How many TRUE college Juniors applied and got into medical school?

[LostinLift]

I wonder how many true college juniors applied to medical school this past year (2013 entering class) and how many were accepted. I remember reading somewhere last year that about 1/3rd of medical students went straight from undergrad to medical school (or possibly 1 year gap students too).

It would be interesting to see how the number of junior applicants/matriculants compared to the total number of applicants/matriculants, which for 2013 was 48,014 applicants and 20,055 matriculants. This number, ~42%, is pretty intimidating, but I wonder if the number is even lower for true junior applicants.

Also interesting would be senior applicant information, as well as 2 gap years, 3, etc. You can't judge the data by age, so I don't believe there is a source of information out there that contains this, but I would love to see it.

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[Hemorrage]

The majority of the people i interviewed alongside had taken gap years. For myself, i applied as a junior and was accepted for the upcoming year recently.

 

[kyamh]

I don't know where to find these data, but I have a hard time imagining any applicant whose application is not stronger as a result of taking a gap year or two (provided that their MCAT doesn't expire only to be replaced with a worse score ).

 

[snowflakes]

I don't know where to find these data, but I have a hard time imagining any applicant whose application is not stronger as a result of taking a gap year or two (provided that their MCAT doesn't expire only to be replaced with a worse score ).

It could be if you're not very productive during your gap year, or if your senior year grades drop due to senioritis--both of which are very possible.

The way I see it: Intense 4+ years (apply with 1+ gap year) > intense 3 years (apply without gap year) > > average 4+ years (apply with gap year) > average 3 years (apply without gap year).

Not everyone has the steam to keep up a high level of intensity through their senior year.

 

[Euxox]

I don't know where to find these data, but I have a hard time imagining any applicant whose application is not stronger as a result of taking a gap year or two (provided that their MCAT doesn't expire only to be replaced with a worse score ).

A lot of applicants (maybe even the majority) could probably benefit from a gap year, but I don't think it's true for everyone. I don't think I would have done anything amazing in a gap year. Probably work as a research assistant. Maybe I would have gotten one more paper published. Not a huge game changer, IMO.

 

[justAstudent]

I don't think I would have done anything amazing in a gap year. Probably work as a research assistant. Maybe I would have gotten one more paper published. Not a huge game changer, IMO.

I'm not sure what's impressive these days because of how much SDN has skewed my views on things, but I'm pretty sure being published is quite a game changer compared to many of the other "premed" ECs out there.

 

[Euxox]

I'm not sure what's impressive these days because of how much SDN has skewed my views on things, but I'm pretty sure being published is quite a game changer compared to many of the other "premed" ECs out there.

Being published certainly helps, but it is not a game changer because so much of it depends on luck. Some people do absolutely brilliant work for one or two years and never get published. Others only work at a lab for six months and do average work but happen to join right as a paper is about to be published. I think that 100 or 200 hours of service in a free clinic and a good LOR from your supervisor would be more impressive than a publication (even a first author pub) in a low impact journal, but I'm not on an admissions committee, so take that with a grain of salt. Most of my interviewers seemed to be really interested in my community service and my internships, but not so much with my research experience. Only one interviewer specifically asked me about my publication.

 

[Espadaleader]

You're looking for acceptance data stratified by time of application. (at least one gap year/no gap year). I know some schools release data on the percentage of students that took a gap year or more and at many schools this number is approaching 60%.

 

[Espadaleader]

Being published certainly helps, but it is not a game changer. I think that 100 or 200 hours of service in a free clinic is more impressive than a publication in a low impact journal, but I'm not on an admissions committee, so take that with a grain of salt.

I would argue the contrary. Publication is proof the you have done something worthwhile. Clinical experience is widespread and is expected. A publication is not excepted and can really propel you in an interview, especially at the legions of schools that now require scholarly projects.

 

[fuzzytoad]

Most likely also depends on authorship: first or second meriting obvious recognition. As one of 10+ co-authors it's a lot harder to tell if the applicant did more than clink around test-tubes.

 

[Euxox]

Most likely also depends on authorship: first or second meriting obvious recognition. As one of 10+ co-authors it's a lot harder to tell if the applicant did more than clink around test-tubes.

I was first author. Didn't seem to impress any of my interviewers.

 

[fuzzytoad]

I was first author. Didn't seem to impress any of my interviewers.

How do you figure that? I had a ton of research experience applying and, interestingly, never once had my research questioned. I assumed that they assumed I knew my **** (I did).

To return on topic though, I'm honestly not surprised considering how high the bar for ECs has become.

