Graduating senior! needs advice! Please help

[remonde]

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[aSagacious]

I would STRONGLY advise against taking more coursework with your current GPA, as it can only go downhill from here. First of all, the point of a GPA is to demonstrate to AdComs that you can handle the material and are disciplined (with you have done already). Secondly, there is no reason to spend money just for the sake of 'being productive.' If you want a formal activity for the upcoming year, consider one where you are paid such as: Americorps, Teach For America, nurse assistant in a free clinic, patient care tech in a hospital, etc.

 

[jowen88]

Okay so here's my situation.

I am currently a senior biology student (junior technically, but senior by credits). I did not know I was able to graduate until the end of this summer (I didn't pay attention to my course track). Therefore, I didn't apply to Medical school this semester, so I will have an extra year off until medical school to do whatever I want to do.

So the plan is to pursue a masters degree or enroll in some type of special post bacc program to use the extra year I have off. I want to do something constructive in this entire year, not just relax. I currently go to school in North Carolina and there is only one program in this state that will allow me to pursue upper-level courses (non-thesis masters program at NC State University). I was wondering does anyone know of any other programs that I could enroll in to use this year off productively? I want to go to medical school in the Fall of 2013, so I don't want to pursue a program that is longer than a year.

By the way, a few of my stats are:

Science GPA: 4.0
Overall GPA: 3.9
Research Assistant in a Molecular Neuroscience lab (2 years)
Organic chemistry teaching assistant (2 years)
Lead tutor in a CRLA recognized organization (1 year)
Hospital volunteering (2 years)
Shadowing and clinic experiences with disadvantaged clinics
Will be taking the MCAT in January 2012.

Thanks in advance for anyone's help!

Just an idea, but maybe put off your MCAT til April and just study like crazy for it and get a 37+? I'd call that being productive. Alternatively, you could just address it as a full time job now and not so much part time til april, per se. You want to ensure your mcat 'matches' up with your gpa...ie don't give anyone reason to believe your ugrad was easy, hence your stellar gpa....then travel americorps etc in the february-august time frame. Best of luck!