Gap year (s?) What does Med School want to see you do during them?

[tillandsia]

Hi! (new to sdn) I'm graduating as a neuro major a year early (spring 2019), because I wasnt a fan of my school's pre-med committee and found out too late. I still have to take the MCAT, orgo 2, and biochem so essentially ill have 2 gap years and take the MCAT spring 2020.

What kinds of stuff should i fill my time with for the next two years? What does med school want to see me do?

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[KiddCo]

Community volunteering (food pantry, soup kitchen, something out of your comfort zone), clinical experience (scribe, volunteer at hospice/Hospital, etc), shadowing doctors of different specialties (but definitely GP), research if possible or definitely if planning to do a PHD program or applying at a research oriented school.

This is the advice I've seen mentioned on the forums in various posts in the past.

 

[tillandsia]

But if I already do a lot of these things, does anybody know if theres a need for me to step it up by any means?

I've shadowed infectious disease, vascular surgery, nephrology, primary care, neurology, endocrinology, cardiology (interventional and outpatient
I volunteer at a hospice, a charity that builds schools in rural parts of asia, a local no-kill animal shelter
I've done research in bioengineering, microbiology, neuroscience, and pharmacoepidemiology

 

[etp123]

Keep doing those things or stick to a few that are close to your heart. You've already ticked the boxes for what ECs they wanna see. Focus on school and your MCAT and fill the rest of your time with whatever you like. Personally I would stick to the things I was doing before to 1. show consistency 2. potentially move up in the ranks and show leadership, or something. Remember quality not quantity.

 

[tillandsia]

Keep doing those things or stick to a few that are close to your heart. You've already ticked the boxes for what ECs they wanna see. Focus on school and your MCAT and fill the rest of your time with whatever you like. Personally I would stick to the things I was doing before to 1. show consistency 2. potentially move up in the ranks and show leadership, or something. Remember quality not quantity.

so just taking biochem and doing a few EC's isnt like a disadvantage right? they dont expect me to do something huge in my time in between college and med school?

 

[Suess]

so just taking biochem and doing a few EC's isnt like a disadvantage right? they dont expect me to do something huge in my time in between college and med school?

As far as I know it's not a disadvantage. Just keep doing what you're doing. I'd add that if you don't have any leadership and/or teaching experience, I would suggest getting some, whether through an established organization or some entrepreneurial endeavor.