DILEMMA: work or continue post-bacc; Its effect on adcom's decision?

[mbe36]

So, I am at a crossroads in planning my activities for next semester. I am a re-applicant to medical school and chose to pursue post-bacc work while applying this cycle. I took endo, osteo, physio, and neurobio. I got an A in each and a 4.0 for the semester. These grades contribute to a strong upward trend. During this time I have also been volunteering at a local urban clinic for the underserved and doing independent research in a lab working on muscular dystrophy.

I just interviewed (only interview thus far) and will hear a result in ~8wks. I am asking this question because this school often asks students about their activities before making a decision.

My dilemma: do another post-bacc semester OR work

-I quit my job before this semester to focus on school and applications. However, this has left my bank account drained.

-I cannot afford tuition and would like to avoid taking out any loans before medical school.---Plus, as a non-matriculated post-bacc student, there are no/very few loan options.

-I would be working in a lab at a biotech firm and working as a nurse's aide on the weekends, per diem. This would also allow me to spend more time researching and volunteering at the clinic.


Concern: Should I contact the dean at the school I am waiting to hear from for advice? Do you think working would negatively effect the decision?

Here are my stats: Note- the GPA does not include my recent 4.0 or my recent research. http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=532509



THANK YOU and good luck to all!!

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[dally1025]

it's always a good idea to contact the dean and ask what you could do to improve your chances for the next cycle. it shows your committment to medicine and the school.

i was in your position last year... one of the deans i spoke with told me that in an ideal world i would do a special masters but most of the adcoms understand that most people need to work so taking some classes would be sufficient. i took his advice and took a few classes while working full-time (i even got my employer to pay for the classes). they may recommend something different in your situation but i can't see how asking would hurt! one of my interviewers knew i was a reapplicant and specifically asked if i had spoken with the dean about how to improve my application and if i followed his advice. thankfully, i had done both because i think that was one of the reasons i was accepted to the school. best of luck!

 

[mbe36]

Thanks for the input, Dally1025.

I think I may contact the dean. Just to be clear- I interviewed at this school and am awaiting a decision. Any questions I would asks would pertain to the influence on the pending decision, not imrpovements for next cycle.

I would love to stay in the classroom, but at this time it is near impossible.

 

[speedyk]

Do everything you can to complete one more semester... The school you interviewed at has a much higher than average post-interview rejection rate. You should operate on the assumption that you won't get in and prepare to apply again. It's much better to be safe than sorry.

But to answer your question, you should definitely get the opinion of the school before deciding anything like this. Good luck.

 

[mbe36]

Thanks for the info, speedyk. It is always wise to keep next year in mind.

 

[mbe36]

Bump

 

[mbe36]

Any contributions would be greatly appreciated.