Gap Year Advice (Currently a Senior)

[wrkndply]

Hi,
I have been reading SND posts for quite some time now, and am finally at the point of starting the application process myself Here's the story:
freshman year 2.0 (engineering, was not focused on my school work, and didn't know exactly what i wanted to do, so no excuses really)
sophomore year 4.0 (switched majors to biology got interested in medicine)
junior year 4.0
senior fall 4.0 & spring TBD

By the end of this year i should have both a BCPM & cumulative gpa with in the 3.4 and 3.5 range (estimates).

I will be taking the MCAT May 22nd. Practice test scores in the (+/-1) 30 range (if that means anything) as of now.

Since my sophomore year i have my name on a publication, extensive research experience, 170 hours of shadowing, some clinical experience and good leadership EC's, volunteer, travel etc.

For the past two years i was convinced that I would need to do an SMP. I have recently decided to apply to the NIH IRTA program...but was hoping to still get some input regarding my situation and what would make me a more competitive applicant. How much will my first year hurt my application? Is an SMP still necessary or helpful at this point?

I intend on starting my med school applications June 2010. How much can i rely on my upward trend in grades? If doing more academic work (SMP or masters program) will help my application most, I'm still willing to do so...

I would appreciate any input, suggestions, or hearing about what has worked for other people with similar stats.
Thanks.

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[LizzyM]

Given the dramatic rise in grades that was sustained, I'd say you'd be good to go with a decent MCAT (nothing less than 10 in each section) and a year of research. However, if you haven't had a good deal of clinical experience you might trade that for a year in the lab, particularly if you will be focusing on the non-research intensive schools.

 

[Marcus Brody]

Pretty important MCAT I'd say, practice hard.

 

[Catalystik]

If your practice scores are in the 30 range now, then by your May test date there's a good chance you'll score appreciably higher. I'm thinking that with a 3.5 cGPA, an MCAT score of 32+ will put you in a good position, along with the steep upward grade trend, research and pubs, and appropraite ECs. You don't mention clinical experience and physician shadowing, which I'd consider essential to your application. What have you done in those areas?

 

[wrkndply]

thanks for the replies so far, i do have clinical experience (currently ongoing), and shadow experience (i have added the info to my above post).

if additional course work would not drastically enhance my application, i would prefer doing the NIH IRTA program...(although i don't know how helpful this will be for medical school)

 

[Catalystik]

Having 170 hours of shadowing is more than enough. Hopefully that covers a few specialties.

A typical applicant has 1.5 years of clinical experience (not including a passive obervership, like shadowing) for a total of 150 hours. I'd consider a year of clinical experience to be the minimum, though some applicants get an acceptance with less if something else in their application screams out about their fitness to be a physician. If you are nowhere near this, then get it going.

 

[wanderer]

A typical applicant has 1.5 years of clinical experience (not including a passive obervership, like shadowing) for a total of 150 hours. I'd consider a year of clinical experience to be the minimum, though some applicants get an acceptance with less if something else in their application screams out about their fitness to be a physician. If you are nowhere near this, then get it going.

Isn't a 2 hour/week experience kind of weak? Most hospitals won't even take you for less than a 3-4 hour a week commitment.

 

[LizzyM]

Isn't a 2 hour/week experience kind of weak? Most hospitals won't even take you for less than a 3-4 hour a week commitment.

If 1.5 yrs is really 45 weeks (3 semesters) then 150 hours is a little over 3 hrs/wk. This is pretty good. You'd be surprised how many times I see 3 hrs. wk from Sept to December.