River777
Full Member
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2023
- Messages
- 13
- Reaction score
- 3
For one secondary, they give an optional question that asks:
We recognize that each applicant’s journey is unique. If there were any extenuating circumstances that limited your involvement in service, academic, or other preparatory experiences—including MCAT preparation/taking—please share them here
I’m on my 4th gap year, 2nd cycle. Traditionally, I would think to write about my undergrad years where I worked part time with a full course load because I’m low income, helped contribute to my family’s expenses, didn’t have a car or reliable public transportation for off campus opportunities, couldn’t get clinical hours as a new premed during the pandemic of living with my grandparents. Things that could explain my low involvement for most of undergrad.
However now that I’m more removed from undergrad I’m more conflicted on how to answer this.
After graduating I worked full time in a clinical job and some extra shifts on the weekends, still contributing financially to family. I also help take care of my younger sibling and manage the household few months at a time, accompany family members to medical appointments to translate. With this because I’m not in school I’ve been able to get volunteer hours and some research done. The only thing I can say it limited was that I didn't get as many hours as I would’ve liked in research (~100 over 7 months at time of app), and I didn't enroll in any extra post-bacc classes since 2022. Studying for the mcat was also hard because of living in a multigen home and not having a quiet study space after work, it took longer to study but I still did well.
TLDR; I guess ultimately my question is:
1. are my post-grad circumstances “extenuating” enough even though im not in school and they didn’t really impact my ability to get hours unless im excusing my research involvement and lack of recent academic courses? Should i still talk about it to give context to my “distance traveled” or does it come off as making excuses. Plenty of people work full time post grad and still fit in everything else, I might be shooting myself in the foot here.
2. Is it still relevant to talk about my undergrad years after 4 gap years.
We recognize that each applicant’s journey is unique. If there were any extenuating circumstances that limited your involvement in service, academic, or other preparatory experiences—including MCAT preparation/taking—please share them here
I’m on my 4th gap year, 2nd cycle. Traditionally, I would think to write about my undergrad years where I worked part time with a full course load because I’m low income, helped contribute to my family’s expenses, didn’t have a car or reliable public transportation for off campus opportunities, couldn’t get clinical hours as a new premed during the pandemic of living with my grandparents. Things that could explain my low involvement for most of undergrad.
However now that I’m more removed from undergrad I’m more conflicted on how to answer this.
After graduating I worked full time in a clinical job and some extra shifts on the weekends, still contributing financially to family. I also help take care of my younger sibling and manage the household few months at a time, accompany family members to medical appointments to translate. With this because I’m not in school I’ve been able to get volunteer hours and some research done. The only thing I can say it limited was that I didn't get as many hours as I would’ve liked in research (~100 over 7 months at time of app), and I didn't enroll in any extra post-bacc classes since 2022. Studying for the mcat was also hard because of living in a multigen home and not having a quiet study space after work, it took longer to study but I still did well.
TLDR; I guess ultimately my question is:
1. are my post-grad circumstances “extenuating” enough even though im not in school and they didn’t really impact my ability to get hours unless im excusing my research involvement and lack of recent academic courses? Should i still talk about it to give context to my “distance traveled” or does it come off as making excuses. Plenty of people work full time post grad and still fit in everything else, I might be shooting myself in the foot here.
2. Is it still relevant to talk about my undergrad years after 4 gap years.
