Part-time Student and Full-time Scribe

[buks1919]

---

Members don't see this ad.

I am currently a senior and I will be taking 2 gap years after I graduate in May.
However, I was just offered a pediatric scribe position beginning in January.
This is a perfect opportunity for me because I intend to go into pediatrics and what better way to make sure I want to do this than to see it first-hand?

The problem is that it is full-time job that would require me to work from 8:30-5pm four days a week.
Currently, I am registered for 12 credits next semester, however, I only need 5 credits towards my major to graduate (two of which are research lab hours that I can pick).
One of the options I developed was to underload next semester and drop the other 7 credits. This way the 8:30-5pm work schedule would not interfere with my class schedule.

My first question is, would medical schools frown upon this? I think scribing and taking classes at the same time would reflect well on my time-management skills and ambition, but I am not sure.

Also, out of the 7 credits I would be dropping, four would be towards my second semester Physics pre-med requirement and its lab. This is the last pre-med requirement I have. Is there anyway around this? Can I take a replacement course after graduation or must it be taken during my time as an undergraduate?

Thank you!

 

[Ambiences]

Seeing as you are taking 2 gap years, I would go ahead and spread everything out to fill the time. I'd take up the position and drop down to a low credit load to enrich your clinical background via scribing. However, down the road, you'll want to significantly reduce your work hours to incorporate time to study for the MCAT when you apply. I'm assuming you want to apply in 2017. I do not feel schools will frown upon this at all. More than anything, I feel this shows your commitment to pursue your own interests outside the typical academic track most people will follow, never mind the whole time commitment of studying as well aspect. You can take physics anytime up into the time of application and quite honestly, you can hold off on that class until after the MCAT, as you can self-teach yourself a majority of the physics material for the test.

Tl; dr - go for the peds scribe position.

 

[thatwouldbeanarchy]

Just my 2 cents but I would be hesitant to go this route unless you could work part-time... Scribing is good experience but I think that while you're in school, you should focus on school (and keep up with EC's that fit within that schedule). Obviously, I'm not an adcom and I have no real sense of how schools will feel about you lowering your courseload. But as someone who worked full-time while taking my prereqs (nontrad applicant), it can be really hard to balance work and school. I wouldn't risk having your grades suffer for something as relatively insignificant as scribing. (Not saying that scribing isn't a good EC but it's not exactly going to blow adcoms' minds either.) You're planning to take 2 gap years; you'll have plenty of time to get clinically relevant work experience!

quite honestly, you can hold off on that class until after the MCAT, as you can self-teach yourself a majority of the physics material for the test.

I respectfully disagree. The self-study approach works for some but it's risky. You don't HAVE to take Physics during undergrad but I think you're better off taking it now and focusing on MCAT prep.

tl;dr - Focus on school and maintaining your stats. You have plenty of time to scribe.

 

[Planes2Doc]

Is it possible to volunteer in a children's hospital or some sort of organization that works with kids that would allow you to take only one gap year instead of two? In the grand scheme of things, entry-level clinical jobs won't set you apart since they are so commonplace. They require you to work significant hours which can impact your grade. A volunteer gig will usually be a few hours once a week and cover your bases. If you still have a significant interest in peds, you can do an elective on top of the core rotation third year and then do more electives during fourth year. But of course things can always change before them. There is no need to nail down a specialty before you even apply to medical school!

So remember, your grades and MCAT >>>>>>> clinical work. Plus two gap years means a significant loss of potential future income.

 

[buks1919]

Plus two gap years means a significant loss of potential future income.

Just curious, how would taking two gap years result in a significant loss of potential future income?

 

[terra330]

Just curious, how would taking two gap years result in a significant loss of potential future income?

Overall two less working years than you would have had, which can be a fairly significant amount of money, assuming you are successful at becoming a doctor.

 

[Planes2Doc]

Overall two less working years than you would have had, which can be a fairly significant amount of money, assuming you are successful at becoming a doctor.

This. Most people will take one year at most. Two years, especially to spend more time building up an EC is a bad idea.

 

[thatwouldbeanarchy]

True. But I wouldn't sweat it. Enjoy your gap years. You have many long years of training ahead of you.

 

[thatwouldbeanarchy]

Two years, especially to spend more time building up an EC is a bad idea.

OP, I think it's totally fine to take 2 years or more as long as you understand that you don't HAVE to. Assuming that you have decent ECs now (ideally a combination of some kind of volunteering and some clinic experience), you don't need to take 2 years to build up more.

But I also think there are perfectly valid reasons for taking time off and you should do what feels right to you. Medicine isn't going anywhere and once you start down this path, there's really no stopping. In the interest of full disclosure, I will have taken 7 years between undergrad and med school and I have zero regrets. This is by no means the perfect path for everyone but it was the right path for me.

 

[buks1919]

I am on 2 leadership committees in clubs that I'm extremely passionate about, I have been in a research lab for the past 2 and a half years, and I have also been working at a daycare for the past 2 and a half years. My GPA is slightly above average.

I am taking two gap years because I wanted to take the MCAT at the end of the summer 2016 and my pre-med advisor told me that that would push me into applying and interviewing for med school during 2017 and hopefully, starting in fall of 2018.

I definitely don't think I need 2 years to gain clinical experience - I just needed a break after undergrad and time to focus solely on the MCAT.

Thanks for all the advice!