Need some advice about gap year options.

[HotGlueGun1]

I finished my undergrad this semester will be applying to medical schools during summer 2016. For my gap year I am considering doing a 1-year postbac research program or finding a full time job in a clinical setting. My dilemma is such: I feel as if my application is unbalanced with way more research stuff than clinical volunteering and since I am not going for an MD/PhD this may looked at unfavorably.

I have a lot of previous basic research experience with one first authorship and two other publications. I am not pursuing an MD/PhD, just an MD and it seems like many of the postbac programs are geared towards people who want a PhD. Also two of my letters of rec will be from my PIs. In terms of clinical experiences I will have ~200 hours of volunteering in my local hospital and ~80 hours of shadowing total with my PIs. I was not initially planning on taking a gap year but I did not feel confident with my preparation for the 2015 MCAT so I am a bit disorganized right now about my gap year plans.

Do you guys think my medical school app will look stronger with the extra research in the postbac program or with a year working in some medical setting? What kinds of jobs are available for bachelors degree holders in clinical settings? I am only familiar with the scribe position which some people said was a bad experience. Is there some other path you recommend I pursue during my gap year? Do you think doing clinical research would be a good compromise or is that essentially the same as basic research?

P.S. Does shadowing count as clinical experience/hours or is it a separate thing?

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[thatwouldbeanarchy]

I would try to do something that gets you some patient contact. This could be clinical research, scribing, possibly some types of medical assistant jobs (not all require certification). Maybe working as a tech but from what I've seen, many of these jobs end up being more stocking shelves than interacting with patients. I would skip those ones.

As far as med schools looking negatively at your heavy research experience, if it's what you're really interested in (as opposed to something you've just done to box-check), I don't think you should worry too much about it. But since you're not applying MD/PhD, I would try to balance it with some patient interaction. I could see it being somewhat of a red flag if you haven't demonstrated that you're actually interested in clinical work and that you know what you're getting yourself into.

Just my .02, but I scribed in the ED for a year and have been working in clinical research (with lots of patient contact) for 3 years and I've loved both!

 

[laterbay]

Exposure. Get exposed to as many new things as possible with the time that you have. That doesn't just mean ECs but also other things that you didn't have time for when studying that will make you a more well rounded person.

 

[flapjack3d]

It looks like you have enough clinical experienxe. Continue some involvement in your gap year, but do whatever productive work you like for the majority of your time (sounds like research)

 

[thatwouldbeanarchy]

It looks like you have enough clinical experienxe. Continue some involvement in your gap year, but do whatever productive work you like for the majority of your time (sounds like research)

Hm. 200 hours of volunteering sounds low to me... Obviously, I'm no expert. Also, it makes a difference what OP was actually doing as a volunteer.

 

[NotaCop]

PM me if you want info on clinical research. 2birds/1stone. I get to independently conduct multiple patient visits each day, and I'm helping to advance the science of medicine in some small way. Regardless of what adcoms think, not many options can hold a candle to that experience from my perspective

 

[HotGlueGun1]

Thanks for the replies everyone. My hospital volunteering was great with lots of patient interaction during all four semesters I was there. In terms of research I have only done research during the summer months and I start to get a little tired of it by the end. I really enjoy learning from my PIs and the PhD/MD students but sometimes the physical act of doing experiments and assays can get tedious and frustrating. I guess I am a bit nervous to commit to basic research for a year straight. I think I will try to find a clinical research opportunity or a job with patient contact.