My Gap (2) Years

[John Scotty]

Hi guys,

Just wanted to ask some of you for life advice. So I am a recent college graduate, finishing with a 3.56 cGPA and (3.5 science) and an MCAT score of 510 (took it this September). Obviously not turning any heads here, but this is beside the point.

I am asking you all on opinions on how I am spending my gap year before applying (will be applying in June 2017). I am currently in Thailand right now teaching English, Science and Math to a bunch of 7th graders. This experience has already been very rewarding and I have only just begun. Do you think medical schools will look favorably on this sort of experience? Im probably staying here for 6 months but I may stay for a year and apply while I am abroad and come back for interviews (teaching contract would end in September).

Should I look to try and get involved in medical work here (pretty tough due to the language barrier)? Many of the programs that give you volunteering experience in different countries can be expensive, far and away the cheapest one I found is $900 for only two weeks.

Would it be better to stay here for 6 months and then go home and work as a scribe so as to not seem completely disinterested in medicine to admissions committees when I apply?

I know these aren't straightforward questions, I am just curious what more seasoned veterans of medical school applications have to say.

Thank you for all of the help and support!

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[Cawolf]

1. Yes, that will be an excellent experience to list on your applications and discuss in interviews.

2. There is little to no value in paying for medical experiences broad. You would be better served volunteering in the US, as it would be more relevant and cost you no money.

3. Assuming you have some clinical exposure, I think you would be fine pursuing whichever activity you enjoy the most.

 

[Catalystik]

I am a recent college graduate, finishing with a 3.56 cGPA and (3.5 science) and an MCAT score of 510 (took it this September). Obviously not turning any heads here, but this is beside the point.

I am asking you all on opinions on how I am spending my gap year before applying (will be applying in June 2017). I am currently in Thailand right now teaching English, Science and Math to a bunch of 7th graders. This experience has already been very rewarding and I have only just begun. Do you think medical schools will look favorably on this sort of experience? Im probably staying here for 6 months but I may stay for a year and apply while I am abroad and come back for interviews (teaching contract would end in September).

Should I look to try and get involved in medical work here (pretty tough due to the language barrier)? Many of the programs that give you volunteering experience in different countries can be expensive, far and away the cheapest one I found is $900 for only two weeks.

Would it be better to stay here for 6 months and then go home and work as a scribe so as to not seem completely disinterested in medicine to admissions committees when I apply?

I know these aren't straightforward questions, I am just curious what more seasoned veterans of medical school applications have to say.

Teaching, in general, is a beneficial activity to list on one's application, but it will not distract adcomms from a lowish GPA (if a steep upward grade trend is absent) or a lack of US-based active clinical experience (or US physician shadowing), if you don't already have a fair amount. I will add that the average applicant has about 1.5 years of clinical experience on their application. If your most recent grades aren't excellent, unless you plan to include DO medical schools to your list, you might do well to plan on a year of undergrad postbac work in upper-level Bio and Chem when you return stateside, earning all As, to boost your uGPAs, while engaging in work or volunteerism in a US medical facility where you engage with patients in a helpful way.

While in Thailand, you might consider some regular nonmedical community service for those in need, in addition to your teaching gig.

Don't rush your application. Do it once and do it right. The process is too expensive and stressful to repeat if you can avoid it.

 

[John Scotty]

Teaching, in general, is a beneficial activity to list on one's application, but it will not distract adcomms from a lowish GPA (if a steep upward grade trend is absent) or a lack of US-based active clinical experience (or US physician shadowing), if you don't already have a fair amount. I will add that the average applicant has about 1.5 years of clinical experience on their application. If your most recent grades aren't excellent, unless you plan to include DO medical schools to your list, you might do well to plan on a year of undergrad postbac work in upper-level Bio and Chem when you return stateside, earning all As, to boost your uGPAs, while engaging in work or volunteerism in a US medical facility where you engage with patients in a helpful way.

While in Thailand, you might consider some regular nonmedical community service for those in need, in addition to your teaching gig.

Don't rush your application. Do it once and do it right. The process is too expensive and stressful to repeat if you can avoid it.

I have a lot of US based clinical experience. In short, I volunteered in a clinical psychology lab for 1 year working with homeless people with alcohol dependency (published in two papers), have about 600 hours volunteering in a hospital doing leadership/clinical work (1.5 yrs), about 500 hours working at my schools sports medicine department alongside athletic trainers and physician (1 yr). And then a lot of shadowing various specialties

I feel like my GPA isn't bad enough to have to do a whole year of postbacc....

 

[John Scotty]

T

1. Yes, that will be an excellent experience to list on your applications and discuss in interviews.

2. There is little to no value in paying for medical experiences broad. You would be better served volunteering in the US, as it would be more relevant and cost you no money.

3. Assuming you have some clinical exposure, I think you would be fine pursuing whichever activity you enjoy the most.

Thanks for the response. Yes, I believe I have many clinical experienes, I listed them out briefly above. Just going off what the last comment has said, do you think my academic stats warrant completion of a postbacc?

 

[Catalystik]

I have a lot of US based clinical experience. In short, I volunteered in a clinical psychology lab for 1 year working with homeless people with alcohol dependency (published in two papers), have about 600 hours volunteering in a hospital doing leadership/clinical work (1.5 yrs), about 500 hours working at my schools sports medicine department alongside athletic trainers and physician (1 yr). And then a lot of shadowing various specialties.

Sounds good to me.

 

[Cawolf]

Just going off what the last comment has said, do you think my academic stats warrant completion of a postbacc?

I think your numbers are on the low end of solid, so still only around a 50% acceptance rate with your stats. So hopefully you either apply DO (in addition to MD), have a great story, or continue to improve your GPA.

 

[John Scotty]

I think your numbers are on the low end of solid, so still only around a 50% acceptance rate with your stats. So hopefully you either apply DO (in addition to MD), have a great story, or continue to improve your GPA.

I will definitely be applying to both. I have met tons of DO's and MD's and the difference to me is minute/nonexistent