Hello Friends,
I am going into my third year of college, my original plan was to bang out all MCAT classes and dial into my studies in my first two years, which i have done. Around January i started emailing around and started to put my self out there, I signed up for hospital volunteering, I emailed doctors and some were willing to let me shadow, I got certified as a personal trainer and was ready to work with clients to develop my intrapersonal and communication skills, I started a position in a lab and was an assistant. Just as soon as i got the ball rolling, Covid-19 body slammed my plans into a brick wall lol. My family urged me to cancel hospital volunteering because literally everyone in my family is high risk, dad is a diabetic, mom has hypertension, brother is obese and pre-diabetic, I'm pretty healthy but i do have asthma. the doctors emailed and canceled plans to let me shadow, my gym closed due to covid so personal training this summer is out of the picture. my lab mostly got put on halt, Im current learning data analysis methods for my lab so i can help them at a later date. I've been studying for the MCAT (hasnt been going well), trying to beat my really bad porn addiction, trying to get out of being unmotivated, learning computer programming, trying to lose weight - honestly its been really rough.
My school is deciding to do a hybrid teaching method this fall where large lectures are online and lab components are in person. After thanksgiving break all classes will be online. This doesn't really make sense to me, idk why they don't just make it all online now (i guess they have to generate revenue some how). I don't feel comfortable volunteering due to my family and positions will be limited anyways. I want to work as a personal trainer but idk how my college's fitness center is going to handle personal training because they've basically slashed the building capacity in half. and im also taking 23 semester hours lol. I hopefully will be starting my own research project late fall - late winter, that was the original plan but that will probably change due to all the new restrictions.
It was my goal to apply around next summer so i can attend med school after i graduate, but I am now starting to think about doing a GAP year. So i think i have three options:
1) put my life on the line and just try to do all the things i said i was going to do.
- pros: get the hours, the experiences, beef up my resume, show that i am willing to serve others
- cons: im scared, my family is high risk, i am high risk
- comments: I get that we can't just freeze up and be scared and just hide, but at the same time - people are dying in the hospitals, less social distancing = more cases. I honestly don't know, i look outside and everything is fine but i turn on the TV is its like all hell is breaking lose and covid cases are soaring
2) Apply without these experiences, or very minimal experiences. If I don't get in, i will apply again the next cycle.
- pros: I guess it would hurt, maybe i get lucky???
- cons: costs money, Probably wont get in, seriously? apply with no volunteer hours or meaningful experiences? Maybe if i get a 4.00 gpa and 528 MCAT?!? probably not
3) Wait a gap year:
- pros: Stronger applicant. Maybe ill take the time to have so fun, find myself, date or something? idk.
- cons: i'd have to sit around for an entire year after i graduate. I wanna go straight into medical school.
I also wanna say thank you to all the healthcare professionals, you are all heroes! Stay strong in this fight!
Stats:
GPA: 3.952
Major: Human Phys and Neuroscience Double major
MCAT: Will take September-ish hopefully
Honors: Phi Beta Kappa
