Need some advice on applying to med school

[joycestick]

---

Members do not see this ad.

SDN,

I'm a junior and on schedule to graduate next year in May 2014. I plan on studying for the mcat this summer and taking it in August.

Unfortunately, medical schools wouldn't receive my mcat scores until September. Should I just apply very early next year for the matriculating class of 2015? I'm going to apply to around ~10 MD schools and maybe a couple DO schools. Because of my average numbers, I think this would be my best option.

Major: B.A. in Biology
GPA: 3.6
>100 volunteer hours
2 semesters of research
shadowed 3 MD's

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks and happy st patricks day!

 

[BigBlueBear]

Why not just start studying now and take the MCAT in June?

 

[The Beyonder]

why not just start studying now and take the mcat in june?

+1

 

[Ohyeah]

Take it in June if you think your current course load and exam schedule will allow you to get some serious studying in. Otherwise, use the summer.

September is a bit late, but I understand the trade-off here: you will be late in the cycle but anticipate a higher score than if you tried to juggle MCAT prep with your current semester.

I have friends who took it slightly later than August and still got acceptances. Granted, these were no top schools or anything (mostly DO actually), but they still got in. One friend took it in September, got a 25 with a 3.6 GPA, and got one (but just one) acceptance to a DO school and waitlisted at a few others. He might be unique, though - he had strong ECs and heavy research involvement which resonated with one of the more research-inclined DO schools.

I guess what I'm saying is that your chances will depend on your score and where you decide to apply.

 

[dsoz]

If you can get a 30+ on the test you would have greater than average stats.

Either take it earlier, or take a gap year.

Taking it that late is poor planning. The sooner you take it after your pre-reqs are done the better. There is less time to forget stuff. If you are a typical junior, you either had o-chem last year, or you are just finishing it. That is probably the best time to do this test. Don't put it off any longer unless there will be a class that will HELP you. Biochem, immunology, A&P, etc.

dsoz

 

[mimelim]

If you can get a 30+ on the test you would have greater than average stats.

Either take it earlier, or take a gap year.

Taking it that late is poor planning. The sooner you take it after your pre-reqs are done the better. There is less time to forget stuff. If you are a typical junior, you either had o-chem last year, or you are just finishing it. That is probably the best time to do this test. Don't put it off any longer unless there will be a class that will HELP you. Biochem, immunology, A&P, etc.

dsoz

I agree with this, except the last line. None of those courses will help you for the MCAT or for medical school.

Take home point: Take the MCAT earlier if possible, or consider a gap year.

 

[Lady Netter]

SDN,

I'm a junior and on schedule to graduate next year in May 2014. I plan on studying for the mcat this summer and taking it in August.

Unfortunately, medical schools wouldn't receive my mcat scores until September. Should I just apply very early next year for the matriculating class of 2015? I'm going to apply to around ~10 MD schools and maybe a couple DO schools. Because of my average numbers, I think this would be my best option.

Major: B.A. in Biology
GPA: 3.6
>100 volunteer hours
2 semesters of research
shadowed 3 MD's

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks and happy st patricks day!

If you don't have a reason to start immediately right after college, I would advice you to take a gap year anyway. I'm so grateful that I did. Med school is a lot of work and taking a year off to take it easy will help you in the long run. So....really, if you're okay with not going right after you graduate, then do it. I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend it. I felt so much more prepared in terms of motivation than many of my classmates that came straight out of undergrad. Since I worked full time, I also learned how to focus longer than some of my classmates since I learned how to be on-task for a whole day. So...yeah. /soapbox

If you want to save the money and only go through the process once, yes, your best chances would be to wait until the next year and apply early. Do I think your applying later will completely ruin your chances? No.

 

[joycestick]

I'm not comfortable balancing a heavy course load and mcat studies. With SN2eds mcat schedule in the summer, I think I can get a 30+ on it.

My thing is the substantial cost of med school applications. I can't spend hundreds of dollars for multiple med school applications, only to be rejected b/c of my delay in the cycle, and then spend MORE money the following year on med school applications again.

I'm not opposed with taking a gap year, especially since my senior year classes (granted I do well in them) are capable of boosting my GPA before applying.

Thanks Lady Netter. Anyone else take a gap year? How was it and what did you do?

 

[vbgal41]

I'm not comfortable balancing a heavy course load and mcat studies. With SN2eds mcat schedule in the summer, I think I can get a 30+ on it.

My thing is the substantial cost of med school applications. I can't spend hundreds of dollars for multiple med school applications, only to be rejected b/c of my delay in the cycle, and then spend MORE money the following year on med school applications again.

I'm not opposed with taking a gap year, especially since my senior year classes (granted I do well in them) are capable of boosting my GPA before applying.

Thanks Lady Netter. Anyone else take a gap year? How was it and what did you do?

I'm in the middle of a gap year right now. Mostly it was about timing with my application (I was abroad my junior year when I would have been studying for the MCAT). In the end, I'm so glad I did it. During this year I have spent my time tutoring, shadowing and volunteering. Honestly I feel much more mature than when I graduated a year ago. I had a whole extra year of activities/classes to add to my application. The best part was the flexibility in working on my application/going to interviews not to mention the extra money I saved by working. I saw enough of my classmates miss class/tests for interviews which made the whole process much more stressful. I had plenty of time to polish my application to my liking and still submit it very early and then attend interviews if I wished.

Also, I was definitely burnt out after 4 years of college and this year off has made me start itching to dive right back in. I'm probably a little too excited to start med school in the fall 🙂

 

[SBuck53]

I'm in the middle of a gap year right now. Mostly it was about timing with my application (I was abroad my junior year when I would have been studying for the MCAT). In the end, I'm so glad I did it. During this year I have spent my time tutoring, shadowing and volunteering. Honestly I feel much more mature than when I graduated a year ago. I had a whole extra year of activities/classes to add to my application. The best part was the flexibility in working on my application/going to interviews not to mention the extra money I saved by working. I saw enough of my classmates miss class/tests for interviews which made the whole process much more stressful. I had plenty of time to polish my application to my liking and still submit it very early and then attend interviews if I wished.

Also, I was definitely burnt out after 4 years of college and this year off has made me start itching to dive right back in. I'm probably a little too excited to start med school in the fall 🙂

Also on a gap year here, and I would second this!

Taking a gap year was definitely a great choice for me. Not just in the sense that I had more time to build an application, but I truly believe it cemented my desire to pursue medicine.