Gap Year or Rushing to Apply?

[MidwestLovin]

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I have a few questions on applying as well as gap years. I understand that one year won't make a difference in the long run, but how doesn't it? That means retiring a year earlier and enjoying a year longer without the stress of getting in/studying/working. I have a sGPA of 3.0 (terrible, but I've gotten it up a lot in the last term alone). After junior year, I hope to have a 3.4 sGPA. I'm okay with EC's though I'm scared about the MCAT. The average successful premed from my school has a lower than average sGPA but a higher MCAT to make up for it. I have virtually no time until junior year (when I'll be taking almost all science classes) to study. What should I do? Is it possible to study only during the year while taking hard classes and do well?

 

[Sephiroth]

That means retiring a year earlier

doubtful, unless somehow you end up broke to the point where you need to work longer to have enough savings to retire.

and enjoying a year longer without the stress of getting in/studying/working.

Not really, as you can basically postpone worrying about the application itself til the year you apply. Plus if you don't get in the first time because you rushed and weren't ready, it'll be far more stressful the next time. Believe me, 'cause I was there.

I have a sGPA of 3.0 (terrible, but I've gotten it up a lot in the last term alone). After junior year, I hope to have a 3.4 sGPA. I'm okay with EC's though I'm scared about the MCAT. The average successful premed from my school has a lower than average sGPA but a higher MCAT to make up for it. I have virtually no time until junior year (when I'll be taking almost all science classes) to study. What should I do? Is it possible to study only during the year while taking hard classes and do well?

I'd say you should be just focusing on fixing that GPA right now. You'll want all of your senior year grades on the app to bring it up (assuming you don't mess up senior year, in which case I'd say just work on DO grade replacement). Keep your grades up and try to maintain some minimal level of EC work so you don't have dead time there, but don't let it hurt your grades. Then worry about the application when you feel yours will be a good one. If you have an in-state school without particularly high acceptance stats and strong IS preference, then that's worth a swing. If not, depends on where your final grades end up and how strong the rest of your application is.

 

[BeancheBlanco]

I have a few questions on applying as well as gap years. I understand that one year won't make a difference in the long run, but how doesn't it? That means retiring a year earlier and enjoying a year longer without the stress of getting in/studying/working.

Let's assume this is true. Is that really why you are against taking gap year? You're thinking about when you are 65 years old and how you will have to work another year. Sounds like bs to me. As it is now, your application is unimpressive. You are younger than most matriculants (and hence immaturity questions), have a poor sGPA, probably an unimpressive cGPA, OK ECs (which I am doubtful about since you have no gap years to do someone remarkable), and no MCAT score yet. Everything about that screams gap year. I know the idea of the gap year seems scary and like a waste because you are a junior in college and all you have ever known is school. You'll realize this is foolish once you actually start the gap year. And if you do apply this year and don't get in, you'll probably have to take 2 years off because you'll need significant changes to be reconsidered.

 

[MidwestLovin]

Let's assume this is true. Is that really why you are against taking gap year? You're thinking about when you are 65 years old and how you will have to work another year. Sounds like bs to me. As it is now, your application is unimpressive. You are younger than most matriculants (and hence immaturity questions), have a poor sGPA, probably an unimpressive cGPA, OK ECs (which I am doubtful about since you have no gap years to do someone remarkable), and no MCAT score yet. Everything about that screams gap year. I know the idea of the gap year seems scary and like a waste because you are a junior in college and all you have ever known is school. You'll realize this is foolish once you actually start the gap year. And if you do apply this year and don't get in, you'll probably have to take 2 years off because you'll need significant changes to be reconsidered.

Two years? Considering the only reason I want to take one is due to senior grades showing, what on earth would a second year do for me (unless I planned on taking more classes or tanking the MCAT, I don't).

 

[hoihaie]

to do other stuff, like research,

 

[MidwestLovin]

to do other stuff, like research,

I see, but I hate research and will have 3 years of Biology research when I apply (with a gap year) and I'll have over 400 clinical hours if I take a gap year. I really just don't like the idea of "wasting" a year. If I got in during the fall/winter of my gap year, could I quit my job and travel?

 

[BeancheBlanco]

I see, but I hate research and will have 3 years of Biology research when I apply (with a gap year) and I'll have over 400 clinical hours if I take a gap year. I really just don't like the idea of "wasting" a year. If I got in during the fall/winter of my gap year, could I quit my job and travel?

we have threads like this all the time. If you can't figure out why taking 2 years off is valuable for a medical school application, that is your problem. And your assessment that gap years are "wasted" is incorrect and disrespectful to those of us who have taken them.

