Help With Best Use of Gap Year

[Biological]

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I will be graduating this spring and will not apply to medical schools until the following year. As such, I'm interested in any suggestions for ways to improve the "soft" parts of my application over that year. Application details below:

Stats

• (anticipated) GPA: 3.70 (3.66 science)
• MCAT not yet completed

Clinical Experience/Shadowing

• 1 year ER volunteering, 210 hours
• 4 hours shadowing (I plan to complete at least another 40 hours during my gap year)

Non-Clinical Volunteering

• 40 hours at therapeutic riding center for disabled individuals (2 month stint 3 years ago, picked it back up at a different center and plan to continue the commitment throughout gap years)
• 20 hours at a food bank (1 summer)
• 20 hours at an organization that sent books to prisoners (1 month)

Research

• Intense involvement in an organic synthesis lab (2 years) and involvement in a biology lab (1 year) where I tested the compounds synthesized in the chem lab. Resulted in 3 pubs (1 first author), invited talk, and multiple poster presentations, as well as fellowship awards and honors thesis

Leadership/Teaching/Employment

• 1 year as lab TA
• Leadership: student rep on university task force for 1 quarter, research club secretary (2 quarters)
• Employment: part-time work throughout most of undergrad.

As I see it, my biggest weaknesses are shadowing and non-clinical volunteering, both of which I intend to focus on (while maintaining a job). Any input into gaps that I'm not seeing and should be focusing on as well would be very much appreciated!

 

[deev04]

As I see it, my biggest weaknesses are shadowing and non-clinical volunteering, both of which I intend to focus on (while maintaining a job). Any input into gaps that I'm not seeing and should be focusing on as well would be very much appreciated!

I think you're spot on and should focus on clinical and non-clinical volunteering. Longitudinal experiences are always preferred, so if you start immediately post-graduation and then continue through next year, you'll have one year by the time you submit your app and more for updates.

Try to diversify your shadowing hours if possible (i.e. some in a primary care/longitudinal specialty, some in other specialties/practice settings).

Obviously you need to take the MCAT so this should probably be your main goal and you should devise a study plan that sets you up to do very well on that. Best of luck!

 

[Biological]

I think you're spot on and should focus on clinical and non-clinical volunteering. Longitudinal experiences are always preferred, so if you start immediately post-graduation and then continue through next year, you'll have one year by the time you submit your app and more for updates.

Try to diversify your shadowing hours if possible (i.e. some in a primary care/longitudinal specialty, some in other specialties/practice settings).

Obviously you need to take the MCAT so this should probably be your main goal and you should devise a study plan that sets you up to do very well on that. Best of luck!

Thank you for the input!

I plan to take the MCAT mid/late July - I've just finished content review and will start hitting the practice exams/passages/questions, etc... next week. This summer will be spent studying for the MCAT, working a couple low-hour part time jobs, and picking up some volunteering hours.

 

[jcorpsmanMD]

I would recommend increasing your clinical volunteering / clinical experience exponentially. I wouldn't worry so much about non-clinical. Maybe pick one thing you enjoy and do ~100 hours over the year. Focus heavily on any clinical activity and of course the MCAT!

 

[HarryPotterLostInNarnia]

I would apply this coming cycle if you do well on the MCAT. As for the gap year options, you can be a scribe (clinical experience + pay), research assistant (while volunteering), teaching jobs (tutor), or joining organizations like the peace corps

 

[deev04]

So Peace Corps isn't really a year long endeavor. More like a three year commitment to potentially be in a poop in the bucket type place.

Think the ideas of getting a job with clinical relevance (clinical research, scribe, medical assistant) or in research are good. This would open up your volunteer options to potentially be less clinically focused (i.e. if your job involves substantial clinical exposure, volunteering in say a soup kitchen or other non-clinical setting would be fine). If your job isn't doesn't have a clinical element, I'd recommend focusing on clinical volunteering (includes more than traditional hospital volunteering).

 

[Biological]

I would apply this coming cycle if you do well on the MCAT. As for the gap year options, you can be a scribe (clinical experience + pay), research assistant (while volunteering), teaching jobs (tutor), or joining organizations like the peace corps

I was strongly advised by the Adcoms on this forum to wait a year because of the gaps in shadowing and non-clinical volunteering. I would definitely rather focus on applying once and getting accepted vs. possibly needing to reapply.

 

[Biological]

So Peace Corps isn't really a year long endeavor. More like a three year commitment to potentially be in a poop in the bucket type place.

Think the ideas of getting a job with clinical relevance (clinical research, scribe, medical assistant) or in research are good. This would open up your volunteer options to potentially be less clinically focused (i.e. if your job involves substantial clinical exposure, volunteering in say a soup kitchen or other non-clinical setting would be fine). If your job isn't doesn't have a clinical element, I'd recommend focusing on clinical volunteering (includes more than traditional hospital volunteering).

It looks like I'll have a job lined up when I graduate to perform research with a pharmaceutical company, so hopefully I'm covered for a job during my gap years! It's just a matter of ensuring I'm filling in the appropriate gaps during that time, now!

 

[Dagrimsta1]

It looks like I'll have a job lined up when I graduate to perform research with a pharmaceutical company, so hopefully I'm covered for a job during my gap years! It's just a matter of ensuring I'm filling in the appropriate gaps during that time, now!

Don't make any long term commitments unless the cycle is looking dry IMO

 

[Biological]

Don't make any long term commitments unless the cycle is looking dry IMO

I'm a little confused about what you mean by this - I have not yet applied and do not intend to apply for another year, however I will be graduating this year (giving me 2 gap years). I'll definitely need a job to support myself during those years. Are you suggesting that perhaps a research job is not a good idea with the limitation of 2 years?

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I'm a little confused about what you mean by this - I have not yet applied and do not intend to apply for another year, however I will be graduating this year (giving me 2 gap years). I'll definitely need a job to support myself during those years. Are you suggesting that perhaps a research job is not a good idea with the limitation of 2 years?

I think he thought you're applying now and looking for tips to reapply next cycle.

 

[Biological]

I think he thought you're applying now and looking for tips to reapply next cycle.

Ah, gotcha. Thanks for the clarification.

A lack of morning coffee makes me easily confused!