Feel like I have already done everything and don’t know what to do for the upcoming app cycle year!!!

[anonimo21]

My understanding is that you can’t just sit at home and do nothing while applying but I already have like 1000+ hours in most categories so I have no idea what to do !!! I would really really really like to just sit at home bc I have already done so much but . I have a lot of money saved (few thousand dollars) and would like to AT MOST work for 6 months (have no idea where and I will absolutely not do more research or work a clinical job) and then travel for a few months after but I am open to suggestions. I was thinking americorps to increase my volunteer hours but that’s a full year commitment


-Graduated in 3 years

-1000+ paid clinical hours between 2 jobs (started in high school and worked full time in uni)

-2500-3000 research hours -> did research all 6 semesters + am doing full time research during my first gap year or “senior year”

-Shadowing 80 hrs

-did social justice work and also interned in local city council but I’m going to count that as leadership-> few hundred hours

-non clinical volunteering is at about 100 hrs

-tons of research awards (5) four of them are uni awards and one of them is one of the following (cambridge/churchill/NIH IRTA/fulbright/Marshall) not posting exactly to remain anonymous

-uni social justice award

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[LizzyM]

Your application is light in terms of non-clinical volunteering. Just putting that out there.

If you do not want to be employed in research or clinical care in the coming year, why are you applying to acquire schooling to do clinical care as a career?

 

[anonimo21]

@LizzyM I’ve been doing this full time for many years even while in school, and I’m sure you can imagine getting all of those hours in such a short time + graduating in 3 years can mentally be a lot. I just want to relax, backpack while I’m still young and see the world, and also just reset before I enter med school. I definitely love love the clinical work but doing full time research has swayed me against applying to MD/PhD programs which I was considering before. That’s where I’m at right now.

Are you aware of any volunteering opportunities that would span 6-8 months and not just be soup kitchen?

 

[LunaOri]

What’s wrong with volunteering in a soup kitchen?

 

[anonimo21]

There’s nothing wrong with it, my volunteering hours are already from a soup kitchen and I would like something different and I don’t know what else I could do. Another (minor) thing is that I also have a lot of bigger awards on my resume so I am definitely competitive/have the skill set for bigger opportunities if they exist in this space.

 

[LizzyM]

I'm not sure if a social service agency would be willing to take you on as an employee knowing that you aren't interested in more than a 6-8 month stint. Shelters, supportive services for people with mental health issues./autism, maybe substitute teaching?? Temp agencies may be able to use you for clerical work and you could pick up more service hours on weekends if you want to help people.

 

[maindoctor42]

You are going to be specifically asked on your applications what you are doing (work, volunteering, etc.) during the cycle. Once you are accepted, go crazy and quit your job and travel the world! I personally wouldn't want to explain to a med school interviewer that I am not improving my experience over the application year because I already did enough.

I think you recognize this, but I also think you should weigh your discomfort over working a beneficial job against the chance that this backfires and you have to reapply.... I don't think you can ever decide your application is good enough until you are accepted!

 

[pablo213]

I did AmeriCorps and would recommend it. You don't need to do it full time. There are many part time positions that can be pretty easily done in 6-8 months or less and boost your hour count. Also gave me good talking points during interviews and secondaries.

 

[anonimo21]

I did AmeriCorps and would recommend it. You don't need to do it full time. There are many part time positions that can be pretty easily done in 6-8 months or less and boost your hour count. Also gave me good talking points during interviews and secondaries.

Can I pretty please dm you with questions about this, this would be perfect for me! I didn’t realize part time meant <1 year.

 

[pablo213]

Can I pretty please dm you with questions about this, this would be perfect for me! I didn’t realize part time meant <1 year.

Sure

 

[atriablack]

have no idea where and I will absolutely not do more research or work a clinical job

I get it, but you do need to find something that is meaningful to do with your time. Now that doesn't need to be medical related, you could use this time to strengthen your other passions, personal projects, adjacent interests etc. Just something where you can speak with passion and purpose when asked what you have been doing this year. I know a friend who wrote a very moving gap year essay about taking the time to focus on their music and compose pieces.

Your application is light in terms of non-clinical volunteering.

Agree. You need more hours, 150 is a general minimum consensus here. I would recommend getting those soup kitchen hours up since you already have a 100 (50 hours-> around two weeks of 4 hour shifts). Then you could possibly diversify; regardless if you have a year why leave this weakness in your app if you have the chance to fix it.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

OP: You've asked about what to do in gap years for at least two years now! You say you received a significant research fellowship... what's the cause of your stress here? Are you almost done? Are you burned out of doing research and want to do MD only (without the PhD)?

 

[anonimo21]

OP: You've asked about what to do in gap years for at least two years now! You say you received a significant research fellowship... what's the cause of your stress here? Are you almost done? Are you burned out of doing research and want to do MD only (without the PhD)?

I know I’ve asked variations of this question over the past 2 years but Ive genuinely been taking the advice I receive. At first I only wanted to take 1 gap year but now I’m taking 2. For the first year, yes I have secured a fellowship along the lines of Marshall/Fulbright/NIH IRTA/Cambridge etc.. which I’m at almost at the end of now and will be done in June/July. This made me realize that I am burnt out of research and have no desire to do a PhD anymore and so I’m lost on what to do for my second year (which will also be my applications year). It’s obvious that my application is (relatively) lacking in volunteering but there aren’t any direct awards or programs I can apply to like the ones I mentioned above other than americorps…which happens to be for a full year and I really just need a break and only want to do something for 6-8 months which is where the stress is coming from.