If I got in during the fall/winter of my gap year, could I quit my job and travel?

lol, sure you can but remember that would probably make you an insincere, privileged pre-med.

 

[MidwestLovin]

we have threads like this all the time. If you can't figure out why taking 2 years off is valuable for a medical school application, that is your problem. And your assessment that gap years are "wasted" is incorrect and disrespectful to those of us who have taken them.



lol, sure you can but remember that would probably make you an insincere, privileged pre-med.

Not a waste to most other people. But I think my situation would be different?

Hah, I have never been outside of my state let alone my country (besides the state I go to school in), so having one vacation in my life before medical school would be nice. My parents have never taken time off unless it was paid and was about to expire. Part of the reason I don't want to take a gap year. All I know is work and-or school and not pursuing one or the other is new to me.

 

[mvenus929]

Part of the reason I don't want to take a gap year. All I know is work and-or school and not pursuing one or the other is new to me.

Sounds like you need to take some time to explore other things in life. Travel is one of them.

 

[ciestar]

Gap years are only a waste if you make it one.

 

[hoihaie]

Think of gap year as a time where you get to do anything you want, within reasonable limit, before committing your whole life to medicine, which will be without breaks

 

[Gator7]

Neither a 3.0 nor a 3.4 sGPA is going to be very competitive for a MD medical school. Also, as a pre-med you do not have clinical hours and it would be best to reword this as "patient contact" once you reach the application stage.

As previously stated gap-years are only a waste of time if you make it that way. Personally I graduated college in the fall and took a year-and-a-half off, which was the best decision I ever made. I rocked the MCAT by being able to solely focus my attention to it, I gained a year's worth of valuable research experience and took time to enjoy life before beginning medical school. Also, if needed there are plenty of post bac and medical masters programs that could be of great benefit to you.

 

[MidwestLovin]

Neither a 3.0 nor a 3.4 sGPA is going to be very competitive for a MD medical school. Also, as a pre-med you do not have clinical hours and it would be best to reword this as "patient contact" once you reach the application stage.

As previously stated gap-years are only a waste of time if you make it that way. Personally I graduated college in the fall and took a year-and-a-half off, which was the best decision I ever made. I rocked the MCAT by being able to solely focus my attention to it, I gained a year's worth of valuable research experience and took time to enjoy life before beginning medical school. Also, if needed there are plenty of post bac and medical masters programs that could be of great benefit to you.

Thanks, I might need to look into SMP's if I don't bring up my sGPA to a 3.4. From my school (have seen it be mentioned as a deflating school on here all the time) it is pretty competitive with a decent MCAT score.

A year of studying for a test and working doesn't seem like you enjoyed life too much which is why I'm wondering, why not buckle down now, do my best, and apply instead of working hard for an additional year+ until I get in. I don't know, I'm conflicted and don't know if I should start MCAT prepping this summer.

 

[hoihaie]

Thanks, I might need to look into SMP's if I don't bring up my sGPA to a 3.4. From my school (have seen it be mentioned as a deflating school on here all the time) it is pretty competitive with a decent MCAT score.

A year of studying for a test and working doesn't seem like you enjoyed life too much which is why I'm wondering, why not buckle down now, do my best, and apply instead of working hard for an additional year+ until I get in. I don't know, I'm conflicted and don't know if I should start MCAT prepping this summer.

You know yourself the best. WOuld you be able to do your best, buckle down study MCAT, raise GPA, and do other stuff all at the same time?

 

[MidwestLovin]

You know yourself the best. WOuld you be able to do your best, buckle down study MCAT, raise GPA, and do other stuff all at the same time?

Very true, I have only been doing well this term.... Plus, my classes will still be pretty big for most of next year before getting into major classes so there comes the issue of LOR's. I think I'm trying to fool myself into rushing.

 

[Gator7]

I can only attest to my personal MCAT prep regimen and research project, but I had a ton of time to spend with my fiance, friends, family and on vacations.

If you are intent on no gap-year then by all means go for it. Plenty of people balance a full course load while preparing for the MCAT and perform highly. However, keep in mind that if your 3.0 sGPA is due to courses that appear on the MCAT, you may benefit more from having time dedicated solely to the MCAT. Unless applying DO, you will need a high MCAT to balance your GPA.

 

[masaraksh]

Take a gap year or two. Work hard, strengthen your app, do some fun things.

'rushing to apply' is quite possibly the worst thing you could do (especially given a below avg GPA).

