If I take a semester off, will adcoms think I won’t be able to handle med school?

[doctorwannabe1234]

I’m doing a DIY post bacc (current gpa 3.85). I graduated with a degree in clinical psych in may 2019 (psych gpa 3.75) and I immediately started the post bacc in Fall 2019. So basically I’m on my 6th year of undergrad and y’all, IM TIRED. I originally wanted to apply in June 2021 but I don’t think that’s happening since I only have 30 hours hospital volunteering so far and I’m already struggling putting in hours every week with Orgo 1, Physics 1, labs, and working. I can’t even find time to study for the MCAT. My mental health has been suffering, I failed my first Orgo exam and everything is just 100x harder with classes being online. Next semester everything will be online as well. I DO NOT want to take Orgo 2 and Physics 2 online .. omg. I want to take next semester off to work full time in a clinical setting and study for the MCAT. I will resume classes fall 2021 and apply for the 2023 cycle. My family is shaming me for wanting to take a semester off because they think people who take gaps end up never going back. I’m first gen and URM and I feel a lot of pressure. I don’t want adcoms to think I’m weak. Any advice ?

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[Nontraddddds]

No, you're fine!

 

[wannagotoFlorida!!]

I’m doing a DIY post bacc (current gpa 3.85). I graduated with a degree in clinical psych in may 2019 (psych gpa 3.75) and I immediately started the post bacc in Fall 2019. So basically I’m on my 6th year of undergrad and y’all, IM TIRED. I originally wanted to apply in June 2021 but I don’t think that’s happening since I only have 30 hours hospital volunteering so far and I’m already struggling putting in hours every week with Orgo 1, Physics 1, labs, and working. I can’t even find time to study for the MCAT. My mental health has been suffering, I failed my first Orgo exam and everything is just 100x harder with classes being online. Next semester everything will be online as well. I DO NOT want to take Orgo 2 and Physics 2 online .. omg. I want to take next semester off to work full time in a clinical setting and study for the MCAT. I will resume classes fall 2021 and apply for the 2023 cycle. My family is shaming me for wanting to take a semester off because they think people who take gaps end up never going back. I’m first gen and URM and I feel a lot of pressure. I don’t want adcoms to think I’m weak. Any advice ?

First of all, props to you for working hard! Secondly, you can’t get good grades and be a decent applicant while maintaining meaningful volunteering Experiences if your mental health is non existent. I withdrew an entire 2 semesters because of health/mental health reasons, and the second semester I did so only after trying to bulldoze my way through the semester telling myself I shouldnt take time off because grades r important. Grades ARE important, that’s why you should make sure you’re in the best shape possible to tackle the challenging premed load. It is much better to take a bit of time off than showing poor judgement in bulldozing your way through with bad mental health, and then ending up with ****ty grades which you’ll spend EVEN longer trying to make up for and explain to future schools.

 

[KnightDoc]

No, you're fine!

This^^^^^^. There is no timer on post-bacc activities. No shame. No judgment. You have to take care of yourself.

By the way, your grades are totally great, and you will receive significant love as a first gen URM, but it's very important that you do well in the prereqs and on the MCAT, so do what you have to do to make that happen. It should be obvious, as a first gen, that you cannot allow yourself to be shamed by people who have no idea what is involved to be successful with this. Good luck!!!

 

[Moko]

So basically I’m on my 6th year of undergrad and y’all, IM TIRED. ... I’m already struggling putting in hours every week with Orgo 1, Physics 1, labs, and working. I can’t even find time to study for the MCAT. My mental health has been suffering, I failed my first Orgo exam and everything is just 100x harder with classes being online. ... My family is shaming me for wanting to take a semester off ... Any advice ?

My thoughts:
- Prioritize your mental health. You're doing yourself no favors by rushing through everything while burnt out. If you don't correct course soon, you are on track to getting poor grades that will take additional time and coursework to repair.
- Take your time. Acceptances to medical school are not given to those who finish the fastest; they are given to those who finish with a competitive application. This includes not just good grades and scores, but also a breadth of extracurriculars. Successful applicants show evidence of sound judgment when tackling these components.
- Know your toolkit. If this semester is too far gone to salvage, or if you just need a reset, remember that withdrawing from your class(es) is an option. Similarly, taking a semester off to collect yourself and reconnect with volunteering may be the smart decision. Just be careful to avoid overloading your schedule again. Best of luck.

 

[M&L]

ok everything depends on how you put it. If they start sniffing out that you feel apologetic, then they might get the bad vibe. But if you put a positive spin on it that - that you wanted to focus on clinical experience, etc, - no one will even notice. Seriously.