astrophage
Full Member
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Hi! I’m trying to think through a career/application decision and would appreciate some outside perspective.
I’m applying to medical school this cycle with a 525 MCAT and 3.95 GPA. My application has already been submitted. For the past 1.5 years, I’ve worked as an ER scribe for about 20 hours/week and have accumulated around 1,500 hours, including leadership and training responsibilities. It has been meaningful, but I feel like I’ve reached the ceiling of what I can learn from scribing and want more hands-on patient interaction.
Outside of scribing, I’m involved in research and work as a clinical research consultant. My application is fairly research-heavy, and I genuinely enjoy those commitments.
Today, I received an offer for a full-time orthopaedic medical assistant position in another part of the state. The role would involve direct patient care from triage to discharge, follow-up coordination, calls related to prescriptions and appointments within MA scope, and assisting with procedures. I’m excited by the chance to gain more hands-on experience and explore orthopaedics.
However, accepting would require moving, leaving my scribing job, and likely reducing or giving up much of my research and consulting work. It could also make interview season more difficult. Since the job would start in September, I would only be able to update schools that I started the position, without much reflection or impact yet.
The main benefits are personal growth, more direct clinical experience, exposure to ortho, and a broader clinical background. But given that my application is already submitted and I already have substantial clinical experience, I’m unsure whether it is worth giving up my current commitments.
Would this be worth the change at this point in the cycle, or would it make more sense to continue with scribing, research, and consulting through interview season?
I’m applying to medical school this cycle with a 525 MCAT and 3.95 GPA. My application has already been submitted. For the past 1.5 years, I’ve worked as an ER scribe for about 20 hours/week and have accumulated around 1,500 hours, including leadership and training responsibilities. It has been meaningful, but I feel like I’ve reached the ceiling of what I can learn from scribing and want more hands-on patient interaction.
Outside of scribing, I’m involved in research and work as a clinical research consultant. My application is fairly research-heavy, and I genuinely enjoy those commitments.
Today, I received an offer for a full-time orthopaedic medical assistant position in another part of the state. The role would involve direct patient care from triage to discharge, follow-up coordination, calls related to prescriptions and appointments within MA scope, and assisting with procedures. I’m excited by the chance to gain more hands-on experience and explore orthopaedics.
However, accepting would require moving, leaving my scribing job, and likely reducing or giving up much of my research and consulting work. It could also make interview season more difficult. Since the job would start in September, I would only be able to update schools that I started the position, without much reflection or impact yet.
The main benefits are personal growth, more direct clinical experience, exposure to ortho, and a broader clinical background. But given that my application is already submitted and I already have substantial clinical experience, I’m unsure whether it is worth giving up my current commitments.
Would this be worth the change at this point in the cycle, or would it make more sense to continue with scribing, research, and consulting through interview season?
