Please help with these GAP year questions?

[amar314]

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Hello everyone, I'm contemplating a gap year but have some questions, i'd appreciate any help 🙂

1. Would I take my MCAT Spring Senior year?
2. Would I apply to med schools that summer after I've graduated?
3. If #2 is true then I should have no problem with LORS correct? Since I'd be asking for them my Spring senior year and submitting them with my app that summer?
4. So the entire gap year I'd be simply awaiting my responses...etc?
5. How would it be seen to work abroad 6 months (nothing medicine related just working simple jobs in another country) of the year and the other months volunteering locally?

Thanks so much!

BTW, I'm a sophomore right now, graduating 2017

 

[DoctorSynthesis]

Hello everyone, I'm contemplating a gap year but have some questions, i'd appreciate any help 🙂

1. Would I take my MCAT Spring Senior year?
2. Would I apply to med schools that summer after I've graduated?
3. If #2 is true then I should have no problem with LORS correct? Since I'd be asking for them my Spring senior year and submitting them with my app that summer?
4. So the entire gap year I'd be simply awaiting my responses...etc?
5. How would it be seen to work abroad 6 months (nothing medicine related just working simple jobs in another country) of the year and the other months volunteering locally?

Thanks so much!

BTW, I'm a sophomore right now, graduating 2017

1. Yes
2. Yes (June of senior year app opens)
3. I don't see any problems with that.
4. I guess. I would be doing research or something. Can't do nothing that whole year.
5. Its fine to work abroad but I would do something medical related. Research for example.

 

[allantois]

You can take MCAT anytime starting from late summer after Junior year (aka all summer to study).
You need to stay in the US in order to go on interviews but if you get accepted early, then you can drop all your premedical activities (but don't do it before you are accepted!) and do something you've really wanted like going abroad 🙂

 

[Asklepios89]

1. You can take the mcat spring of senior year. If you can finish the pre-reqs after your junior year, i would recommend taking the mcat in the summer between junior and senior year. In the spring you'll have to work on your personal statement, your activities write ups, getting LORs and school.

2. You'd fill out your app in may, but can't send it off until june. After your primary, you'll get secondaries to fill out (june-august/september). Then come interviews (october-march).

3. I think volunteering (and working maybe, applying is expensive) for a half year and then taking off to travel or work abroad when you're done with interviews sounds great. That's pretty much what i did.

 

[amar314]

1. Yes
2. Yes (June of senior year app opens)
3. I don't see any problems with that.
4. I guess. I would be doing research or something. Can't do nothing that whole year.
5. Its fine to work abroad but I would do something medical related. Research for example.

Thanks! To be honest, I'm not that interested in research for a whole year. I'm working in a lab this upcoming semester so maybe my mind will change. Will it be okay if I work locally, volunteer at a hospital & other places or should I strive for something medicine related? I thought the purpose of a gap year was to explore the world around you, not close yourself in the medical world when it awaits you for the next 8 years?

You can take MCAT anytime starting from late summer after Junior year (aka all summer to study).
You need to stay in the US in order to go on interviews but if you get accepted early, then you can drop all your premedical activities (but don't do it before you are accepted!) and do something you've really wanted like going abroad 🙂

So I won't be able to talk about my experiences abroad during interviews? Are the interviews soon after you apply and would it make a difference if I went abroad for 3-4 months? Thanks! 🙂

 

[DoctorSynthesis]

Thanks! To be honest, I'm not that interested in research for a whole year. I'm working in a lab this upcoming semester so maybe my mind will change. Will it be okay if I work locally, volunteer at a hospital & other places or should I strive for something medicine related? I thought the purpose of a gap year was to explore the world around you, not close yourself in the medical world when it awaits you for the next 8 years?




So I won't be able to talk about my experiences abroad during interviews? Are the interviews soon after you apply and would it make a difference if I went abroad for 3-4 months? Thanks! 🙂

IMO just do something that's helpful to your app. Just don't sit around and do nothing. What you propose sounds fine.

 

[amar314]

1. You can take the mcat spring of senior year. If you can finish the pre-reqs after your junior year, i would recommend taking the mcat in the summer between junior and senior year. In the spring you'll have to work on your personal statement, your activities write ups, getting LORs and school.

2. You'd fill out your app in may, but can't send it off until june. After your primary, you'll get secondaries to fill out (june-august/september). Then come interviews (october-march).

3. I think volunteering (and working maybe, applying is expensive) for a half year and then taking off to travel or work abroad when you're done with interviews sounds great. That's pretty much what i did.

So around March or when I'm done with interviews is when I'll be able to go abroad? Okay so I'd probably work locally & volunteer to offset the high costs of applying. And it'll be fine if I take the MCAT in the Fall of senior year so that I have that summer between junior and senior to study correct? Thanks for your help!

 

[Asklepios89]

So around March or when I'm done with interviews is when I'll be able to go abroad? Okay so I'd probably work locally & volunteer to offset the high costs of applying. And it'll be fine if I take the MCAT in the Fall of senior year so that I have that summer between junior and senior to study correct? Thanks for your help!

You might be done with interviews earlier. If you get an interview and acceptance from your top choice in december there's no reason to do more interviews. There's just no way to tell. But march is the latest possible interview month.

Yeah, you can take the mcat in the fall.