I just graduated this June from UC Davis. Major: Neurbiology, Physiology, and Behavior GPA: 3.32 MCAT Score: 29N or 29M (took it twice got the same score) I was apply in June 2011 which was this year, but I decided not to, now that I'm taking at least two years off following my college graduation, I was wondering if people could tell me what are some good jobs that will strengthen my application. Good jobs that someone like me, who has a few summers as a lowly lab assistant under his belt, and is looking for a job right out of college. I haven't been doing much since my graduation other than playing xbox. What are jobs out there available to someone fresh out of college that can prepare me for medicine, strengthen my application, and most important help me get a sense of what it would be like to be a doctor (something I am still not sure I am passionate about, since I have had no experience working with patients). Also, if and when I do apply for medical school, should I even apply to schools in California and within the United States? Caribbean schools seem easier to get in, but I do not know much about that route. With my scores though, I am doubtful as to my chances of getting in places in the United States. I am kind of freaking out at this point. Any advice is very much welcome and I really appreciate any help.
Your GPA and MCAT are low for MD med school which I am assuming you want to apply to given the location of this post in the MD forum. If you want to wait two years before applying I would retake the MCAT and probably go get a masters. This way your grades in college will be less important; they would look at your grades in grad school (do well i.e. get a 4.0). Retaking the MCAT will be important because it seems almost every year people do better and better on. A 29 now will be the equivalent of a 27 or 28 that far into the future. If you really want to get a job and not go back to school you are going to need a pretty good one that shows a demonstrated interest in science and medicine. Preferably get one working for a researcher at a med school, this way you have an in at that institution.
The job market is ROUGH. I'm in a similar position as you in terms of undergrad major/experience, and the only jobs that I can even apply to are mostly lab assistant jobs. I agree with everything the above person said, but it's probably too late to start your master's this year. I would start job-hunting asap and maybe start a master's next year. In the mean time, work on your volunteering, shadowing, etc.
It really depends on you. Consider DO and medical school in puerto rico, i heard they are better than caribean schools. Personally, i knew one person who went to a program where he studied in caribean and then spend the last 2 years of medical school (clinical years) in NY. he said he hated the first 2 years.
I hope you're not implying Puerto Rico isn't US territory, it's just as hard to get into med school over here
Question about your major, I was once considering Davis's Biochem, but I saw this major and thought that it sounded interesting. Can you speak on the difficulty level of the upper division classes and level of depth that it covers?
Not easier or harder than US allo, just appealing to a different applicant demographic. OP Caribbean is usually a last resort for many. My personal recommendation would be to consider DO instead.
Most premeds at Davis are NPB majors. It is a major with reasonably good depth and the upper division courses are rarely so difficult that you can't get an A no matter how hard you work.
Is your major in any way similar to a psych or neuroscience major? I was thinking since it had behavior in the title it might be. You could probably easily get a job working at a local hospital on the psych unit, if that interests you, I've noticed some prefer men to women for those positions. I've been looking for jobs at the hospitals in my area and I keep seeing a ton of those positions, sometimes their called "psychiatric associates". Otherwise, you could email professors at local universities and colleges to see if they are looking for any research assistants, but you might have to take an unpaid position at first. If you have a VA hospital near you I'd check usajobs.gov, they sometimes have positions on there for research assistants.
I'm surprised you have made it this far and have yet to have any real clinical experience with patients.
