Critique my gap year plan please

[Bluedog6620]

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I am a sort of URM (transgender) non-trad applicant who will be reapplying next cycle and am trying to decide how to spend the next year improving my application. My biggest issue this cycle was applying too late (late August), to too few schools (only 5), and mostly the wrong ones (4 were public OOS where I had little chance). I did receive an interview at CU which I am IS for, but was placed on the waitlist and will likely not get in this year. Here are my current stats followed by what I am thinking. I would love any feedback on my plan.

cGPA: 3.61 sGPA:3.5 DIY post bac GPA: 4.0 (30+ credits mostly upper division science done over 3 years)

No plans to take more classes I have 200+ undergraduate credits and don’t want to rack up more school related costs.

MCAT: 520 (129/131/129/131)

My MCAT will expire so I am planning to retake come January hopefully I will be able to pull this score up to the 524+ range.

Research: 2500+ hours in a Sleep research lab with no chances of publication (many of our grad students don’t get published :0)

I am going to continue to work this job part time and will likely gain another 1000 hours by the time I apply.

Clinical paid: 2000 hours as an EMT

I quit this job so I would have a day off and have no intention of returning to EMT practice but would like to get involved in a clinical volunteering opportunity probably with the local low income/free clinic.

Other paid:
200 hours MCAT tutoring
450 hours teaching children
250 hours hospital processing lab

I no longer work in the lab and plan on continuing to tutor the MCAT but will stop teaching children

Volunteer:
15 hours local farmer’s market
35 hours with those suffering from homelessness
17 hours at a food pantry
80 hours at the CU greenhouse
450 hours local humane society

This is probably my weakest section and where I intend to focus my efforts most intently. I am planning on working with the local LGBTQ+ group to work towards doctor’s office having more inclusive intake forms I have no idea how long this will take. Additionally I intend to continue volunteering at the food pantry hopefully 2 - 5 hours per week, green house 1-2 hours per week, humane society 2 hours per week, local farmers market 2 hours per week, and want to add clinical volunteering for 2-3 hours per week.

Shadowing: 604 total
590 ER
14 Plastics

I will continue to shadow in the ER because I like going and became friends with the doc there. Additionally I would like to round out my experiences by shadowing in the primary care disciplines: OB/GYN, pediatrics, family med probably 10-12 hours for each discipline

What do you all think? Is there anything I am missing or should add?

 

[ppushpak]

Why not just ED to CU so you don't have to retake your MCAT

 

[Bluedog6620]

CU doesn’t have EDP they have a program for sophomores in college but I am well past that.

 

[ppushpak]

Gotcha, I would highly suggest reapplying this year. Apply broadly and to some safety schools. Retaking the MCAT can be detrimental. You're already scoring at 98-99 percentile. It will be VERY difficult (not impossible) to achieve higher than you already have.

 

[Bluedog6620]

My MCAT will expire before matriculation for this cycle too. So there is no way around retaking. I am not applying this year for my partner’s sake since he just graduated from a MSW program.

 

[Moko]

Initial thoughts:
- You should not retake the MCAT thinking that you could repeat a 520. Realistically, there is little to no difference between a 520 and 524.
- You also do not need additional coursework -- your 3 years of part-time post-bac while working full-time is sufficient. There's diminishing returns at this point.

What did you do this past year in terms of volunteering, teaching? i.e in what way has your application improved over this past year? I agree that diversifying experiences is often a good thing (not just for application purposes, but for exploring career options), and that volunteering at a local food pantry, homeless shelters (especially if there is interest in LGBT issues), hospice, nursing home, etc. would be a good experience regardless.

When I look at everything though, what I'm seeing is a transgender applicant with good sustained post-bac grades and high MCAT, good research, clinical work, teaching, and shadowing* (though did you really actually just stand around and shadow for ~600 hours..?). Your non-clinical volunteering is a bit on the low side, but not a deal-breaker by any means. Though you lack clinical volunteering, I personally would give you a pass given your work experience / frequent contact with patients already (some others might feel differently). All of this is to say that your application seems solid. Unless your LORs were lukewarm, it would seem that the main reason why you didn't get in this cycle is because of not applying broadly enough.

