Feeling incredibly discouraged..where do I go from here?

[ciestar]

The rundown:
3.72 cGPA, 3.81 sGPA (approximate)
Pending MCAT
PA resident
White Female

FWIT, I also plan on putting disadvantaged on the application. If you knew anything about my childhood, you'd agree.

Clinical:
~225 hours direct patient care for nursing clinicals (nursing homes and oncology unit)
~1000+ hours as a pharmacy technician, PTCB certified

Shadowing:
~54 hours shadowing a Pediatrician, Primary Care doctor, Orthopedic surgeon, Ophthalmologist/retinal surgeon (DO)

Non-clinical Volunteering:
~60+ hours volunteering with a no-kill dog rescue (on AMCAS I put over about 200 hours, since that's what it could be by the time I would matriculate in 2015)

Tutoring/Leadership:
-Two years as a TA for economics (around 400 hours)- includes tutoring, exam proctoring, grading, etc
I was basically in charge of running the class Facebook page and organizing reviews for exams, and helping with homework

Honors:
-Alpha Epsilon Delta - participated in about 14 hours of volunteering with Red Cross and Autism Speaks in the month I was a member (nationally inducted, if that means anything..)
-Deans List (likely won't list this on AMCAS)
-Student Marshal at commencement
Research:
Tiny amount of hypothesis-based research - one semester, maybe 40 hours

Others/hobbies:
-PADI open water diver
-Pep Band (1 year, about 40 hours)

I do believe that's everything. It really appears that if I apply this year, I'll likely be applying late (taking MCAT mid-July to early August, probably, that's up in the air though, could be sooner depending on how I do with my review in the next month) . So I'd be complete in August-September, and I realize this is really late and that's where I'm worried.

I graduated in August of 2013, so I'm already looking at multiple gap years…and i might have to take another?
That's where my question really lies, should I bother with this cycle if I take my MCAT that late? Should I take yet another gap year?
If I do, where in my application needs the most improvement so I can work on that in the interim?

I'm really at a loss here. I was hoping to apply this year but time isn't on my side. I need some advice.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Dr. Yes]

I'm resisting the urge to just be really mean to you. I understand that this process is frustrating, but it is important to keep your head in the game.

Looking at your post shows that you have obviously worked very hard to get this far- don't despair and give in to burn out now.


When did you take your MCAT? Have you already completed & submitted your AMCAS? The verification process takes a while, but there is no reason why you shouldn't be able to complete it this year.


I assume you completed practice tests, so you should have a rough idea of where your score will fall. From there you can make a school list, and check the old threads for the secondary prompts. These are all active steps you can take to not only improve 'morale', but also your chances of an acceptance.

Go outside. Exercise. Do something you like. Make a plan and then stop psyching yourself out. I'm sure you don't really want to do another gap year.

Lastly, I doubt that you're all that disadvantaged if you're SCUBA certified... Good luck.

 

[ciestar]

I'm not really sure what that comment was meant to say. What does scuba have to do with disadvantage? I'm 23 now, not 5. (Also got my certification at 23, I worked my butt off, and I saved up for it.) Circumstances changed and I moved far away from my parents. (Basically I got into college and ran). Please don't judge what you know nothing about.

And no, I haven't taken the MCAT. I'm about 1/4 of the way done with the content review. So I have a while to go. I've been trying to balance working full time while studying. It wasn't working. Which is why I'm falling so far behind. Which is why the comment about not even taking the mcat until July or August was mentioned.

 

[ciestar]

I was also under the impression that disadvantage refers to what occurred before the age of 18. This is clearly not the case. I think my mom being on welfare because my father was in prison and she didn't make enough to support two kids classifies me as economically disadvantaged as a child.

 

[hoihaie]

I would really suggest you wait another year. Save yourself the application fees and such.

 

[masaraksh]

yeah, wait until applying next year. take your time with MCAT.

 

[DoctorWhoo]

I would really suggest you wait another year. Save yourself the application fees and such.

Seconded.

I have a friend that didn't get in this cycle due to a late application... in my eyes he deserves the spot more than I do. Getting into medical school is tough... don't beat yourself up because you're facing a rough patch. Look at the extra gap year as a positive, think of all the things you can do with that extra time (fun and filling holes in your app). You've accomplished a lot and you should be proud.

