Gap year or take the leap next cycle?

[DocMcMommy]

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Hi!

I had decided to apply at the end of my senior year and to take a gap year. For a few reasons, I didn't think my GPA would be high enough, I was worried about my volunteer experience, and I didn't think I could get biochemistry in during my junior year.

However, I recently discovered that I can probably take Biochem sooner than I had anticipated and now I've been debating on if I should go for it and take the MCAT next Juneish and apply (assuming I score well enough).

I just calculated my GPA for DO schools (counting two retakes: one F in English from when I was 18 and dropped out without officially dropping -- 23 now -- and one D from Gen Chem 2 which was a result of poor planning on my end, I got an A the next semester). So, if I calculated correctly, my cGPA is 3.61 and my sGPA is 3.78 and if all goes well I should stay on track for that. I don't want to count my chickens before they hatch, but I have received A's on all of my first exams this semester.

Uhm... as far as EC's go. I started volunteering with Hospice over the summer. I saw two patients a week, but now I just see one on the weekends. And I just started up with the ACS student affiliates on campus (they do a lot of community outreach...), and the women's center on campus. So, maybe a little week, but by next summer it will have added up and I plan on continuing all of this my senior year regardless.

So, all of that preamble to ask if you think it would be worth it to try and apply next cycle? Or should I stick to my first plan and take the gap year?

 

[DoctorSynthesis]

Hi!

I had decided to apply at the end of my senior year and to take a gap year. For a few reasons, I didn't think my GPA would be high enough, I was worried about my volunteer experience, and I didn't think I could get biochemistry in during my junior year.

However, I recently discovered that I can probably take Biochem sooner than I had anticipated and now I've been debating on if I should go for it and take the MCAT next Juneish and apply (assuming I score well enough).

I just calculated my GPA for DO schools (counting two retakes: one F in English from when I was 18 and dropped out without officially dropping -- 23 now -- and one D from Gen Chem 2 which was a result of poor planning on my end, I got an A the next semester). So, if I calculated correctly, my cGPA is 3.61 and my sGPA is 3.78 and if all goes well I should stay on track for that. I don't want to count my chickens before they hatch, but I have received A's on all of my first exams this semester.

Uhm... as far as EC's go. I started volunteering with Hospice over the summer. I saw two patients a week, but now I just see one on the weekends. And I just started up with the ACS student affiliates on campus (they do a lot of community outreach...), and the women's center on campus. So, maybe a little week, but by next summer it will have added up and I plan on continuing all of this my senior year regardless.

So, all of that preamble to ask if you think it would be worth it to try and apply next cycle? Or should I stick to my first plan and take the gap year?

Apply. Avoid a gap year if you can. Waste of time

 

[LuluMed]

Apply. Avoid a gap year if you can. Waste of time

I don't necessarily agree with this. I just did a gap year and took the opportunity to pursue some interests/life goals that I will likely never be able to do once I started medical school (and onto residency and the rest of my life...). It was also great to have the chance to relax, not study, and catch up with friends/family.

I have several friends that went straight into school without a break and they are doing just fine and are very happy with their decisions to start right away.

Your stats are good enough (assuming you do well enough on the MCAT as well) - so it is a highly personal decision. Do you have things you would like to be able to do and may never have the opportunity to do again? then consider a gap year. Is your gap year going to be spent sitting on a couch all the time doing nothing productive? then consider applying so you can start med school right away!

I am very very happy with my decision to take a year off, but that doesn't mean its the right decision for everyone!

 

[DocMcMommy]

Applying this next cycle would be very beneficial to my family. It would correspond with my husband leaving the military and then he would be able to look for a job wherever we'd move for my school. The gap year will mean we are both kind of twiddling our thumbs working at jobs that we know we're going to have to leave soon, if that makes sense