Since your MCAT is expiring this year, it would be prudent for you to apply again this year given that the main deficiency in your application can be resolved with, well, applying broadly. Aim to retake the MCAT in early spring if this upcoming cycle doesn't seem to go well. Continue with clinical / non-clinical volunteering, work, etc as you have been. Just my thoughts, good luck.

 

[Bluedog6620]

My ap

Initial thoughts:
- You should not retake the MCAT thinking that you could repeat a 520. Realistically, there is little to no difference between a 520 and 524.
- You also do not need additional coursework -- your 3 years of part-time post-bac while working full-time is sufficient. There's diminishing returns at this point.

What did you do this past year in terms of volunteering, teaching? i.e in what way has your application improved over this past year? I agree that diversifying experiences is often a good thing (not just for application purposes, but for exploring career options), and that volunteering at a local food pantry, homeless shelters (especially if there is interest in LGBT issues), hospice, nursing home, etc. would be a good experience regardless.

When I look at everything though, what I'm seeing is a transgender applicant with good sustained post-bac grades and high MCAT, good research, clinical work, teaching, and shadowing* (though did you really actually just stand around and shadow for ~600 hours..?). Your non-clinical volunteering is a bit on the low side, but not a deal-breaker by any means. Though you lack clinical volunteering, I personally would give you a pass given your work experience / frequent contact with patients already (some others might feel differently). All of this is to say that your application seems solid. Unless your LORs were lukewarm, it would seem that the main reason why you didn't get in this cycle is because of not applying broadly enough.

Since your MCAT is expiring this year, it would be prudent for you to apply again this year given that the main deficiency in your application can be resolved with, well, applying broadly. Aim to retake the MCAT in early spring if this upcoming cycle doesn't seem to go well. Continue with clinical / non-clinical volunteering, work, etc as you have been. Just my thoughts, good luck.

My application hasn’t changed much from last year and I would have to retake the MCAT even for this cycle since the scores expire by matriculation and not by application as I had initially thought. I figure since I am retaking I should aim higher and given I started tutoring the MCAT I think that score is reasonable although will take work.

As for shadowing it was a far more active process (essentially getting pimped on stuff I never learned) and I initially started to shadow to improve my EMT practice since our system was slow. I would take something I learned (usually assessment stuff) during the course of shadowing and apply it in the field. I kept going because I started seeing improvements in the care I was giving patients and didn’t want to lose that even as I transitioned towards medical school. Now shadowing acts as a reaffirmation of the path I am on and I go less frequently but still once or twice a month.

I don’t know how my LORS were but I wouldn’t imagine they were detrimental all of them came from people I knew and trusted.

 

[907914]

My ap


My application hasn’t changed much from last year and I would have to retake the MCAT even for this cycle since the scores expire by matriculation and not by application as I had initially thought. I figure since I am retaking I should aim higher and given I started tutoring the MCAT I think that score is reasonable although will take work.

As for shadowing it was a far more active process (essentially getting pimped on stuff I never learned) and I initially started to shadow to improve my EMT practice since our system was slow. I would take something I learned (usually assessment stuff) during the course of shadowing and apply it in the field. I kept going because I started seeing improvements in the care I was giving patients and didn’t want to lose that even as I transitioned towards medical school. Now shadowing acts as a reaffirmation of the path I am on and I go less frequently but still once or twice a month.

I don’t know how my LORS were but I wouldn’t imagine they were detrimental all of them came from people I knew and trusted.

When did you take your MCAT? Scores don’t ‘expire.’ Each school has different dates on MSAR.

 

[Bluedog6620]

When did you take your MCAT? Scores don’t ‘expire.’ Each school has different dates on MSAR.

April 2017. You are right some schools are two years and some are three, but many of the ones I want to apply to won’t take my MCAT even this cycle.

 

[rdyotz]

Most schools require the MCAT to be taken after January 2017, so yours is still good this cycle for the majority of schools.

Edited: Schools (that I have seen) not using January 2017 have allowed older MCATs from 2016.

 

[907914]

April 2017. You are right some schools are two years and some are three, but many of the ones I want to apply to won’t take my MCAT even this cycle.

Honestly, I am going to give advice I normally wouldn’t and suggest you be selective with your school choices. Only 15 schools out of all 160 will be an issue for your MCAT. Your MCAT was NOT the issue last cycle, it was your VERY poor school list. Don’t retake until you absolutely have to and that MCAT restudy time would be better served bolstering your service some more.