Best of luck,
Dr. Who?

 

[BeancheBlanco]

Definitely take a gap year. Whenever you are delaying your application in order to wait for an MCAT score, that should be a sign to wait a year. Delayed applications are a stupid and petty way to lower your applicant value. Also, you are banking on your MCAT score being what you want it to be, which is definitely not a guarantee. Finally, if your lateness ends up being the difference or you don't do great on the MCAT, you will have to reapply. This means more wasted money and a disadvantage in your next cycle (you'll have to probably take even more time off to show a significant difference).

Gap years are not as bad as they sound when you are in school. Just make sure you put it to good use.

 

[OneTwoThreeFour]

The rundown:
3.72 cGPA, 3.81 sGPA (approximate)
Pending MCAT
PA resident .
White Female

FWIT, I also plan on putting disadvantaged on the application. If you knew anything about my childhood, you'd agree..
Clinical:
~225 hours direct patient care for nursing clinicals (nursing homes and oncology unit)
~1000+ hours as a pharmacy technician, PTCB certified

Shadowing:.
~54 hours shadowing a Pediatrician, Primary Care doctor, Orthopedic surgeon, Ophthalmologist/retinal surgeon (DO)

Non-clinical Volunteering:
~60+ hours volunteering with a no-kill dog rescue (on AMCAS I put over about 200 hours, since that's what it could be by the time I would matriculate in 2015)

Tutoring/Leadership:.
-Two years as a TA for economics (around 400 hours)- includes tutoring, exam proctoring, grading, etc .
I was basically in charge of running the class Facebook page and organizing reviews for exams, and helping with homework

Honors:
-Alpha Epsilon Delta - participated in about 14 hours of volunteering with Red Cross and Autism Speaks in the month I was a member (nationally inducted, if that means anything..)
-Deans List (likely won't list this on AMCAS)
-Student Marshal at commencement .
Research:
Tiny amount of hypothesis-based research - one semester, maybe 40 hours

Others/hobbies:
-PADI open water diver
-Pep Band (1 year, about 40 hours)
.
I do believe that's everything. It really appears that if I apply this year, I'll likely be applying late (taking MCAT mid-July to early August, probably, that's up in the air though, could be sooner depending on how I do with my review in the next month) . So I'd be complete in August-September, and I realize this is really late and that's where I'm worried. .

I graduated in August of 2013, so I'm already looking at multiple gap years…and i might have to take another?
That's where my question really lies, should I bother with this cycle if I take my MCAT that late? Should I take yet another gap year?
If I do, where in my application needs the most improvement so I can work on that in the interim?

I'm really at a loss here. I was hoping to apply this year but time isn't on my side. I need some advice. .

I don't think there's any real argument for NOT taking another gap year.
IMO, study your butt off for the MCAT and only take it when you're ready. I also think you know where you can improve your application ("tiny amount of research," non-clinical volunteering involving humans, etc).

Apply when your application is strong, and the deck is stacked in your favor. Otherwise you're throwing away thousands of dollars.

-sincerely, multiple gap-year taker

 

[KindofBlue]

I'm resisting the urge to just be really mean to you. I understand that this process is frustrating, but it is important to keep your head in the game.

Looking at your post shows that you have obviously worked very hard to get this far- don't despair and give in to burn out now.


When did you take your MCAT? Have you already completed & submitted your AMCAS? The verification process takes a while, but there is no reason why you shouldn't be able to complete it this year.


I assume you completed practice tests, so you should have a rough idea of where your score will fall. From there you can make a school list, and check the old threads for the secondary prompts. These are all active steps you can take to not only improve 'morale', but also your chances of an acceptance.

Go outside. Exercise. Do something you like. Make a plan and then stop psyching yourself out. I'm sure you don't really want to do another gap year.

Lastly, I doubt that you're all that disadvantaged if you're SCUBA certified... Good luck.

Don't know WTH this guy is talking about either.. The internet, eh?

