EC Break for MCAT

[LondonVibes]

How is taking a break from ECs for the MCAT looked at by ADCOMs? Is there a certain length of break that is acceptable? From what I’ve heard, total hours are the most important, so would it be bad to stop ECs like 6 months before the MCAT if sufficient hours have been reached?

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[KnightDoc]

Adcoms like to see you be able to walk and chew gum at the same time, since that is required to be successful in medical school. I honestly don't know what "sufficient hours" are, since they vary from person to person and activity to actitivity, but, yes, in general, it would look bad to stop all activities for like 6 months to study for an exam.

 

[LondonVibes]

Adcoms like to see you be able to walk and chew gum at the same time, since that is required to be successful in medical school. I honestly don't know what "sufficient hours" are, since they vary from person to person and activity to actitivity, but, yes, in general, it would look bad to stop all activities for like 6 months to study for an exam.

I think I was meaning that the recommended minimum hours are touched in all categories once you stop them for MCAT.

 

[KnightDoc]

I think they are two separate issues. There really are no "minimum" hours -- it's more about quality and impact. People are successful with dozens and hundreds of hours while others are unsuccessful literally with thousands.

The issue inherent in your question is the fiction that we are all very altruistic, and are engaging in these activities organically and not to check expected boxes. Stopping for half a year to study for a big test would expose that fiction, and would not be a good look!

 

[deleted1025488]

You can definitely just reduce hours per week and ask your PI for some leeway in the last month of studying. You don't have to just quit all ECs...also I don't know specifics or if you're a non-trad out of school, but 6 months of nothing but MCAT studying is a waste of your time.

 

[LondonVibes]

You can definitely just reduce hours per week and ask your PI for some leeway in the last month of studying. You don't have to just quit all ECs...

Research is the one EC that would be continued.

 

[deleted1025488]

Research is the one EC that would be continued.

You should still volunteer. Minimum is what, 2-3 hours per week? It'll also help your mental and physical health to get out once in a while. MCAT studying sucks, maybe COVID isolation made it a bit worse for me personally but I would have loved to gone out a few times a week to tutor or volunteer.

On top of that idk if you saw my previous post but 6 months will give diminishing returns unless you forgot all prereqs.

 

[DNAJB6]

Adcoms like to see you be able to walk and chew gum at the same time, since that is required to be successful in medical school. I honestly don't know what "sufficient hours" are, since they vary from person to person and activity to actitivity, but, yes, in general, it would look bad to stop all activities for like 6 months to study for an exam.

MCAT scores are forever. EC gaps or issues are easily fixable.

 

[DNAJB6]

How is taking a break from ECs for the MCAT looked at by ADCOMs? Is there a certain length of break that is acceptable? From what I’ve heard, total hours are the most important, so would it be bad to stop ECs like 6 months before the MCAT if sufficient hours have been reached?

Do what you need to do to maximize your MCAT score.

 

[KnightDoc]

Do what you need to do to maximize your MCAT score.

Agreed, but demonstrating an inability to walk and chew gum at the same time does not help an application.

If doing what you need to do requires focusing on one thing to the exclusion of everything else, that is not a positive signal of future success in medical school. I humbly suggest that if you do that, and offer it as an explanation on an interview, it will not impress anyone.

 

[jhmmd]

The general advice, as has been recommneded above, is to cut down on ECs during MCAT studying.
People understand that with COVID, it has been more difficult to find EC opportunities.
Good luck @LondonVibes

 

[Lifeblood_20]

I stopped all ECs while studying for the MCAT, it's not a big deal. Granted I studied for 2.5 months, not 6.