 

[MidwestLovin]

Thanks guys, so no one regrets a gap year? My parents and siblings are being pretty big jerks about it. I told my brother I was studying the summer after junior year for the MCAT and he goes, "what, I thought that was what a gap year is for" and I go, "yes, so I would have next summer summer open because no gap year means applying junior year" and then he goes, "yeah, whatever, how much does it cost to take the test anyways? might as well try".

 

[mvenus929]

No one I have ever talked to regrets taking a gap year.

 

[QofQuimica]

I took an entire gap decade (went to grad school and worked prior to med school, including working abroad). Don't regret it at all.

My advice, as someone old enough to be your mother, is that you should relax and live your life a little. You have the next several decades to be a physician, but you only have the next few years left to be an adolescent/young adult. Don't waste this time in your life wishing you were somewhere else. Your grades aren't competitive enough for med school right now anyway. So, plan on taking the year off. Get a job doing anything you want, study for the MCAT and kill it, and yes, go on a trip somewhere cool. Med school will still be waiting for you afterward, and you'll be more intellectually and emotionally prepared for it.

 

[UlahSnackbar]

A year is not much in the grand scheme of things

 

[MidwestLovin]

I took an entire gap decade (went to grad school and worked prior to med school, including working abroad). Don't regret it at all.

My advice, as someone old enough to be your mother, is that you should relax and live your life a little. You have the next several decades to be a physician, but you only have the next few years left to be an adolescent/young adult. Don't waste this time in your life wishing you were somewhere else. Your grades aren't competitive enough for med school right now anyway. So, plan on taking the year off. Get a job doing anything you want, study for the MCAT and kill it, and yes, go on a trip somewhere cool. Med school will still be waiting for you afterward, and you'll be more intellectually and emotionally prepared for it.

I definitely will, a lot of people (family) are just pressuring me not to "waste time", yet they have absolutely no idea what it takes to get into medical school.

 

[QofQuimica]

I definitely will, a lot of people (family) are just pressuring me not to "waste time", yet they have absolutely no idea what it takes to get into medical school.

Are they physicians? Did they go to med school as nontrads? Have they ever sat on a med school adcom? I'm guessing the answer to all three of those questions is no. Well, my answer to all three of those questions is yes. And I'm telling you that you are not wasting time. In fact, with your GPA, you really need that gap year more than many of your peers do so that you can strengthen your app as much as possible before you apply.

You are, however, wasting time on SDN at the current moment, as am I. Both of us should go find something more useful to do with our time. 😉

 

[MidwestLovin]

Are they physicians? Did they go to med school as nontrads? Have they ever sat on a med school adcom? I'm guessing the answer to all three of those questions is no. Well, my answer to all three of those questions is yes. And I'm telling you that you are not wasting time. In fact, with your GPA, you really need that gap year more than many of your peers do so that you can strengthen your app as much as possible before you apply.

You are, however, wasting time on SDN at the current moment, as am I. Both of us should go find something more useful to do with our time. 😉

Haha thank you so much!
I will definitely start preparing for my summer courses instead of surfin' SDN. 😀

 

[persumas]

I wouldn't recommend rushing to apply. From experience, it is unnecessarily stressful and your application will likely not be as strong as you'd like it to be. I was in the same boat as you.. I rushed to take my MCAT (I ended up doing well, so that worked out 🙂), but between studying, finishing up coursework, and working on all the secondary essays.. looking back on my applications last year... I can definitely see how much stronger it would have been if I had just taken the time to solidify my thoughts and essays.

I agree with most of the others posting here, I think gap years aren't a waste of time as long as you go in with a plan. Both my family (and me for that matter) were pretty against gap years, so I definitely can relate to where you're coming from. When you have a chance, I would just suggest writing all the things you have to do before starting your application process (taking MCATS, collecting LORs from specific professors, etc), and kind of scheduling out how long that would reasonably take for you to complete. If that ends up entailing a gap year, show it to your family and discuss the schedule with them. If they see that a gap year isn't completely unreasonable, I think that may help them get on board?

Anywho, sorry for the wall of text . Wishing you all the best!

 

[ciestar]

OP, I get how you feel. My parents are very misinformed and unsupportive of my medical school decision. My dad thinks I'm wasting my time and should just go PA (he also was pissed i quit nursing school). My mom seems to think I can just walk into a med school and get in. They both think I'm a disappointment since I'll be out of school 3 years by the time (if) i matriculate.

Don't listen to them or let it get you down. Do what's best for you/future. Rushing something like this isn't the answer.