Anyway, as another multiple gap-year taker, I too say you should not submit this year. Just a waste of an otherwise strong app and cash. I made the same mistake of applying late, got no where, and got in just fine the following cycle.
It seems you could benefit from some research experience, although everything else is really strong.
If you can get more clinical experience (paying job would be optimal of course, since you've graduated) or research great, if not, make sure you do something that you feel passionate about or interested in so that you could explain why you chose to do so. Also continuity is important for activities (hobbies, volunteering, etc), so try to put in an hour at least a week over a longer period of time to show commitment. i.e., 1 hr/wk for 40 weeks instead of 20 hr/wk for 2 weeks.

[edit]
As long as you get a decent MCAT score, I also think you have a really good shot. The path to medicine is a really long a$$ one, so don't be discouraged about taking a year or two more. A lot of people are way older than you are (=me) to begin with and take many more cycles to get in. We'll all be in our 30s or more by the time we're done with residency anyway lol.
Good luck!

 

[Dr. Yes]

I'm just sick and miserable right now lol. Sorry for misreading post and being an ass.

 

[pasdebourree]

Taking multiple gap years is one of the best decisions I ever made for myself. At first I was really unhappy with the fact that I would have to have 3 years between graduation and (hopefully) matriculation, but taking the time to get clinical experience, explore things that I am interested in, and cultivate my hobbies (as well as getting some good brain-recharging) has been wonderful. But I understand how it feels to be discouraged when you want something so badly and you have to delay your gratification. Just know that looking back, I don't regret it at all. It sounds like you have a really strong application and taking one more year can only make it stronger. And applying early is probably one of the best favors you can do for yourself, so don't let all of your hard work go to waste. Just hang in there and it will be so gratifying when you have a successful cycle the first time you try!

Best of luck!

PDB

 

[mmmcdowe]

moving to wamc

 

[ciestar]

Okay, thanks for all of that everyone!
So the general consensus is to take a gap year, what else should I do for this 3rd gap year?

As far as the dog rescue goes, I do work with the dogs and people. We do meet and greets every weekend to try and get these dogs homes, so I interact with people a lot.

I don't even know where to start to research...
Philadelphia isn't terribly far away from where I am but this is an incredibly saturated area and I have hardly any experience to speak of. I've applied to a few places but no luck.

 

[ciestar]

anyone have any ideas on how to beef up the research thing? Should I add more clinical volunteering?

I really have no idea where to go from here, other than prepping for the MCAT.

 

[soonernation247]

You will be fine, keep your head up!

 

[ciestar]

You will be fine, keep your head up!

Thanks
I'm really trying to, unfortunately with the stress of the mcat and that my life isn't progressing like i had hope, it's just difficult sometimes. Another gap year is a bitter pill to swallow...

 

[KindofBlue]

Since you already have some research experience, I would say (based on my general impression from SDN adcoms and users) that unless you can get really significant research experience (publications, presentations, government funded research etc) you don't really have to worry so much about research at this point. This is of course assuming that you get a decent MCAT (30+, except for CA). But yeah, if you want you could probably contact your professors from your college for a referral/recommendation to a lab, or apply to job openings in commercial research settings (bioengineering, genetics etc). If you can get it great, but if not, just continue to improve other aspects of your app.

The best thing you could do IMO is to do something that actually matters to you, or something that shows you weren't just spending time idly. It's hard to say what constitutes "idly," since every school and adcom is different, so it's up to you to decide what is time well spent or wasted, so that when you're asked the question why you did X or Y activity, you have a good reason. Like running a marthon, mastering an instrument, shadowing a certain specialty, volunteering at a hospice, volunteering at a tutoring center for underserved communities, etc etc whatever that shows you have interests, compassion and passion for life and medicine you know.

 

[ciestar]

Since you already have some research experience, I would say (based on my general impression from SDN adcoms and users) that unless you can get really significant research experience (publications, presentations, government funded research etc) you don't really have to worry so much about research at this point. This is of course assuming that you get a decent MCAT (30+, except for CA). But yeah, if you want you could probably contact your professors from your college for a referral/recommendation to a lab, or apply to job openings in commercial research settings (bioengineering, genetics etc). If you can get it great, but if not, just continue to improve other aspects of your app.

