- graduate in 3 years. Save money on tuition. Get a job (gasp!) for that extra year where you will both be making money and building your resume. Apply next year and go to Haaaaahhhvahhd (or settle for any other top 20 school). You're welcome.

This is pretty smart. You might get in to med school if you apply this summer- it sounds like you are pretty on your s**t, which is great. However, there is something to be said for "getting out in the world" for a year before matriculating, both in terms of preserving your sanity and in terms of the strength of your application. However, I think you wont really go wrong either way, as long as you get as good an MCAT score as you seem to be banking on (35+ for top 20). Good luck, hope it works out for you.

 

[deaninja]

you want to get in to a top 10 but would be happy to go to UNC? do you even know UNC is a top 20 school? Trying to make it sound like you are settling or something, psh Duke students are the suck

Hey buddy, not all Dukies suck 😀

To help my fellow Dukie out, I would definitely wait a year if you want to maximize your chance of getting into the best med school that you can whether that is enjoying your senior year at Duke or graduating early and getting work experience. I loved my senior year at Duke and could not imagine not spending that last glorious year with all my buddies and having a blast on campus (while also getting many things accomplished).

However if money is a big concern, I would lean toward graduating early and finding a job during that year off. If you're trying to study for the MCAT, graduate early (where I assume that you will be overloading on classes quite a bit), and trying to apply to med school at the same time, you'll be hard pressed to find time. You'll just be applying with 2 years of college work and activities under your belt which honestly won't look that impressive no matter how much that you did. Also, if you're aiming for a Top 10 school, you definitely should have some good research experience and publications under your belt. Do a great job finishing up your degree and activities in that year, find something that truly interests you to do during that year off, make some money during that time off, and put your full effort into applying during that year off where you will have plenty of time.

I did research for a year at the NIH after I graduated and it really added a lot more depth to my application. Also, being out in the real world (and out of Durham) was a great experience that I will never forget and was something that I could really project in my application and in my interviews. I always tell people to not rush getting to med school. From there, it's straight to residency and so on. Enjoy and live life a bit before you start the grind because you really won't get another chance again (although first year is a blast especially if you have pass/fail). Anyway, hope that helps.

 

[WeAreNotRobots]

Study like ballssssss for the mcat and take it this summer, graduate in 3 years, apply the June after graduating, and do something mega-legit while waiting for your interviews to roll in.

 

[bluedevil61212]

Will it hurt me in anyway if I go ahead and apply this summer but if I don't get in, just finish my 4th year of college and apply again? If I apply to different schools the second time around, will I be labeled as a "reapplicant"?