Jobs for Gap Years - Does it matter?

[Prestige88]

After a bust this past cycle, I'll be applying again in the 2019-2020 cycle. The main feedback I got from here and medical schools is that my interview and ECs need work (particularly non-clinical volunteering). GPA/MCAT are in great shape.
So, I'll be obviously ramping up the non-clinical volunteering and keeping with my current ~3 hr/week clinical volunteering. I'll improve shadowing hours too.
My question is: does the job I search for matter, and if so, are there jobs that will help or hurt my app?
-Things like EMT/scribe work are common but extremely low-paying (at least around here) and EMT would require more training/money/time.
-I'm also thinking about teaching, it looks relatively easy to get some sort of certification since there's a shortage of science teachers in my area. Plus, I've enjoyed tutoring at college and the little teaching I did through the city rec dept a few years ago. How is teaching perceived from adcoms? I can see it from a good side: service, doctors have to teach patients about things, working with a young/different population; and the bad: "if you like teaching, why are you applying to med school?"
-I'm not in a big city so there aren't really any research opportunities unless I move. Beyond that, there are obviously plenty of other jobs that are less related to science or medicine, but I haven't looked at them much yet.
Bottom line - should the job I get be geared toward medical school in some way, or should I find a job that makes money and hopefully interests me enough while I volunteer and gear up for the next cycle?

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[Blakeb_212]

If you have certifications, jobs like EEG tech or EKG tech pay fairly well from what I understand. Otherwise, you will likely be starting from the bottom in terms of pay scale for clinical jobs, but the experience is worth it IMO.

 

[Prestige88]

I don't have those certifications - I'd have to get them. I feel like I'm getting a decent amount of clinical experience through my volunteering right now, so I'm not sure that it's something I'd necessarily need in a job. Obviously, I'm open to other opinions. Does the concept of diminishing returns apply to pre-med clinical experience?

 

[califlipboy92]

When I was deciding what to do for my gap years, I had to balance practicality and improving my application. At that time I needed more clinical experience but also needed to make money, so I decided to teach/tutor after school at a test prep and volunteer on the side. A nice thing about my teaching hours was that it gave me pretty much all of my mornings and early afternoons to volunteer and shadow. My volunteer program also had opportunities for leadership so I decided to get a little more involved. I think that my involvement in my volunteer program was something that made me stand out in my application. In regards to how adcoms looked at my teaching, I think how I framed it in my application was really important. I had different teaching and tutoring positions throughout high school and undergrad, so I think it made some sense to pursue it after graduation. I did have reservations about teaching initially, but from what I learned from mentors is that teaching counts as leadership experience. Some of my interviewers actually also really liked it when I talked about my experiences with students.

During the second year of my gap year, which was this past application cycle, I also started scribing. I didn't include this in my primary app since I submitted before I began working, but I did include this in some of my secondaries, all my updates, and during my interviews. In hindsight, I think it had very little impact on my admissions since the experience wasn't as extensive as teaching and volunteering.

If you are lacking in any part of your ECs (clinical exposure, research, non-clinical volunteering, or leadership), my suggestion is to look for a position that would make up for 1 or 2 of those categories.

Sorry for the long post, but I hope that gives you some insight! 🙂

 

[Prestige88]

Thanks! I also have a good amount of tutoring experience so I wonder if I can tie that in - it's why I'm considering some type of teaching in the first place. As far as ECs, I'm not sure how a job could help with non-clinical volunteering but that's primarily what I need to shore up.

 

[Biggyrobs]

been mulling over the same issue and from what I have gathered the job you work doesn't matter as much as long as you are still doing something medically related IE: volunteering at a clinic or doing research on the side. obv a job in medicine would count towards your hours and help you out. but a job non in medicine won't hurt

 

[Prestige88]

been mulling over the same issue and from what I have gathered the job you work doesn't matter as much as long as you are still doing something medically related IE: volunteering at a clinic or doing research on the side. obv a job in medicine would count towards your hours and help you out. but a job non in medicine won't hurt

I'd like this to be true, since it would open my options up. I have plenty of research experience and I'll still be volunteering at a clinic. Simply looking for confirmation from adcoms or people that have gone before me!