Does working for 2 years significantly help chances?

[brainsforlunch]

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I'm trying to sort out my time out of school. My current plan is to work for a clinical research group during my gap year, which would be half-time and I could study for the MCAT again if I needed to reapply (I would be applying with a 32S).

However, I now have an interview for a full-time 2-year position where I would work in a hospital directly with doctors, doing assessments and scans of neuro-trauma patients, as well as working with surgeons and radiologists on clinical research.

Would the second job, which involves in-depth clinical work at a highly respected hospital significantly help my application?

Pros and Cons to working 2 years instead of 1? Is taking 2 years off just stalling?

 

[Depakote]

I'm trying to sort out my time out of school. My current plan is to work for a clinical research group during my gap year, which would be half-time and I could study for the MCAT again if I needed to reapply (I would be applying with a 32S).

However, I now have an interview for a full-time 2-year position where I would work in a hospital directly with doctors, doing assessments and scans of neuro-trauma patients, as well as working with surgeons and radiologists on clinical research.

Would the second job, which involves in-depth clinical work at a highly respected hospital significantly help my application?

Pros and Cons to working 2 years instead of 1? Is taking 2 years off just stalling?

It wouldn't help all that much. I worked for 2 years before matriculating (applied while doing so). The work I did was helpful, but the fact that I spent 2 years doing it (v. 1 year) wasn't a huge influence other than I might get an extra publication out of it.

The time working will add some flavor to your app, but an extra year won't make you more desirable.

 

[dw2158]

i'm in year 1 of my 2 working years. and i would HIGHLY recommend taking 2... if for no other reason, you can apply without worrying about schoolwork. 9-to-5 leaves you lots of time to get ready for AMCAS early and stay organized. i am predicting a minimally stressful application cycle for myself because 1) i had the time to prepare adequately (and maybe even over-prepare!) and 2) i will have the time to do secondaries, interviews, etc without worrying about school. i guess for you point #1 is more relevant.

 

[brainsforlunch]

i'm in year 1 of my 2 working years. and i would HIGHLY recommend taking 2... if for no other reason, you can apply without worrying about schoolwork. 9-to-5 leaves you lots of time to get ready for AMCAS early and stay organized. i am predicting a minimally stressful application cycle for myself because 1) i had the time to prepare adequately (and maybe even over-prepare!) and 2) i will have the time to do secondaries, interviews, etc without worrying about school. i guess for you point #1 is more relevant.

I am graduating this May, so I would either be working for a year (half-time), or if I get this position, for two years (full-time). Does that change your opinion?

 

[GonnaHappen]

I'm convinced that the only things that will "significantly help" your chances are a high GPA and MCAT score. The rest helps. But not all that significantly.

 

[TexasPhysician]

2 years won't benefit your application much more than 1 year. I wouldn't take any time off if I were you, but given the choice, 1 year is plenty.

 

[BTC]

2 years won't benefit your application much more than 1 year. I wouldn't take any time off if I were you, but given the choice, 1 year is plenty.

I disagree. There are a lot of intangibles you would develop from working with closely with docs for two years. I'm guessing an increased self awareness, maturity, etc.

Additionally, you could get some killer recs out of it.

There is no point in racing into med school. Take some time and see what a 9-5 feels like before you walk away from it forever. You will be much the wiser. You might also complain much less in medical school and in residency.

I work with someone who signed up for a two year gig, applied the first year and was accepted. He then deferred for a year to finish his research project and enjoy himself for another year. So, you might want to think about going that route.

 

[witness23]

depends on what you do with those 2 years. i suggest you be proactive the first year.

2 years is more likely to help than one if you have ECs missing or something of that line. You work/volunteer/improve #s/everything for the year. Apply over the summer, and then relax. If you apply after you graduate, your activity for the upcoming year will not count as much (you most likely will not achieve as much in time for the primary)

 

[dw2158]

I am graduating this May, so I would either be working for a year (half-time), or if I get this position, for two years (full-time). Does that change your opinion?

no? i don't get it.

I disagree. There are a lot of intangibles you would develop from working with closely with docs for two years. I'm guessing an increased self awareness, maturity, etc.

Additionally, you could get some killer recs out of it.

