Gap year suggestions

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jpr0719

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How much of your clinical experience was with physicians? It looks like you have plenty of research experience, but perhaps you could benefit from more physician interaction through something like scribing?
 
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How much of your clinical experience was with physicians? It looks like you have plenty of research experience, but perhaps you could benefit from more physician interaction through something like scribing?
I haven't had much experience with physicians so scribing might be a good idea!
 
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It looks like the only thing you're missing is shadowing! Otherwise If I had your stuff I would be applying this coming cycle

Edit: Unsure if you meant this coming 2022-2023 or 2023-2024 cycle
 
I just wanted to say thank you for your work in a nursing home (always grateful for CNAs, but especially in nursing homes and especially during COVID). No idea how y'all do it.
 
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It looks like the only thing you're missing is shadowing! Otherwise If I had your stuff I would be applying this coming cycle

Edit: Unsure if you meant this coming 2022-2023 or 2023-2024 cycle
ok great! I'm applying in the 2022-2023 cycle
 
I haven't had much experience with physicians so scribing might be a good idea!
Scribing sucks, and you don't need it with your other experiences, so don't do it! Yes, you need at least 50 hours of shadowing, and that will be a lot more pleasant, and every bit as instructive, as being a scribe. Beyond that, both of your opportunities look fantastic, so you should just do the one you think you'd enjoy more.

If it's a toss-up, I think the National Health Corps service will look better on your app than another 2,000 hours of research on top of your 1,000 hours, with 3 pubs. JMHO.
 
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Scribing sucks, and you don't need it with your other experiences, so don't do it! Yes, you need at least 50 hours of shadowing, and that will be a lot more pleasant, and every bit as instructive, as being a scribe. Beyond that, both of your opportunities look fantastic, so you should just do the one you think you'd enjoy more.

If it's a toss-up, I think the National Health Corps service will look better on your app than another 2,000 hours of research on top of your 1,000 hours, with 3 pubs. JMHO.
Thank you for the advice! I'm interested in doing clinical/translational research in med school but the research I've done so far is all basic science. Do you think it would be necessary to have clinical research experience to justify my interest?
 
You can also start writing essays. Competition is up, up, up so it may be beneficial to apply to 45+ schools. This is easier said than done. Just think, if you write one or two secondaries per week, you will be able to send all on July 1st and be very early. Also quality will be good considering broad nature
 
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You can also start writing essays. Competition is up, up, up so it may be beneficial to apply to 45+ schools. This is easier said than done. Just think, if you write one or two secondaries per week, you will be able to send all on July 1st and be very early. Also quality will be good considering broad nature
That is far too many schools for an applicant with this GPA and MCAT combination to apply to. As long as they apply to a reasonable number of schools and a reasonable caliber of schools, they will most likely get in. Applying to 50 schools would just waste money.
 
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That is far too many schools for an applicant with this GPA and MCAT combination to apply to. As long as they apply to a reasonable number of schools and a reasonable caliber of schools, they will most likely get in. Applying to 50 schools would just waste money.
Indeed. Once you get past some 35 apps, burnout begins and the apps get progressively worse. 40+ app is sheer idiocy.
 
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That is far too many schools for an applicant with this GPA and MCAT combination to apply to. As long as they apply to a reasonable number of schools and a reasonable caliber of schools, they will most likely get in. Applying to 50 schools would just waste money.
Competition is up. Mark my words, every schools median in the coming years will be up 2-3 points.
 
Competition is up. Mark my words, every schools median in the coming years will be up 2-3 points.
Obviously, competition goes up ever year and there was a huge spike in applications recently because of the pandemic. That doesn't mean that this particular applicant should waste $7500 by applying to 50 schools. Even if every school was up 3 MCAT points, they are still well above average and will most likely get accepted. There is no point in wasting the time and money on that many applications. It would just decrease the quality of each application as @Goro said.
 
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Thank you for the advice! I'm interested in doing clinical/translational research in med school but the research I've done so far is all basic science. Do you think it would be necessary to have clinical research experience to justify my interest?
No, with your background and stats, you can honestly do whatever you want. Basic science research is the foundation for all other research, so you are good there.

That said, if clinical/translational is what you want to do, and you have the opportunity, you should go for it. While National Health Corps might look great as an experience, doing something you are passionate about will naturally lead to great essays and enthusiastic interview responses that will be much more valuable to you checking an impressive experience box. Plus, yes, it will demonstrate a prior interest in clinical/translational research, which certainly will not hurt you!
 
Hi there! I'm a senior with a 4.0/519 planning on taking a gap year and applying next spring, but I haven't decided if I should do something in research or something clinically-oriented. Here's the experiences I'll have by the time I apply:
  • 1000 hours neuroscience research w/ 3 publications (one 1st author, two 3rd author)
  • 700 hours as a CNA in a nursing facility (started this June)
  • 50 hours clinical volunteering at children's hospital
  • 200 hours nonclinical volunteering (soup kitchen + homeless shelter + food bank)
  • 150 hours mentoring + tutoring incoming freshman
  • working on getting shadowing of some sort
My gap year ideas so far:
1. 8-week summer research program at a T5 med school (I deferred acceptance to do in-person) + 10 month National Health Corps service
2. translational or clinical research for 1 year at NIH or similar program at another institution
National Health Corps alum here- I would really suggest looking into that program. I know many of the members from my service year talked extensively about their service experiences in their interviews, and this really helped them stand out. I did the program down in Florida, and I know they have quite a few really interesting spots. NHC
 
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