premed123321
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Gap Year Job Options
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Welcome to the forums.
Assumptions: GPA/MCAT are strong. If you haven't taken the MCAT, what's your plan? How about preparing for PREview/Casper/other SJT's?
Are you thinking MD/PhD or PhD? NIH IRTA is great for those options as well. You can also look for research positions at any academic medical center. Granted, this will also presume you have sufficient (or more) clinical experience and sufficient (or more/ongoing) community service opportunities. If you move to Bethesda, you must keep up your non-clinical community service off-campus (prehealth or MCAT tutoring doesn't count). You won't get much leeway from your NIH PI's so you have to balance full-time research work with your community service exposure.
Scribing full-time would work, especially if your clinical experience (direct interaction with patients/doctors) is low. You will have to see how much it adds to your application profile (which we do not have). It will give you insight about healthcare systems and EMR's which you won't get with traditional shadowing unless the doctor wants you to learn it.
Just remember: you can check off all the boxes, but ultimately you need mission fit to seal the deal for an offer.
www.studentdoctor.net
Assumptions: GPA/MCAT are strong. If you haven't taken the MCAT, what's your plan? How about preparing for PREview/Casper/other SJT's?
Are you thinking MD/PhD or PhD? NIH IRTA is great for those options as well. You can also look for research positions at any academic medical center. Granted, this will also presume you have sufficient (or more) clinical experience and sufficient (or more/ongoing) community service opportunities. If you move to Bethesda, you must keep up your non-clinical community service off-campus (prehealth or MCAT tutoring doesn't count). You won't get much leeway from your NIH PI's so you have to balance full-time research work with your community service exposure.
Scribing full-time would work, especially if your clinical experience (direct interaction with patients/doctors) is low. You will have to see how much it adds to your application profile (which we do not have). It will give you insight about healthcare systems and EMR's which you won't get with traditional shadowing unless the doctor wants you to learn it.
Just remember: you can check off all the boxes, but ultimately you need mission fit to seal the deal for an offer.
Mission Fit: Key to Your Success - SDN
The Student Doctor Network provides free tools, resources, and advising services to help students become health professionals.
www.studentdoctor.net
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GPA? Estimated MCAT (based on practice tests?) State of residence? Any specific interests such as urban settings? rural ? career in academic medicine? primary care? a specific specialty? school that requires a thesis?
What you are looking for in a school and what you bring to the table might help us direct you toward the activities over the next 6 -18 months that will get you the biggest payoff in terms of admissions.
What you are looking for in a school and what you bring to the table might help us direct you toward the activities over the next 6 -18 months that will get you the biggest payoff in terms of admissions.
premed123321
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So... what's your plan to take the MCAT?
You definitely need 1) activities working with underserved communities and 2) activities showing service orientation. You have a lot of tutoring or mentoring, but you need actual service towards those in distress. I don't really see any activities that qualify there (food distribution, shelter work, job/tax preparation, transportation services, housing rehabilitation).
You definitely need 1) activities working with underserved communities and 2) activities showing service orientation. You have a lot of tutoring or mentoring, but you need actual service towards those in distress. I don't really see any activities that qualify there (food distribution, shelter work, job/tax preparation, transportation services, housing rehabilitation).
premed123321
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I took the MCAT ten days ago, so if I get about plus/minus 2 my fl average on it, I think I will be 100% done and dusted with it.
I was planning on volunteering frequently at a food kitchen I have volunteered at a few times during college and high school during my gap year. the tutoring was done with poorer kids, identified by schools as needing additional academic assistance.
I know its not easy to give such direct advice, but what would you do if you were in my shoes for the gap year?
And I know I did not ask this originally, but how competitive do you think my app looks for more selective MD schools?
Thanks again for sticking with me and all your help 🙂
I was planning on volunteering frequently at a food kitchen I have volunteered at a few times during college and high school during my gap year. the tutoring was done with poorer kids, identified by schools as needing additional academic assistance.
I know its not easy to give such direct advice, but what would you do if you were in my shoes for the gap year?
And I know I did not ask this originally, but how competitive do you think my app looks for more selective MD schools?
Thanks again for sticking with me and all your help 🙂
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Execute your plan to work with your food pantry more consistently. More selective schools want more than 150 hours for you to be on par with the majority of their applicants.
Connect with students at the schools on your wishlist.
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You are going to be strong for the research-intensive schools (those that require a thesis for graduation, etc). If you aren't shooting for those T20 research schools, you'll need to signal that to the schools you are interested in or you'll risk being passed over for the sake of "yield protection".
You do need more non-clinical community service to those who are unlike you and unable to help themselves (poor, unhoused, unemployed, newly arrived migrant, aged). Food pantry as mentioned by @Mr.Smile12 would be a good fit in that regard.
Take the job that gives you what is most important to you at this time: more time to pursue volunteer activities, more money, shorter commute time. I don't think that you need to worry about being a reapplicant or a never matriculant and your choice of a gap year job shouldn't be based on what you'd want to do for the rest of your life if you never got into medical school (unless you are a terrible person IRL or you apply in a very misinformed way, you are unlikely to be a reapplicant)
You do need more non-clinical community service to those who are unlike you and unable to help themselves (poor, unhoused, unemployed, newly arrived migrant, aged). Food pantry as mentioned by @Mr.Smile12 would be a good fit in that regard.
Take the job that gives you what is most important to you at this time: more time to pursue volunteer activities, more money, shorter commute time. I don't think that you need to worry about being a reapplicant or a never matriculant and your choice of a gap year job shouldn't be based on what you'd want to do for the rest of your life if you never got into medical school (unless you are a terrible person IRL or you apply in a very misinformed way, you are unlikely to be a reapplicant)