 

[chenzt]

My undergrad publishes this data... it's a year old. 70% for senior applicants, 60% for alumni applicants. Granted, n=100 for those two combined.

There's a self-selection process going on, applicants applying straight to med school probably knows that their chances are pretty good and a lot of people who take a gap year probably did it only because they had to do it.

 

[Lucca]

My small pre-med program is graduating its first class of seniors this year (about 25 people) and they all got into med school applying the summer after junior year for matriculation in the fall immediately following their senior year. Does that count as a three year applicant? The program helps the students fall into this timeline though so theres a structure backing them up, also we're in Texas if that means anything.

I haven't met many upper classmen interested in taking a gap year, interestingly enough. The only gap year I can think of is from a "junior" that graduated in three, got in to med school this cycle, and has will basically continue to kick it for a year.

 

[YamNMangos]

My undergrad publishes this data... it's a year old. 70% for senior applicants, 60% for alumni applicants. Granted, n=100 for those two combined.

There's a self-selection process going on, applicants applying straight to med school probably knows that their chances are pretty good and a lot of people who take a gap year probably did it only because they had to do it.

This. At equal level of activities, having that extra year will help one's application. However, those who have strong applications coming out of junior year and know they want to go to med school tend to apply right away (unless they have something they really want to do), while those who have weaker applications are more likely to take a gap year to compensate. I personally thought my application was strong, so I didn't think the extra year of waiting was worth it (I also couldn't have done much with my gap year anyhow). As such, with the self-selection process, I would say that the acceptance rate is about the same.

 

[Spinach Dip]

Wait, people apply to med school BEFORE finishing their bachelors?

 

[Command]

.

 

[Chipster.]

Wait, people apply to med school BEFORE finishing their bachelors?

 

[Spinach Dip]

I'm Spinach Dip, and I approve of this message.

 

[wtr24]

This would be interesting to know. I applied at the end of my junior year, and like @Command said, I felt like I was more "non-trad" than my classmates who take time off.

 

[LostinLift]

I wonder how much more of a trend this will continue to be. Despite the ACA, I believe interest in medicine and medical school applicants will probably continue to increase in this economy. How much more common (or necessary) will time off be?

I was interested in medicine, but I never really took a closer look until I neared graduation. My post graduate work was a way to strengthen my application and also to reaffirm my own commitment. If you go into college knowing you want to be a physician, then being on the right track from the start should leave you with plenty of time to prepare. It's for the students who aren't sure right away where a gap year or more becomes almost necessary. Though like I said, statistics (especially ones with GPA/MCAT/Activities info) regarding this issue would be interesting to see.

 

[terp720]

The majority of the people i interviewed alongside had taken gap years. For myself, i applied as a junior and was accepted for the upcoming year recently.

and then some of us had the opposite experience being the "oldest" person interviewing or non-trads being the minority at several interviews.. and I only graduated in 2012! It was weird..

 

[kyamh]

You're looking for acceptance data stratified by time of application. (at least one gap year/no gap year). I know some schools release data on the percentage of students that took a gap year or more and at many schools this number is approaching 60%.

The University of Michigan sent out a tweet this fall that said their last year's percent of matriculants who took at least one gap year was over 70% (I think it was 72%, but can't remember off hand).

 

[Ja3ger]

Personally, I am very glad I'm now able to live stress-free and "slack off" as a college senior than a PG with a real job who probably has to wake up early every weekday.

However, I do concede that if I were a PG I'd now be writing how nice it is to not have to worry about classes for an entire year.

 

[Bulbasaur]

I think I read somewhere that the average age of entry into medical school is now ~25.

People applying right after junior year of college should now be deemed "non-trad."

 

[Espadaleader]

Taking a gap year allows you to have less pressure as well. You have your senior year to build EC's

 

[medCR]

I applied during my Junior year. Many interviewees I met during the process were non-traditional having taken 1+ gap years. I think it just depends on the readiness of the applicant in matriculating immediately post-grad.

 

[kyamh]

There may be disproportionately more interviewees who have taken time off after college at the fancy research-heavy institutions. Time off allows for impressive feats like Masters or PhD degrees, TFA, Peace Corps, first-author publication (while being published is very much possible during undergrad, it's much much easier to do when you can fully prioritize research for an extended period of time). I saw far more current college students at my in-state interviews compared to my interviews at major research schools.

 

[Lucca]

It's also possible that the extra time out of school could give them more time to really perfect their essays, application, and submit the second the app opens, etc. I wonder how many in-college students applying to med school would do it differently if they saw how many people applied and got in after graduation