MCAT's and Peace Corps

[svb]

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I'll be a college sophomore, and I'm sure that I want to join the Peace Corps right after I graduate. When should I take the MCAT. Should I take it my junior year in April and apply to medical school and then defer?

Should I take it my senior year and apply while I'm on my mission?

Should I take it after I get back from my mission? I'm worried about this, because I think I'll forget all the information that I'll have learned from college.

Thanks For the Help

 

[MoosePilot]

The test is generally only good for 3 years, although schools differ a little in this. Order a copy of the MSAR from AAMC and read about the schools you're interested in.

I don't know anything about deference to another year. How does that work? I mean a school is trying to fill a certain number of spots in a class, so if you defer, doesn't it mess up their numbers for some year down the road?

You can definitely come back and take it. I did that after a huge break (8 years). A prep course helps get you back up to speed, but I actually did much better after the break.

 

[futuremsfdoc]

you could consider doing this, especially if you're gonna be a really competitive applicant.

option one:
take mcat junior year in the spring, apply fall of senior year (either edp or regular) to schools that have generous deferral policies (hopkins, missouri, prolly a bunch of others), then defer for two years.

option two:
take the mcat summer after junior year, do really well on it. don't apply. graduate one semester early to go do peace corps. come back to the us and apply (should be the last year your mcat is good). i think this one is more feasible.

i was thinking of peace corps, too, but couldn't figure out how to fit it in. i think i might just apply to do americorps in puerto rico or something.

 

[Mutterkuchen]

I doubt if you can defer for 2 years. One year, maybe, but at most schools, not two.

If you have to take a year off after the Peace Corps, don't worry about it. You're still young. Just find something cool to do for the year. From what I hear, the Peace Corps is worth the inconvenience.

 

[3rd_i]

I served in the peace corps in Senegal West Africa from 99-02 as a health volunteer. I had joined with the intention to go on for a MPH degree, but the direct patient contact experience I garnered led me to medicine instead. As I had been a philosophy major in University, I have had to take the last couple of years working and completing ALL of the prerequisite courses. I'm currently stuck right into the 2005 application cycle, having just taken the MCAT's in April (36s).

That's my background. So you should believe me when I tell you that going into medicine after two and a quarter years in the bush is entirely possible and common. Of just my group in Senegal, 3 out of forty of us are either in med school now, or trying to get in. You won't be alone.

As far as logistics goes, there are many routes to the same goal. First off, decide if PC is right for you. It's quite a commitment, and choosing to do 27 months w/out pay or much western contact is very difficult. If your only reasons for doing this are to put down the supposedly "ultimate extracurricular activity" onto your med school apps, you probably won't make it. But if you have the motivation for it, you will recieve broad based exposure to **** you can't see in the US.

From the experience of my classmates, the MCAT's should be done after/during your time. You are allowed two days off per month in the Peace Corps, and can accumulate a few months worth of time to take ten days back in the US (very common for the homesick). I have a friend who did just that, scheduled her MCAT during this vacation, and studied in her village for a few months prior. She just finished her first year at tufts. You could also just wait till you come back to take the test, which of course gives you precious time to readjust to the culture of "this american life". You'll probably want a few months just to decompress.

I hope this post (being a bit too long) is informative in the very least. Feel free to email me with any specific questions you may have.