Is my gap year activites enough? Can't find a job!!

[SSLiebstandarte]

I graduated in May 2011and received a scholarship/grant to do research over the summer for 4 months until September. I moved back in with my parents and has been unable to find a job in 4 months thus far (sent about 10 CVs a day to companies, various research labs...etc etc).

What I have done so far is hospital volunteering 2hrs/week, hospice volunteering 4 hrs/week, youth organization mentorship 3 hrs/week, and physician shadowing 3 hrs/week. All other time is spent, so far fruitlessly, on trying to find ad job.

From what I hear on here, the adcoms want to know what you did for your gap year - so is what I'm doing and my efforts enough??

I'm registered to take the MCAT in May, so the next 4 months I will be studying and no longer interested in a job.

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[SSLiebstandarte]

Bump!

 

[varsityblue]

Yup, that sounds productive enough! Enjoy your time off...

 

[TheWeeIceMan]

I'm in the same boat as you. Couldn't find a job for a few months after applying around and then deciding to devote my time to MCAT studying, ECs, and getting ready to apply in June. Since I have stopped sending out resumes and looking for jobs, the job interviews and offers have started to flow in. It's all just a big tease.

What you are doing sounds fine to me, for what it's worth. Good luck.

 

[virtuoso735]

I'm doing the same thing as well...couldn't find a job so now I'm volunteering at various places and studying for the MCAT. Hopefully it won't look bad.

 

[SSLiebstandarte]

What's funny is that I did receive interviews at several research labs, but I think because I told all the PI that I want to go into medicine, and might put in the minimum 2 year commitment, they all passed on me.

Then again - if you lie to them, they probably won't be happy writing you a LOR and I would probably be miserable going to interviews...etc etc anyways.

I also sent in CVs/resumes to fast food places and grocery stores, all the manager told me I'm overqualified. I might as well just delete all my college education and research experiences...

 

[dmf2682]

What's with your handle, op? Wasn't the ss liebstandarte Hitlers bodyguard?

 

[kpcrew]

i couldn't find a job either so i'm volunteering at a research lab. sounds like you're doing a lot but 2 hours a week for hospital volunteering sounds like very little. maybe try to up that and get to doing valuable things that you can learn from and talk about.
i studied for the mcat during the 3 months while doing research full time in the summer and there seems to be many people on here who have done the same thing. studying for the mcat all day exclusively is probably overkill and you might be asked about that gap during interviews.

 

[SSLiebstandarte]

i couldn't find a job either so i'm volunteering at a research lab. sounds like you're doing a lot but 2 hours a week for hospital volunteering sounds like very little. maybe try to up that and get to doing valuable things that you can learn from and talk about.
i studied for the mcat during the 3 months while doing research full time in the summer and there seems to be many people on here who have done the same thing. studying for the mcat all day exclusively is probably overkill and you might be asked about that gap during interviews.

I volunteered 6 hours a week for the 1st month and it burnt out fast. The hospital didn't have an exciting program - it was alot of boredom when there were no patients to play with.

 

[kpcrew]

I volunteered 6 hours a week for the 1st month and it burnt out fast. The hospital didn't have an exciting program - it was alot of boredom when there were no patients to play with.

true
try pediatrics, i loved playing with kids and it was a lot easier to get comfortable with them than with adults.