There is no point in racing into med school. Take some time and see what a 9-5 feels like before you walk away from it forever. You will be much the wiser. You might also complain much less in medical school and in residency.

I work with someone who signed up for a two year gig, applied the first year and was accepted. He then deferred for a year to finish his research project and enjoy himself for another year. So, you might want to think about going that route.

ITA with all of this. and i will repeat what i said before. in my mind, the biggest advantage to taking 2 years is that you're working on app stuff while 9-to-5ing instead of while in school. i have WAY more free time as a working person than i did as a student. i think my app will be better because of this.

 

[TexasPhysician]

I disagree. There are a lot of intangibles you would develop from working with closely with docs for two years. I'm guessing an increased self awareness, maturity, etc.

Additionally, you could get some killer recs out of it.

There is no point in racing into med school. Take some time and see what a 9-5 feels like before you walk away from it forever. You will be much the wiser. You might also complain much less in medical school and in residency.

I work with someone who signed up for a two year gig, applied the first year and was accepted. He then deferred for a year to finish his research project and enjoy himself for another year. So, you might want to think about going that route.

I agree with your statements, but you can't easily put self-awareness and maturity on a CV and it certainly doesn't boost your gpa.

If you can't get a good LOR in 1 year, I don't see it happening after 2.

Sure 2 years might be great for you personally to find yourself etc., but it won't help you get into medical school.

 

[dw2158]

disclaimer: i am taking two year off for personal reasons that have nothing to do with LORs.

I agree with your statements, but you can't easily put self-awareness and maturity on a CV and it certainly doesn't boost your gpa.

If you can't get a good LOR in 1 year, I don't see it happening after 2.

Sure 2 years might be great for you personally to find yourself etc., but it won't help you get into medical school.

actually... it does make a difference to adcoms. they won't see the "results" of what you've done if you take one year off, but if it's two years then your first year of working becomes a part of the experiences you talk about in your application. and your boss can write you an LOR. if you take only one year, you'd be applying while still in school so you wouldn't have started your job/whatever yet, so you couldn't get the LOR or the experiences to include in your app.

 

[TexasPhysician]

disclaimer: i am taking two year off for personal reasons that have nothing to do with LORs.



actually... it does make a difference to adcoms. they won't see the "results" of what you've done if you take one year off, but if it's two years then your first year of working becomes a part of the experiences you talk about in your application. and your boss can write you an LOR. if you take only one year, you'd be applying while still in school so you wouldn't have started your job/whatever yet, so you couldn't get the LOR or the experiences to include in your app.

When I applied, there was a box that said....."What do you plan on doing between now and the start of medical school". Worded something like that. If your school has a health professions committee, then you don't need another LOR anyway.

 

[DrJosephKim]

If you can translate your work experience into something clinically meaningful (say in your personal statement), then you've gained something invaluable. Otherwise, focus on your grades and test scores.

 

[GeraldMonroe]

no

 

[rocketbooster]

MCAT
GPA

MCAT is going to best thing to raise because 1) it's the easiest to raise and 2) MCAT seems to have slightly more weight than GPA.

You need clinical experience and volunteering, as well, because that's a given. You don't need 2 more years worth of it. This extra stuff is what you talk about in your interviews. So, yes, it's definitely good to have it but you don't need 2 years of it. You'll have plenty to talk about in interviews based on just 1 year of more experience.

 

[mvenus929]

If you're going to be applying during your one-year stint, it's not going to do you much good. Yes, it will give you more time to focus on your application, but very little of what you do during that year (think... what you do between May and August) is going to end up on paper that the adcoms will see before your interview. If you're fortunate enough to get an interview, you'll have a few more months experience to talk about.

If you apply after you've already worked for a year, then what you do during that first year will be a significant part of what goes on your application. I have grown tremendously in the past year since I've been out of school, and my application now is very little what it would have been if I had applied again last year.

So, I guess it depends on what you're hoping to get out of working. If you need to work for the clinical experience (as I did), then working for a year before applying will help. But, if you just want to wait until you get out of school to apply and don't think working will help your application much, then it doesn't really matter.

I'd personally go with two years, just because your two year gig sounds pretty neat 🙂