The best thing you could do IMO is to do something that actually matters to you, or something that shows you weren't just spending time idly. It's hard to say what constitutes "idly," since every school and adcom is different, so it's up to you to decide what is time well spent or wasted, so that when you're asked the question why you did X or Y activity, you have a good reason. Like running a marthon, mastering an instrument, shadowing a certain specialty, volunteering at a hospice, volunteering at a tutoring center for underserved communities, etc etc whatever that shows you have interests, compassion and passion for life and medicine you know.

I appreciate the sentiment! I basically gave up the idea of research a while ago, it just didn't seem all that realistic. I haven't once sat idly though. I was working 35 hours a week before I started studying for the mcat, bills are my good reason lol. But I still do my volunteering and whatever else that interests me. I'll figure more out after the mcat (which I'm officially registered for, 8/7).

I was thinking of enrolling in certification program for medical office assistant. I wouldn't be finished until May of 2015. I'm not sure if it's a good or bad idea, but financially I'll be much better off than I am now. I doubt it really helps my app though..

 

[ciestar]

@gyngyn @Goro @Catalystik
Sorry to drag you into this!
Would it be worth it to apply to one school to get my app verified? Or is it all a crap shoot at this point since my mcat wouldn't be in until early September? (Haven't done my committee interview yet either)

 

[gyngyn]

@gyngyn @Goro @Catalystik
Sorry to drag you into this!
Would it be worth it to apply to one school to get my app verified? Or is it all a crap shoot at this point since my mcat wouldn't be in until early September? (Haven't done my committee interview yet either)

Other than being a kind, well informed human (with a good gpa!), there is nothing more important to your application than your best possible MCAT on the first try. This is followed closely by an early application to a strategic list with well worded secondaries..

 

[ciestar]

Other than being a kind, well informed human (with a good gpa!), there is nothing more important to your application than your best possible MCAT on the first try. This is followed closely by an early application to a strategic list with well worded secondaries..

Okay, I figured that. I just needed to be sure before June 3rd. Humbled I guess but not much more I can do from here except nail my mcat!

 

[gyngyn]

Okay, I figured that. I just needed to be sure before June 3rd. Humbled I guess but not much more I can do from here except nail my mcat!

It will be worth it.

 

[Catalystik]

@gyngyn @Goro @CatalystikWould it be worth it to apply to one school to get my app verified? Or is it all a crap shoot at this point since my mcat wouldn't be in until early September? (Haven't done my committee interview yet either)

If you bet $160 that your MCAT will be strong enough to make you a viable candidate and that you'll have an application ready to be sent out 8+ weeks earlier than it would have been, had you waited to submit in September, if you're set on applying, I think it's worth it. Disclaimer: I didn't read the rest of your thread or most of the OP, so I'm assuming you're ready to go except for the MCAT score.

 

[Goro]

As usual, my learned colleague hits the nail on the head!

Other than being a kind, well informed human (with a good gpa!), there is nothing more important to your application than your best possible MCAT on the first try. This is followed closely by an early application to a strategic list with well worded secondaries..

 

[DokterMom]

If you bet $160 that your MCAT will be strong enough to make you a viable candidate and that you'll have an application ready to be sent out 8+ weeks earlier than it would have been, had you waited to submit in September, if you're set on applying, I think it's worth it. Disclaimer: I didn't read the rest of your thread or most of the OP, so I'm assuming you're ready to go except for the MCAT score.

Writing that Personal Statement and compiling all the other information needed for your application takes a long time -- much longer than you probably think. If you happen to have most of that done and are happy with your statement, then sure -- apply to one low-tier school to get verified and cross your fingers for a good MCAT.

If your personal statement is not already 99% done, don't compromise your MCAT score trying to rush an application in this year.

 

[ciestar]

Writing that Personal Statement and compiling all the other information needed for your application takes a long time -- much longer than you probably think. If you happen to have most of that done and are happy with your statement, then sure -- apply to one low-tier school to get verified and cross your fingers for a good MCAT.

If your personal statement is not already 99% done, don't compromise your MCAT score trying to rush an application in this year.

Unfortunately my PS is a complete mess. Advice heeded, thanks everyone.

 

[DrCharlemagne]

You joined on my birthday, ergo, PM me for advice about finding research work in Philadelphia.