Applying to med school after second year

[prebasketweaving]

Hello,

I am an upcoming freshman in undergrad looking to probably apply to med school after my second year in undergrad. I completed a substantial amount of college in high school and came in with around half of the credits I need for my major. I got gen chem, gen bio, and most early requirements taken care of. I have a 4.0.

Even if I stretch out the classes I need for my major( taking the minimum credits to be full time) the maximum time I would need to finish undergrad would be 3 years. Without taking summer classes or anything. So I was thinking of taking my mcat the summer of my second year and also applying to med school at the same time.

Does anyone have any experiences applying to early and if you did how was your cycle? I’m looking to apply broadly to both do and md. I know maybe my clinical volunteering/shadowing might be a little restricted due to covid and such. But I’m looking to get a research gig at my college and do non clinical volunteering. I’m also looking to get maybe a scribe/MA/CNA position before I apply.

Any thoughts on applying early to med school? I kinda feel like it would be a waste to take a gap year if I could get some good experiences in and have good stats to apply by my second year. If I don’t get in somewhere I could always reapply the next year. I would be young applying( 20/21) but I don’t think it would that big of an issue.

Any input would be appreciated.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Goro]

These types of things tend to backfire on applicants.

Maturity might be an issue at interviews. A gap year, especially one spent in a service job, can provide a hell of lot of needed seasoning and grit....things we look for in applicants.

 

[KeViN2502]

Terrible idea I think. Using your summer time to have a good Mcat score will leave you with no impressive ECs (or vice versa), not even including the Covid situation right now is limiting all the opportunities. There is no reason to rush

 

[deleted853360]

Don’t rush! As a someone who recently graduated from undergrad, I’m glad that I didnt rush through undergrad (I couldve graduated in 2.5 years instead of 4) and I’m glad that I’m taking 2 gaps years (I’ll be applying during the second). By not rushing I was able to multiple different study abroad experiences, attend conferences related to my interests, have a couple internships in my prospective field (that were limited to undergrads only), build connections with mentors/physicians, have numerous leadership experiences, and volunteer A LOT. Not to mention the social aspects that I gained that will benefit me as a future physician. I personally, as a pre-med, don’t see why you want to rush and have less than an average application when it comes to EC’s and experiences. You shouldn’t apply with the mindset of “oh i can just reapply” when you should be putting your best foot forward the first time. Experience is just as valuable, if not moreso, than stats.

 

[deleted889094]

I'll add to the chorus of voices and say that I think this is a bad idea. You need to prove you have maturity from real world experiences. I've interacted with a sub-20 y.o. in my class multiple times and I almost always walked away feeling like they were too immature and headstrong. Don't risk getting that label in an interview.

 

[KnightDoc]

Hello,

I am an upcoming freshman in undergrad looking to probably apply to med school after my second year in undergrad. I completed a substantial amount of college in high school and came in with around half of the credits I need for my major. I got gen chem, gen bio, and most early requirements taken care of. I have a 4.0.

Even if I stretch out the classes I need for my major( taking the minimum credits to be full time) the maximum time I would need to finish undergrad would be 3 years. Without taking summer classes or anything. So I was thinking of taking my mcat the summer of my second year and also applying to med school at the same time.

Does anyone have any experiences applying to early and if you did how was your cycle? I’m looking to apply broadly to both do and md. I know maybe my clinical volunteering/shadowing might be a little restricted due to covid and such. But I’m looking to get a research gig at my college and do non clinical volunteering. I’m also looking to get maybe a scribe/MA/CNA position before I apply.

Any thoughts on applying early to med school? I kinda feel like it would be a waste to take a gap year if I could get some good experiences in and have good stats to apply by my second year. If I don’t get in somewhere I could always reapply the next year. I would be young applying( 20/21) but I don’t think it would that big of an issue.

Any input would be appreciated.

The odds are high it's just not going to work out for you. If you didn't already know, around 2/3 of all matriculants have AT LEAST one gap year, and that's after at least four years of UG.

You want to go straight through after three years of UG, because you are in a rush and don't want to waste time. Clearly, your grades are great, and your MCAT probably will be as well. Unfortunately, this is not UG. Med school admissions are WAY more competitive, and a lot of people are rejected every year with great stats.

The schools really do look for more, and there are just not enough hours in the day, days in the week, weeks in the month, or months in the year for you to make up the time you will be short as compared to the people with one, two, three or more years of life on Earth with whom you will be competing for a spot after your second year of UG.

Try to slow down and enjoy the ride. If you choose to ignore this advice, the odds are high that you will just be making everything more difficult on yourself when you are forced to apply later as a reapplicant.

 

[prebasketweaving]

Thanks for the advice guys. What I will look into doing is for sure taking the mcat that second summer since I will be fresh off biochem.

I will apply to med school after the second year if i feel I have adequate experiences. I might start looking for part time work for clinical experience. I mean I have to go through a committee and everything so we’ll see. If my experiences are lackluster, I’ll do a gap year maybe as a cna or something since I’m looking to get licensed and apply.

