Dilemma...

[andrewsmack05]

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I am in sort of an unfortunate situation here and I would like to get everyones take on it. I dont HAVE to forego my this fall semester in college, but my family could use my help to run their small business through the remainder of this year. What my question is, is this explainable on a personal statement for the next application cycle? I can take time off to study for the MCAT and do some shadowing as well. But is this enough to show that I am taking the semester off for legitimate concerns that would be honored by an admissions committee? Thank you all for your help in advance!

 

[NickNaylor]

It's not something I would include in the personal statement specifically, but there will definitely be opportunities to explain this. It all depends on how you think about the experience. That said, unless your family will really benefit from your contribution, I would focus on your own studies and development.

 

[andrewsmack05]

Well, my family and my church could really use my help this semester. I am a post-bac student, I already have a BS in Biology. Its that my family could really benefit from having me run things in the business and I could also make some money to go back to school in the spring, since I pay for my schooling as well.

 

[LizzyM]

In the experience section of the application, you can list your employment as well as your volunteerism and other activities. So, taking 4-5 mos to work in a family business would be accounted for as employment.

 

[isoquin]

This sounds like a bad setup. If you're heading into medicine, you will be able to pull out any day from the rest of your life and say "{person/organization} could really use my help." You need to be able to prioritize, and right now I would recommend your priorities should be dedicated to starting your own career. There will absolutely need to be a time where you can't just be the family store {your title here}, and that day should already have passed if you want to go into medicine. Chances are, they can find someone else to do your job, especially since you're not doing it for free anyway. Furthermore, your money argument doesn't hold. The sooner you start med school, the sooner you will be making much larger wages than your family is offering.

While you can list this as employment, my guess is that family and church work is in no way clinical or research driven. You would essentially be showing that you have set aside your drive for med school to do other tasks. I would also fear the question of "well what if he stops med school to repeat this?" coming up. I am questioning your motives and drive here, so I'm sure others would as well. I am also wondering whether you posted this question here as a means to get people to talk you down from that idea.

Keep in mind that there are 6-9 months between med school acceptance and matriculation. That's a great time to drop what you're doing and be helpful around your community.

 

[andrewsmack05]

Thank you Nick, Lizzy, and Isoquin for your responses! I really appreciate the insight because it will help me make a better decision for myself. Thanks!

 

[Astarael]

Just to play devil's advocate here, I think this could be a good experience to have. If you are going to be actually running things in the business, that takes a lot of responsibility, and could look good on your application. It's all about how much responsibility you're actually taking on and how your phrase your motivations for doing it and what you got out of it.

 

[andrewsmack05]

Just to play devil's advocate here, I think this could be a good experience to have. If you are going to be actually running things in the business, that takes a lot of responsibility, and could look good on your application. It's all about how much responsibility you're actually taking on and how your phrase your motivations for doing it and what you got out of it.

This is what I sort of thought. I've been going to school for six years now. It wasnt until the beginning of last year that I decided to go all out for medicine. I could utilize the time to help my family because of the economic downturn, shadow a couple doctors, help out at my local church, and study for the MCAT. But, I was really hoping to get an in-depth look at how the adcoms would treat such a situation. Thank you all for your continued help!

 

[isoquin]

Just to play devil's advocate here, I think this could be a good experience to have. If you are going to be actually running things in the business, that takes a lot of responsibility, and could look good on your application. It's all about how much responsibility you're actually taking on and how your phrase your motivations for doing it and what you got out of it.

With all due respect, I actually completely disagree with this. Being handed a position in a family business (by mom and dad?) does not demonstrate leadership or responsibility, just nepotism. There's a reason letters of recommendation shouldn't (can't?) come from parents. If you started your own company, or earned your way up the ranks of a non-family business, I think it would be a different story.

There are many things interviewers look for in an applicant. Among them are the reason for wanting to enter medicine, and if the applicant's drive to become a doctor is large enough to assure they will make it through the program. Anything you do since deciding on medicine that isn't dedicated to becoming a doctor will come into question. Perhaps this is a good place to start: why do you want to go into medicine?

 

[LizzyM]

Anything you do since deciding on medicine that isn't dedicated to becoming a doctor will come into question.

Not true. There is certainly room for testing the decision and trying out other options. There is also something to be said for taking time off to study for the MCAT, shadow, volunteer, and work. There is also something to be said for developing outside interests and ways to relax and unwind. I interviewed a guy who after completing a post-bac & taking the MCAT went to cooking school for a couple months to indulge in a hobby that he had not previously had time for. I might have been a little jealous. 😀

On the topic of family businesses:
I worked in a casual, part-time basis in a family business from childhood through my mid-twenties. A family business is a huge investment... most of my family wealth's (little that there was) was tied up in that business and it behooved us to protect that investment by providing good customer service, a quality product, and a money back guarantee. Every one of us was responsible when we were representing the business to operate at a high standard of excellence. When things got busy, we might be called from whatever we were doing to be "on deck" to help out. It isn't what I'd think of when I hear the word "nepotism". And being handed a position in a family business can often mean sweeping floors, taking out the trash, stocking shelves, answering phones, and making deliveries. If someone involved in the business becomes unable to work, it makes a huge difference to the survival of the business to have someone who knows the business to step in and help out either temporarily or long term. This is the sort of experience that adcoms have in their own lives (working in stores, restaurants, factories, farms) and it is what they bring to bear in reviewing applications.

 

[andrewsmack05]

Not true. There is certainly room for testing the decision and trying out other options. There is also something to be said for taking time off to study for the MCAT, shadow, volunteer, and work. There is also something to be said for developing outside interests and ways to relax and unwind. I interviewed a guy who after completing a post-bac & taking the MCAT went to cooking school for a couple months to indulge in a hobby that he had not previously had time for. I might have been a little jealous. 😀

On the topic of family businesses:
I worked in a casual, part-time basis in a family business from childhood through my mid-twenties. A family business is a huge investment... most of my family wealth's (little that there was) was tied up in that business and it behooved us to protect that investment by providing good customer service, a quality product, and a money back guarantee. Every one of us was responsible when we were representing the business to operate at a high standard of excellence. When things got busy, we might be called from whatever we were doing to be "on deck" to help out. It isn't what I'd think of when I hear the word "nepotism". And being handed a position in a family business can often mean sweeping floors, taking out the trash, stocking shelves, answering phones, and making deliveries. If someone involved in the business becomes unable to work, it makes a huge difference to the survival of the business to have someone who knows the business to step in and help out either temporarily or long term. This is the sort of experience that adcoms have in their own lives (working in stores, restaurants, factories, farms) and it is what they bring to bear in reviewing applications.

This. Especially the last paragraph explains what is going on, only I am not sweeping floors, I am working manual labor out in the sun and the cold in the winter. I dont want to portray that I am a lazy person because I am not. I sometimes work from 6 am until 8 or 9 pm, which doesnt bode well for extra-anything in my life. But, I can make time doing shadowing and studying for the MCAT on days off later on here. Once again, I am gracious for everyones insight. I am truly thankful to have a resource where I can come to common grounds with others!