Disadvantaged because not taking a gap year?

[deleted684809]

Hi everyone!

I'm new to the forum but I just wonder whether you guys could give me some advice?

I am a junior at a pretty good liberal arts college who plan to apply to matriculate in 2016. Today I had my interview with my pre-med counselor. My MCAT and GPA are all fine and she told me everything else looks good (good research experience, volunteering, letters of rec, and clinical experience). Then we begin to discuss the list of schools I want to apply to and she told me that it is unlikely that I will get into the top schools (UPenn, Harvard, Stanford, UChicago) because I am not taking a gap year. She said the average of incoming class at top schools are 23 and they take more people who takes gap year to do other things. I am just confused because I didn't know I can be penalized for my age. I want to apply straight out of college because I know this is what I want to do and I am not burnt out by school yet but I don't know why I should be forced to take a gap year just to get to a school I want to go to.

Just want to hear you guys' experience and opinion on this!

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[lifetothefullest]

You shouldn't see it as being forced to take a gap year. It's just that you're being compared to applicants who have taken a gap year and have done some pretty amazing things during it. So it all boils down to how you think you compare to people who have done a year of research, of volunteering in a third-world country, of Fulbright work.

 

[utmn]

I guess I would question your idea of the words disadvantaged and penalized. To me, they imply 1) something you can't control and 2) that it's unjust. In my mind, it's sort of like saying that people who shadowed more make you disadvantaged, or that you're penalized against because others have more research experience. As far as I can tell, a good application is a good application, and people may have better ones than you due to their breadth of nonacademic experiences. If you think your application is solid, totally apply!! It sounds like you know what you want and have taken the steps to get there, and it's okay to be confident with that.

 

[C@lidoc]

You are competing against people that have done amazing things in their time off. Having interviewed and being accepted to some of the schools you listed, I definitely noticed that most people had at least 1+ gap year. I saw very few people still in school.

 

[ski89]

Yeah, it has nothing to do with you knowing you want to be a physician. Everyone you are being compared to in the admissions process knows the same thing. You just better hope you have something that sets you apart from the rest. And if you MCAT and GPA are fine and your research experience is good then I would agree that you don't have a great shot at those schools. Their students have fantastic stats, amazing research, incredible letters of rec. And yes, many of them have taken a year off to gain valuable experience that you don't have.

If your goal is a top 5 program you need to step up your game or prepared to be disappointed.

 

[22031 Alum]

There are still plenty of people going to medical school directly from college. When I was in med school, I think the stat we quoted was that about half of each class had gone straight through. Of that other half, you have to account for the number of people who didn't go straight through because they 1)had another job first, or 2) needed that time to fix/improve something about their application. If you have the pre-requisites and stats, I don't think there's any need to take a year off just for the sake of doing so- unless you think you'd only be happy at a "top school." In that case I'd argue that you're destined for eventual unhappiness anyway.

Be smart, apply broadly. There are plenty of people here who'd be glad to give you input on your school list. Good luck.

 

[ridethecliche]

You are evaluated on all the things that you have done till this point and how well you have done them. Those top schools all have students that got in straight out of college as well. You're not 'automatically' out because you're not taking a gap year.

If you can show maturity in thought and action, then that obviously won't be held against you.

The fact that you think you're 'disadvantaged' because you're not taking a gap year makes me think that the former statement might be iffy.

 

[22031 Alum]

You are evaluated on all the things that you have done till this point and how well you have done them. Those top schools all have students that got in straight out of college as well. You're not 'automatically' out because you're not taking a gap year.

If you can show maturity in thought and action, then that obviously won't be held against you.

The fact that you think you're 'disadvantaged' because you're not taking a gap year makes me think that the former statement might be iffy.

I wouldn't go that far. Believing what your pre-med counselor says doesn't mean a lack of maturity. The fact that OP came here for a second opinion is actually a good sign.

 

[ridethecliche]

I wouldn't go that far. Believing what your pre-med counselor says doesn't mean a lack of maturity. The fact that OP came here for a second opinion is actually a good sign.

I took issue with the use of the word 'disadvantaged' I guess it was too harsh since the OP was just trying to ask if they were at a disadvantage. The 'disadvantaged' status is something totally different, which the OP might not have known.

 

[NeuResurgens]

It is a bit of a disadvantage, but not for the reasons you might think. There is no "gap year" check box on the application. However, gap years are often where many of the top applicants achieve some of their very impressive, "med-school-gunners" type of activities that we often joke about (and all secretly envy). Many publish studies in major academic journals. Some do involved, compelling humanitarian work at home and abroad. Many take up a hobby and bolster their clinical skills and experience. You'd be surprised what you can accomplish once you don't have school to be worried about. The extra activities are what make these applicants stand out. If you could accomplish these things while in school and apply as a traditional applicant, you'd be at no disadvantage.

 

[tiedyeddog]

This same exact thread was posted about two weeks ago.

Same. Exact. Thread.

Do a search. For the love of god, no your are not a URM not because you didn't do a gap year. Do one only if your app sucks or if you have something interesting you want to do in the year off.

 

[clocks123]

If you have a great GPA/MCAT along with all the pre-med activities, there is no need for you to take a gap year. People take gap years for a variety of reasons: to improve the GPA or MCAT, fill an obvious hole in their application, or some just want to relax and do their own thing before med school. Do not take one though just because it may look better on an app. If you are ready and 100% sure you want to apply, you will most likely get in somewhere and there is no need to wait.

