Post-Bac Advice

[Genore]

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After much deliberation, I think I've decided to take a year off. It's very strange to not know what I'll be doing a year from now...so I'm hoping you guys can help.

My situation:
Good GPA (3.89c/3.84s after a rough semester, should bounce back to 3.91 cumulative and get back close to a 3.88 science by the time I apply next round if things go as planned, but close if not)
Unknown MCAT (I was all over the mid 30s on practice tests and won't find out for a few more weeks)
Goldwater
5+ years of research by the time I apply, two summers of which are at top research institutions, plenty of posters at regional and institutional conferences
Have been planning on MD/PhD (I'm usually sure on that...but occasionally I'm not...)
Aiming for top 10 schools, but I'm sure I would be perfectly happy at a top 20

This past semester showed me just how burned out I had become, and I just wasn't ready to commit to eight years of a program I wasn't 110% sure of. Plus, there's a chance for two publications in the next year, which should make me even more competitive.

So...the only part of my app that's really lacking (unless the MCAT comes back lower than expected) is some clinical experience (50-something hours shadowing + 50-something hours volunteering). I have a number of board positions at my university and should have sufficient non-medical volunteering. I know I have good letters, too.

I'm in an odd situation, as far as post-bacs are concerned, because I have sufficient research experience, as far as I know, and a good enough GPA (not perfect, but it's comparable to the tops programs' averages). Heres's what I am considering.
1) NIH post bac
- Pure research
- Good for applications
- A friend did this last year and got a lot out of it
- May not feel like an actual break as I will still be putting in long hours to ensure a good rec and a beneficial experience
2) Full time clinical volunteering (stipend paid)
- Would be more of a break/more personally rewarding
- No real opportunity to do much else (like volunteering in a lab) since the location will most likely be at a remote free community clinic
3) Hometown research/clinical volunteering/job/maybe classes
- Depending on what is available, I might volunteer/work in a lab at my local Big 10 university (or may work at the blood bank as a tech)
- Could also work/volunteer part-time at the local free clinic/hospital
- May take an online class or too to push a 3.889 to a 3.89 🙂
- Easier to find additional/long term shadowing
- Could save up money in case I decide straight MD
- May feel like a failure living at home and running into old classmates and other people I know all the time (trying not to consider this but it is a concern)
4) Travel
- Would be hard without money
- I don't have any place I really want to go...


TL;DR. High-ish GPA, decent ECs, lots of research, could use more clinical exposure. Taking a year off before MD/PhD. Don't want to hurt my app by blowing a year, but need to recover after burnout. NIH research (job stress), clinical volunteering (not research, may hurt app?), mixture in hometown (personal stress), travel (???), or other?

 

[Jojokarade]

Taking a year off is not bad. As long as you do something and justify your reasons for doing it.

If you are worried about burnout, why would you possibly keep doing something that is the cause? Take a year away from research and go travel. Find a program that does medical missions and do that. It will give you a sense of international medicine and it shows that you are not purely a research person. Based on what you have described, a PhD program would accept you in a heartbeat. The MD program, however, would really ask the question of "does this person actually want to be a doctor?" You have shown that you are a good researcher. Supplement your application by showing you want to be a physician as well.