Applying to Medical School: Gap year or no gap year?

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medschoolhopeful!

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I am in my 1st sem. of my junior year @ Colgate University. My major is Molecular Bio & I have a cGPA of 3.61 & 3.43 for sciences. I know it is not ideal, but I also know that Colgate is known for grade deflation & some have told me that will be considered (?)

I am trying to decide if I need to take a gap year in order to be competitive for med school. Otherwise, I will sit for the MCAT this spring (study 4 months...while taking a lighter course load) & apply to medical school in the next cycle (June).


related info:

-studied a semester abroad
-have done over 100 hours of shadowing
-I am hispanic (not sure if that changes chances)
-Probably 50+ hours volunteering (both clinical and non-clinical)
-Involved in clubs on campus (not a leader in any though)
-both parents are physicians
-I know that I can get 2 very strong recommendation letters (one character letter from a boss and one from a non-science prof) and possibly a strong one from a physician I shadowed. I could get one from a science prof as well but I am not sure about how strong it would be.
-Also, I have not conducted any research (I will be my senior year, after applying)
-I don't have a preference for MD over DO so I am interested in my chances for both.

I know that taking a gap year could potentially help my GPA (and maybe even MCAT score because I could study over summer rather than in semester, although I will take a lighter course load) but I am wondering what my chances of acceptance are (I am assuming pretty low) without taking one.


So I guess my question is: What would you do/what are my chances? Would I be forcing it to apply this coming cycle? Or do I have a solid chance at acceptance if I do alright on the MCAT? Also, will studying for the MCAT while at school be too much? If I apply this cycle, will not having research before I apply look bad?

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As for grade deflation, I only know about the grades that I see on a transcript so do not assume you will get any consideration for a “harder” school.

The majority of successful applicants have at least 1 gap year. Applying with a below average GPA, hoping you can make up for it with a good MCAT that you have to prep for while keeping up GPA and writing a highly polished application is a very tall order. You should take the MCAT when solidly prepared, apply once when you are the strongest, and that sounds like you need a gap year

Is my GPA below average for DO?
 
I am in my 1st sem. of my junior year @ Colgate University. My major is Molecular Bio & I have a cGPA of 3.61 & 3.43 for sciences. I know it is not ideal, but I also know that Colgate is known for grade deflation & some have told me that will be considered (?)

I am trying to decide if I need to take a gap year in order to be competitive for med school. Otherwise, I will sit for the MCAT this spring (study 4 months...while taking a lighter course load) & apply to medical school in the next cycle (June).


related info:

-studied a semester abroad
-have done over 100 hours of shadowing
-I am hispanic (not sure if that changes chances)
-Probably 50+ hours volunteering (both clinical and non-clinical)
-Involved in clubs on campus (not a leader in any though)
-both parents are physicians
-I know that I can get 2 very strong recommendation letters (one character letter from a boss and one from a non-science prof) and possibly a strong one from a physician I shadowed. I could get one from a science prof as well but I am not sure about how strong it would be.
-Also, I have not conducted any research (I will be my senior year, after applying)
-I don't have a preference for MD over DO so I am interested in my chances for both.

I know that taking a gap year could potentially help my GPA (and maybe even MCAT score because I could study over summer rather than in semester, although I will take a lighter course load) but I am wondering what my chances of acceptance are (I am assuming pretty low) without taking one.


So I guess my question is: What would you do/what are my chances? Would I be forcing it to apply this coming cycle? Or do I have a solid chance at acceptance if I do alright on the MCAT? Also, will studying for the MCAT while at school be too much? If I apply this cycle, will not having research before I apply look bad?

- GPA a little low, although mitigated with a strong MCAT.
- Volunteer hours are weak.
- You will need at least one letter from a science professor in your major department, and ideally a second one from a science professor inside or outside that department.

Your challenge is fairly simple in theory: rack up more volunteering hours while getting a solid MCAT score and you can be competitive for the 2019-2020 cycle. It will be easier to do those things with a gap year, but with each gap year the implicit EC expectations creep up. Still, if you feel like it's going to be a rush job then an extra 12 months can be extremely helpful.

Hispanic can be helpful, particularly if you speak Spanish and apply to schools that aren't near large Hispanic population centers.
 
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Gap years, if utilized well, can be a great help. It seems that schools want applicants with experience in the world. Volunteering is almost always a good thing. Research is not an absolute must, but it doesn't hurt and can be a good way to get a letter, especially if the research is with a science professor. Good luck!
 
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