 

[Rainbow Zebra]

Look at the ave age of matriculation in the facts for each school ( usually published on their websites).

At u of Michigan they report 70 percent are more than one year from undergrad from a Twitter post. What does that tell you?

 

[deleted684809]

Hi everyone!

First of all, I want to apologize that my language might have caused some misunderstandings. I really appreciate the support and advice from this site and from everyone, but the judgement about my character is totally uncalled for and unnecessary.

Given that, I want to be more specific about my situation. I understand that getting into a medical school is an honor in itself, but like everyone, i also have favorite schools. Having done lot of research and visits, I really love UCHICAGO, UPENN and Stanford. Since freshmen year, I have been working hard to get myself to be a competitive applicant to these elite schools. Right now, with a 3.9 gpa at a top 5 liberal arts college, 39 on the MCAT, excellent recs, fulfilling extracurricular life, and tons of research experience here and abroad (with papers on the way), I thought I would be qualified to apply to those schools. But then I hear this news that I shouldn't even apply because I am not taking a gap year. my counselor very casually suggested that I just stop my application process. But I have already requested letters so I don't know if that's such a good idea. I know I am being stubborn by holding on to these schools, but I am just not ready to give them up if taking a gap year is the only thing I need. I understand it is not the concept of a gap year but what you do during the gap year that matter, and of course I don't have the experience of someone who did peace corps or TFA. So I just want to ask what do you guys think my best course of action is?

 

[mimelim]

Taking a gap year for the sake of a gap year is an incredible waste of time and reflects poorly on you. No school discriminates against applicants that go straight through. If you have deficiencies in your application that need to be addressed, it is one thing, but faffing about for no reason other than, "other people are doing it" is pretty damn silly.

Pre-med advisers are notoriously hit or miss in terms of being useful. In general, when someone says something that is illogical and/or makes zero sense, you should double check them.

 

[22031 Alum]

Having done lot of research and visits, I really love UCHICAGO, UPENN and Stanford.

Is it normal to have done a significant amount of med school visits before applying and interviewing? Back in my day I just browsed websites, and made a school list based on pre-reqs and places where my stats fit in. In any case, it's fine to have some dream schools, but you can't approach this process with a "dream school or bust" mentality. Like I said in my other post, that's a surefire way to end up unhappy. Med school admissions are such that it really is a privilege just to get in.

Admission to the UChicago's of the world isn't a guarantee no matter how awesome you are. Delaying an application that sounds perfectly fine just for the heck of it is not a good plan. If you had a true passion for something like the Peace Corps or TFA, and really felt it was important for your life that you do it, that'd be one thing. But "I want to go to Penn and people who do TFA go to Penn" is a terrible reason.

 

[crossingthefingers]

Actually I would say to apply soon while you can still use your 39!

 

[mrairjosh]

Taking a gap year for the sake of a gap year is an incredible waste of time and reflects poorly on you. No school discriminates against applicants that go straight through. If you have deficiencies in your application that need to be addressed, it is one thing, but faffing about for no reason other than, "other people are doing it" is pretty damn silly.

Pre-med advisers are notoriously hit or miss in terms of being useful. In general, when someone says something that is illogical and/or makes zero sense, you should double check them.

I plan on taking a gap year to, get a job, have a good school free period of time to study for the MCAT and hopefully buy a good trustworthy car with the money I make. I also admittedly want to recharge my batteries, do you think this would reflect poorly on me?

 

[22031 Alum]

I plan on taking a gap year to, get a job, have a good school free period of time to study for the MCAT and hopefully buy a good trustworthy car with the money I make. I also admittedly want to recharge my batteries, do you think this would reflect poorly on me?

You have an application-related reason: the MCAT.

 

[cryhavoc]

I say the earlier you apply, the better. I took a gap year and all my senior year upper-level science classes wrecked my science GPA. But if I would have gotten in already, all you usually have to do to stay in is pass your remaining classes. I gained a little more research experience and volunteering this last year, but no way was it worth the decline in my science GPA.

 

[baratheonfire]

This same exact thread was posted about two weeks ago.

Same. Exact. Thread.

Do a search. For the love of god, no your are not a URM not because you didn't do a gap year. Do one only if your app sucks or if you have something interesting you want to do in the year off.

Hi, can you read?

 

[medicalmnt]

You need to expand your vocabulary a bit.... Disadvantaged is definitely the wrong word.

 

[22031 Alum]

You need to expand your vocabulary a bit.... Disadvantaged is definitely the wrong word.

No it's not. Disadvantaged means "at a disadvantage." OP was asking if not taking a year would be a disadvantage. It's the exact right meaning of the word. It's not OP's fault multiple people were stuck in SDN-think where the only definition of disadvantaged is URM.

 

[medicalmnt]

No it's not. Disadvantaged means "at a disadvantage." OP was asking if not taking a year would be a disadvantage. It's the exact right meaning of the word. It's not OP's fault multiple people were stuck in SDN-think where the only definition of disadvantaged is URM.

Which is why using the word disadvantaged is a poor choice of words. you need to take into consideration who you are talking to and what others view words.

I really don't have any stake in this thread. Just commented because I was on phone just bored. Was meant to be more of a joke than anything