Clinical Employment Dilemma

[StressfulMD]

Hi everybody!

I'm currently working as an ER Tech and have been for the last 7 months (since September 2021). So far, I've accumulated around 500 hours.

I'm aiming to take the MCAT this September for a May 2023 AMCAS submission God willing. However, my manager won't let me take the summer off, not even unpaid, to study for it, and I haven't accumulated enough PTO either. So my options are either staying or quitting.

So my questions are:

1. Should I quit? Getting this job wasn't the easiest, and it's a blessing considering the hospital is so close to where I live. I'm hoping my clinical hours are enough--I honestly have a lot to talk about in essays and in future interviews based on what I've seen, and I have been journaling my experiences constantly. I don't know if I need more hours or need to spend something like a year with this hospital to relay to adcoms that this was a sustained experience.

2. Or, do I continue the job, get more hours and try to study for a January 2023 MCAT? I don't want to take it that late because my school's committee process starts this November and they require their own set of essays, along with the fact that I'd like to work on my PS and other parts of the application (volunteering especially).

Thanks so much! For context, brief app summary:

• cGPA: 3.6, sGPA: 3.5
  • Upward trend; 3.3 --> 3.6 --> 3.9 ---> 3.9 in high-level sciences
• 500 hours clinical employment, above
• 120 hours shadowing across multiple disciplines (surgery, primary care, radiology)
• 250 hours clinical research (chart reviews, 1 abstract pub) and 300+ hours on an independent research project, publication pending review
• 100 hours non-clinical volunteering (mainly old, 3-4 years ago), not working much w/ the underserved which I need to improve on
• Minimal leadership (but have taken on small roles at work and at church)

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[Proudfather94]

I took the MCAT while working 3 12 hour night shifts and did just fine. I Took it in the month of September as well. Just make a study plan that accounts for your work schedule and stick to it. Do you know what you're going to use to study for it? I would suggest Uworld.

Btw get more non clinical experience and with that gpa I would add some DO schools in the mix.

 

[StressfulMD]

I took the MCAT while working 3 12 hour night shifts and did just fine. I Took it in the month of September as well. Just make a study plan that accounts for your work schedule and stick to it. Do you know what you're going to use to study for it? I would suggest Uworld.

Btw get more non clinical experience and with that gpa I would add some DO schools in the mix.

Thanks. I'll be using UWorld, a Kaplan Set for B/B and TBR for C/P--I'll have to relearn a lot of the material though since it's been a while and I wasn't super strong in Chem/Phys in undergrad. Starting content review this week.

So, given what you said, do you feel I have enough of a clinical foundation such that I don't need to find a job again down the road, if I were to quit this one)?

 

[Proudfather94]

Thanks. I'll be using UWorld, a Kaplan Set for B/B and TBR for C/P--I'll have to relearn a lot of the material though since it's been a while and I wasn't super strong in Chem/Phys in undergrad. Starting content review this week.

So, given what you said, do you feel I have enough of a clinical foundation such that I don't need to find a job again down the road, if I were to quit this one)?

500 hours should be pretty good for clinical experience they say to shoot for 200-300 hours. More is always better but you have enough. For Uworld I would make notes on each answer because the wrong ones are the right answers to a different question they're all important.