Gap Year or Master's Program

[DDSSNN]

Hey all,

I'm finishing up my junior year at UMiami. I have an overall GPA of 3.31 and a science GPA of 3.36. I have ~85 hours of shadowing, but no research and very little volunteering. I have a little leadership experience as Scribe (executive board member) of my fraternity. I only have about 1 teacher who I think would write me a letter of req at this point since I did not really take much time to get to know my teachers personally. I have taken almost all of my requirements for a BS in Biology with minors in Chem and Art, I only have biochem and microbio and a couple of writing classes left to take senior year. I plan on taking the DAT this July.

Because I never made the effort to get to know my professors, I'm strongly considering delaying my application a year to give me time to make connections with some of my professors to get good letters or req. If I do that, I'll be left with a gap year after graduation that I'd have to fill, and I'd really love some help thinking about what I could do. A one-year master's program? Work as a dental assistant?

Or should I just apply at the end of this year and ask teachers who don't really know me for some generic letters?

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[esqueleto]

Your GPA is fine. I wouldn't recommend wasting money on an expensive masters. Enjoy your gap year, but definitely increase your volunteering/shadowing.

 

[sillyymelly]

I agree with esqueleto. I'd take a gap year, but focus on expanding volunteering and shadowing.

 

[Shifff based]

+1 on gap year. That's what I did and it worked out well for me. I missed going to school but saved a lot by not doing a masters or post bacc.

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[DDSSNN]

Your GPA is fine. I wouldn't recommend wasting money on an expensive masters. Enjoy your gap year, but definitely increase your volunteering/shadowing.

I'm worried most of the things I'd do during my gap year won't even count much on the applications since I won't have done them yet when I apply. Should I try to squeeze in volunteering and shadowing this summer and next year before I apply? Are there any paid things I could do during the gap year?

 

[esqueleto]

I get where you're coming from. At the end of the day, it's all up to you. If you feel like waiting is the smart move, then do that. If you think there's a chance and you want to try this cycle, go for it. Your priority should be shadowing to at least meet the minimum requirements for the schools you'll be applying to. For volunteering, just do as much as you can even if you've met the minimal requirements. Maybe someone else can offer his or her insight on paid experiences. I don't know much about their significance, but in my experience it doesn't really matter what you do for work. Although, say you get a job at a lab where you can work on your hand skills - that would be great.

Edit:
Also, you don't have to limit yourself to volunteering in dental related activities once you've met said requirements. You can perhaps cut your weekly dental-related volunteer hours by half and use the other half at another cause (shelter, church, feeding america, etc.). Dental schools like a well-rounded person.
If you're going to take a gap year and you're still concerned about letters of rec, you can take a couple science courses at the university you graduated from and try with those profs. The negative is paying tuition for the courses and there's no guarantee they'll write one for you. The plus is not paying for a masters.
If you decide to apply this cycle, apply broadly and consider schools that interview late. You can keep them up to date with what you're doing and hopefully they won't reject you before then.