Pros/cons waiting until 4th year of undergrad to take mcats...

[Phillygirl98]

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Hi!
I was considering waiting until my senior year to take mcats rather than junior year...I know of many who choose to do this even though the majority at my school take their mcats junior year. What do people usually do during the year off in between? Clinical volunteer work, work, one year masters? Anyone else do this or consider doing this ..what did u do with your year in between and what do you recommend? The reason I am asking is because I am going abroad in the fall and don't know how the transition will be for me to get hardcore into mcat prep..thanks for ur comments and suggestions!

PEACE! 😎

 

[swaamedic]

Philly,
I didn't take the MCAT until I was out of school for 2 years. After I graduated (didn't want to do microbiology) I went to paramedic school for a year. Don't rush the mcat it was the hardest test I ever took. If you are looking at DO school I would definatly do something that shows you are interested in the people side of medicine. I didn't have a great gpa and only average MCAT scors but because of my medical experiences I got accepted at every school I interviewed at. You have to do something that makes you stand out from other applicants..most have done some sort of research and most have done volunteer work....try to do something different from everyone else. In my case I doubt to many flight paramedics go to medical school...and in another persons case I doubt to many applicants have been to africa.

 

[LeslieKay]

I suggest you take the year off. I studied abroad a semester in college and there is no way I could have come back and began preping for the MCAT immediately--the reverse culture shock was really hard to deal with...i'd wait until you have a chance to get used to being home again and do something you will enjoy in your year off (Hope you have the time of your life while you're abroad--I did).

 

[JonDO]

Hi, I took my MCATs in my Junior year but still took a year off after graduation before medschool. The reason I took it my junior year was that I was a bit paranoid, and wanted a pretty big cushion just in case I will have to retake it 4 more times. Turned out that I just needed to take it once.

Anyway, as the other posters have said, it'll be a good idea to do something different or significant after you graduate. I for instance did some travelling to the Philippines. It was both a lot of fun and very educational. Found out why one of the best beaches in the world is there. Do things you've always wanted to do, go places you've never been, learn more about your major, join the Professional Bowling Circuit, anything that you want that is worthwhile and fun. I totally believe that my time off away from school made a big difference in my application. It gave my application a different angle, and was probably noticed by the admissions committee. They look at thousands of applications with similar numbers and credentials, so you have to find a way to make yours stand out.

As for your original question, it doesn't make a difference when you take the MCAT. If you want to take it during your senior year, it'll be fine, you won't be penalized for it. It'll probably even be an interesting topic in your interview. Goodluck!

🙂