Gap Year idea

[kiddynamite914]

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Hello! So I plan on applying to medical school not this cycle, but the one after. So technically I will be taking 2 gap years. I was just wondering for the people that did take gap years, what kinds of things did you guys do to improve your applications? I currently have a 3.87 and will be graduating this May. I scored a 515 on the MCAT. My reasons for taking gap years: possibly help my father out financially (he missed 6 months of work due to an accident), see what else is out there, and improve my application even more if possible. I'm only 22 years old so I feel like its ok to experience life outside of academia although my mom disagrees. In addition, it seems that many people are doing this with the average age of a first year medical student being 24.

As of right now, I have a job offer as a Study technician for a pharmaceutical company. The salary is decent for someone with just a Neurobiology degree (about 40 k). But I will be able to work in a laboratory setting and will work with the pathology department.

I'm still waiting for other possible job offers. I've applied to be a Consultant (mostly as a Healthcare Consultant) for other companies such as Bain & Company, Beghou, etc. This is really what I want to do for those gap years but unfortunately no offer yet, and it's almost April.

Moreover, I plan on getting a personal trainer certificate and EMT license during those gap years as well.

I would just greatly appreciate it if you guys can give me some ideas on how to improve my app more or even share with me what you guys did during those gap years!

 

[curbsideconsult]

How many volunteering hours do you have and in what type of activities?

 

[lovehate]

Just keep in mind that each gap year is worth 250-300k of attending income.

 

[DubbiDoctor]

Just keep in mind that each gap year is worth 250-300k of attending income.

That income isn't free. You have to actually work full-time as a physician. And there are circumstances where a doctor may regret not taking time off after undergrad to explore his interests, bolster his application, and rest, contributing to burnout.

 

[lovehate]

That income isn't free. You have to actually work full-time as a physician. And there are circumstances where a doctor may regret not taking time off after undergrad to explore his interests, bolster his application, and rest, contributing to burnout.

Thank you for clarifying, I have always thought you rent your MD degree for the 250k.

 

[treatem-and-streetem]

Hello! So I plan on applying to medical school not this cycle, but the one after. So technically I will be taking 2 gap years. I was just wondering for the people that did take gap years, what kinds of things did you guys do to improve your applications? I currently have a 3.87 and will be graduating this May. I scored a 515 on the MCAT. My reasons for taking gap years: possibly help my father out financially (he missed 6 months of work due to an accident), see what else is out there, and improve my application even more if possible. I'm only 22 years old so I feel like its ok to experience life outside of academia although my mom disagrees. In addition, it seems that many people are doing this with the average age of a first year medical student being 24.

As of right now, I have a job offer as a Study technician for a pharmaceutical company. The salary is decent for someone with just a Neurobiology degree (about 40 k). But I will be able to work in a laboratory setting and will work with the pathology department.

I'm still waiting for other possible job offers. I've applied to be a Consultant (mostly as a Healthcare Consultant) for other companies such as Bain & Company, Beghou, etc. This is really what I want to do for those gap years but unfortunately no offer yet, and it's almost April.

Moreover, I plan on getting a personal trainer certificate and EMT license during those gap years as well.

I would just greatly appreciate it if you guys can give me some ideas on how to improve my app more or even share with me what you guys did during those gap years!

Honestly doing all those in one year then med school is probably not a great path. EMTs don't make near 40k a year and is personal training something you would use during/after med school? You may want to just get a job as you mentioned then shadow/volunteer for clinical experience.

 

[892002]

Join AmeriCorps! I’m doing that for my gap year, and LOVE the experience!!

 

[SuaveCardigans]

Join AmeriCorps! I’m doing that for my gap year, and LOVE the experience!!

I was about to recommend this, but OP needs to assist his/her father financially. Thats not possible on an AmeriCorps stipend; I had a hard enough time supporting just myself lol

 

[SangriaSalsa]

I will also have taken 2 gap years, and I highly recommend a maximum of 1 gap year. You have a great GPA and MCAT, as long as your EC's are solid and can interview, you should get in. One year is plenty to do everything you stated, just apply this cycle, you still have 2-3 months to gather everything together

 

[impendingdoom]

I have similar stats and took 2 gap years working as a research assistant and coach (one year was planned, one was not lol) and I dont regret it at all. I managed to save up about 40k by living at home, which means I can cover 2-3 years of living expenses w/o loans if I budget right. I was on the younger side as I graduated undergrad at 20, so I also feel like it helped me grow as a person. I also traveled a ton, including a month backpacking in Europe, which the more I think about the journey though med school, residency, and paying off loans, the more I'm glad I took this opportunity to travel.

10/10 would recommend at least 1 gap year. One thing, if you're planning on being a research tech or consultant you probably dont need to waste money on getting an EMT license. From what I've seen on this site, the general advice about emt is that adcoms dont care about it.

 

[MedicalDoge]

If you need volunteering hours I would say Americorps as well! It is awesome. However, if you really want the money, your job offer seems cool! I would agree with what someone stated above about taking just one gap year if everything is in order. I think two for no particular reason seems excessive, but that's just me

 

[Mistasunshine]

I have similar stats and took 2 gap years working as a research assistant and coach (one year was planned, one was not lol) and I dont regret it at all. I managed to save up about 40k by living at home, which means I can cover 2-3 years of living expenses w/o loans if I budget right. I was on the younger side as I graduated undergrad at 20, so I also feel like it helped me grow as a person. I also traveled a ton, including a month backpacking in Europe, which the more I think about the journey though med school, residency, and paying off loans, the more I'm glad I took this opportunity to travel.

10/10 would recommend at least 1 gap year. One thing, if you're planning on being a research tech or consultant you probably dont need to waste money on getting an EMT license. From what I've seen on this site, the general advice about emt is that adcoms dont care about it.

They care about the experience you get serving as an EMT, certification alone would be not very helpful

 

[impendingdoom]

They care about the experience you get serving as an EMT, certification alone would be not very helpful

^^ thats what I meant, should've phrased it better

 

[kiddynamite914]

Honestly doing all those in one year then med school is probably not a great path. EMTs don't make near 40k a year and is personal training something you would use during/after med school? You may want to just get a job as you mentioned then shadow/volunteer for clinical experience.

The personal training certificate plan is because I serve as a volunteer assistant wrestling coach for a HS back home and a wrestling club. The club wrestling kids are mostly 7th and 8th graders ready to go into high school. They're also very dedicated to moving on to the next level (HS) and competing for state championships. I noticed that most of our wrestlers are great with techniques because that's what we mostly focus on. However, some of them are weaker compared to the other kids they wrestle once they reach the state championship tournaments. They're ultimately freshman in HS possibly wrestling seniors at the state tournaments. But from what I saw this year, they're way ahead and dominate in the regular season finishing with records such as 31-0. However, once they're in the state tournament and wrestling those upper level kids who are D1 prospects, they end up not having the strength and gas tanks to compete with those kids. But most of these kids that wrestle for our club hope of being 4X state champs. With my personal trainer certificate and knowledge I gain, I feel like I'll be able to create a strength training regiment that would allow our wrestlers to compete for a state title as soon as they reach high school. It'll also gives the parents (who are paying a lot for their kids to train at our club) the confidence.