If submitting in June, how mention gap year activities? Believable?

[PreMedMissteps]

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If a student is graduating in May, submitting AMCAS app in June, and therefore gap year activities will not have yet really commenced, do Adcoms pay much attention to “plans”?

Helping a senior premed. Her stats are fine. She’s worried that she won’t find a medically-related paid activity for her gap year (during app cycle), so she’s thinking she needs to do a postbacc in order to keep her student loans at bay....otherwise the paying gig during gap year can go towards loan payments. She’s also concerned that if she’s not doing postbacc and only doing a “job job” (like waitressing), her app will be hurt.

I’m thinking a couple of things....

One, it’s better to pay down some debt rather than racking up more debt for an unneeded postbacc...not to mention the risk of not doing well on the postbacc. I’m also not sure what purpose a postbacc serves for a new grad who has already completed the premed prereqs with a high GPA.

Two, when she submits app in June, any mention of gap year activities will be seen as “gonna do,” rather than “have done,” so Adcoms will be less impressed.

She thinks getting a regular job is a huge negative. I’m not sure that Adcoms are put-off by applicants who need to “work” to pay the bills, even if the job isn’t medically related. I would think that they would understand that. That said, she will try to find a medically-related job, but is worried how her app will look without one.

What do you say?

 

[LizzyM]

It is completely reasonable to get a job that will pay the bills and help pay down one's debt before starting medical school. Anyone who would think poorly of an applicant for doing so shouldn't be in med admissions.

Waitressing or any retail job where one is dealing with customer is a plus and can be used to one's advantage by noting that it is helping one to learn to deal with people who are not at their best (hangry), to think on one's feet, to multi-task, to be part of a team.

Some secondaries will ask what you are doing during the gap year and that will be an opportunity to explain working to pay down college loans before starting med school.

 

[PreMedMissteps]

It is completely reasonable to get a job that will pay the bills and help pay down one's debt before starting medical school. Anyone who would think poorly of an applicant for doing so shouldn't be in med admissions.

Waitressing or any retail job where one is dealing with customer is a plus and can be used to one's advantage by noting that it is helping one to learn to deal with people who are not at their best (hangry), to think on one's feet, to multi-task, to be part of a team.

Some secondaries will ask what you are doing during the gap year and that will be an opportunity to explain working to pay down college loans before starting med school.

Thank you. Very much appreciated.

 

[Catalystik]

1) I’m also not sure what purpose a postbacc serves for a new grad who has already completed the premed prereqs with a high GPA.

2) she will try to find a medically-related job, but is worried how her app will look without one.

What do you say?

1) Postbac coursework would be in order if she needs some upper-level Bio, Stats, or Behavioral Science (eg) for a few schools that weren't required for graduation.

2) Her medically-related experience during the gap year can come through volunteer endeavors instead of paid employment.

 

[PreMedMissteps]

1) Postbac coursework would be in order if she needs some upper-level Bio, Stats, or Behavioral Science (eg) for a few schools that weren't required for graduation.

2) Her medically-related experience during the gap year can come through volunteer endeavors instead of paid employment.

Right, that’s what I was thinking. She can do some paid employment to pay the bills, and do volunteer/community work in free time.

She doesn’t need upper div sciences. Her Bio major has those covered....cell bio, biochem, etc.

To add to this. Having a productive gap year by doing anything other than sitting around with video games is reasonable, be it Fulltime employment, travel, etc is fine. However, as I advise all applcants, no matter how good, is to assume rejections. Therefore, always adding to your record in case of reapplication, whether it be some small amount of volunteering, taking a class, reprepping for MCAT, is advisable

Very good point. She’s an ambitious young lady, so no worries that she’d be sitting on her tush during gap year. The student and parents are concerned about undergrad loans coming due if she’s not in school during gap year. Parents can’t make the payments, so they were leaning towards more schooling during the gap year to delay payments coming due. I just think that adding thousands of dollars for an unnecessary postbacc is unwise. Just the combo of student loans for undergrad and med school will be quite a burden as it is.