 

[deleted889094]

Thanks for the advice guys. What I will look into doing is for sure taking the mcat that second summer since I will be fresh off biochem.

I will apply to med school after the second year if i feel I have adequate experiences. I might start looking for part time work for clinical experience. I mean I have to go through a committee and everything so we’ll see. If my experiences are lackluster, I’ll do a gap year maybe as a cna or something since I’m looking to get licensed and apply.

If you have any interest in doing like Peace Corps or something, do it. Med school can wait and you will never have another opportunity. That's my one regret

 

[Cheezin]

I am currently applying after my second year in undergrad. You can dm me for more questions or if you want to know how it goes. Applying ~18 MD schools.

 

[LizzyM]

I have interviewed candidates in your situation and it doesn't always go well. Maturity and life experience are often lacking. Far better to plan to work when everyone in your class is in their senior year and apply at the time you graduate or even a year after that. You will not regret having taken time off.

 

[KnightDoc]

I have interviewed candidate in your situation and it doesn't always go well. Maturity and life experience are often lacking. Far better to plan to work when everyone in your class is in their senior year and apply at the time you graduate or even a year after that. You will not regret having taken time off.

Maybe a stupid question, but, given your experience and the limited number of interview spots, why encourage this by interviewing anyone in this situation, no matter how good they look on paper? Is there really such a dearth of awesome candidates with at least three years of UG behind them that your school just can't resist?

I deeply respect your perspective, but saying interviews don't always go well isn't specific to immature or just plain young candidates, so it's not especially helpful. Your response implies it goes well at least some of the time, and that's the gamble OP is looking to take.

If you like experience and maturity, and by definition a rising junior doesn't have enough of it, why not just require three years of UG prior to application? Is your school really wasting precious interview spots in a search for the rare 19-20 year old with amazing experiences rivaling those of applicants several years older along with a level of maturity rarely seen in a 19-year old? If so, this just encourages a disproportionate number of people like OP to become reapplicants.

 

[LizzyM]

Maybe a stupid question, but, given your experience and the limited number of interview spots, why encourage this by interviewing anyone in this situation, no matter how good they look on paper? Is there really such a dearth of awesome candidates with at least three years of UG behind them that your school just can't resist?

I deeply respect your perspective, but saying interviews don't always go well isn't specific to immature or just plain young candidates, so it's not especially helpful. Your response implies it goes well at least some of the time, and that's the gamble OP is looking to take.

If you like experience and maturity, and by definition a rising junior doesn't have enough of it, why not just require three years of UG prior to application? Is your school really wasting precious interview spots in a search for the rare 19-20 year old with amazing experiences rivaling those of applicants several years older along with a level of maturity rarely seen in a 19-year old? If so, this just encourages a disproportionate number of people like OP to become reapplicants.

It is not my call to choose the candidates for interview. It is also sometimes irresistable to see the 3.99/528 from a geographic area outside of our usual, interesting research experience or something that resonated with an application reader.

The applicants in their 3rd year of college are more likley than those who have had more years of school and more years of life experience to be immature. That said, there might be those people who had had a few years of military experience, or mission experience or something else between HS graduation and junior year who interview well and a rule regarding number of years of college would cut us off from that talent pool.

 

[prebasketweaving]

@LizzyM @Goro @KnightDoc and others, would already being a father and being married dismiss this claims if I apply early? I have one on the way with my fiancé. Of course this was not planned. It’s kind of one of the reasons I feel pressured to apply as early as possible.

 

[popopopop]

There's no rush, enjoy your college years, especially if you're smart enough to take the MCAT so early. I knew a guy in undergrad who took it freshman year, but still applied during his junior year. He ended up at a top med school and enjoyed himself.

 

[KnightDoc]

@LizzyM @Goro @KnightDoc and others, would already being a father and being married dismiss this claims if I apply early? I have one on the way with my fiancé. Of course this was not planned. It’s kind of one of the reasons I feel pressured to apply as early as possible.

Woah!!!! Congratulations!?!? I'm not an adcom, so I'm not going to touch this one with a 10 foot poll. They are probably as likely to tell you that it will force you to mature faster as to tell you that an unplanned pregnancy at your age and point in your education/career is a sign of poor decision making. Being a 19 or 20 year old med student with a one year old baby at home sounds like a lot to handle to me.

 

[LizzyM]

Looking back at your original post, you haven't even started college yet and now we learn that you are engaged and have a baby on the way. Slow down. Don't plan to finish college in 3 years and apply after completing 2 years of college. You are getting way ahead of yourself. Regardless of when you get admitted to medical school, the next decade is going to be a challenge. Take it one day and one semester at a time. Life has a way of handing us curveballs and the best laid plan can go awry. Be ready to pivot and make a change of plans as things go along.

 

[Goro]

@LizzyM @Goro @KnightDoc and others, would already being a father and being married dismiss this claims if I apply early? I have one on the way with my fiancé. Of course this was not planned. It’s kind of one of the reasons I feel pressured to apply as early as possible.

You're not even a parent yet! I've known plenty of people who had no business being parents. If anything, having what appears to be on the surface an unplanned pregnancy doesn't speak well to maturity.