- Joined
- Dec 28, 2013
- Messages
- 116
- Reaction score
- 64
All I'm looking for is opinions with some reasons why they chose that route eitherway. Currently my below material is biased towards the 2 years...so feel free to bring up any flaws in my thinking - in fact I welcome it!
I'm a senior in college and I've always been interested in medicine, health policy, and business in combination. During this past fall semester, some of my business-esque friends had been applying to consulting jobs and I thought I'd do the same - but with a focus in healthcare consulting.
I got a job with a nice salary - but during my interviews I didn't say per se that I wanted to work there one or two, or however many years. All I said was I was exploring my options and that I wanted to hold off on medical school for a "few years". I assume that this was an important part of their decision in hiring me but I could be completely wrong.
My problem is this: Should I take 1 and ONLY 1 gap year, or can I take 2? I am leaning towards taking 2 gap years vs. 1 gap year because I would want the recommendation letter from the job I will have, I would want to talk about my "real world" experience from there, and I would want to utilize any connections that I might make through employment (the firm I'll be working for deals with a lot of pharmaceutical companies and there are many different physicians that work for them - may or may not be relevant but I have an open mind).
If I take 1 gap year I'd basically be interview as I was JUST starting my job, and I might not have enough vacation days for it. I would basically be saying after only a few months at work "Hey...so I have to take ___ days off because I'm applying to Medical School and am not going to work here after a year!". I think it might be a bit weird.
Here are my stats for reference to see if they make an impact:
MCAT 36 (11, 12, 13 - PS, VR, BS)
3.62 Overall, 3.65 Science
2 Years Research Experience (school) and 1 paper published as coauthor.
Work experience as a General Manager is a small student run business (but generated 125k in revenue).
~400 hours of physician shadowing experience (1 full summer's worth. Due to a school's program that I had to apply for).
Cofounder of an Alziemer's organization (VP), and cofounder of a Medical Students in Diversity organization (VP)
~100 Community Service.
Thanks ahead of time for everything!
I'm a senior in college and I've always been interested in medicine, health policy, and business in combination. During this past fall semester, some of my business-esque friends had been applying to consulting jobs and I thought I'd do the same - but with a focus in healthcare consulting.
I got a job with a nice salary - but during my interviews I didn't say per se that I wanted to work there one or two, or however many years. All I said was I was exploring my options and that I wanted to hold off on medical school for a "few years". I assume that this was an important part of their decision in hiring me but I could be completely wrong.
My problem is this: Should I take 1 and ONLY 1 gap year, or can I take 2? I am leaning towards taking 2 gap years vs. 1 gap year because I would want the recommendation letter from the job I will have, I would want to talk about my "real world" experience from there, and I would want to utilize any connections that I might make through employment (the firm I'll be working for deals with a lot of pharmaceutical companies and there are many different physicians that work for them - may or may not be relevant but I have an open mind).
If I take 1 gap year I'd basically be interview as I was JUST starting my job, and I might not have enough vacation days for it. I would basically be saying after only a few months at work "Hey...so I have to take ___ days off because I'm applying to Medical School and am not going to work here after a year!". I think it might be a bit weird.
Here are my stats for reference to see if they make an impact:
MCAT 36 (11, 12, 13 - PS, VR, BS)
3.62 Overall, 3.65 Science
2 Years Research Experience (school) and 1 paper published as coauthor.
Work experience as a General Manager is a small student run business (but generated 125k in revenue).
~400 hours of physician shadowing experience (1 full summer's worth. Due to a school's program that I had to apply for).
Cofounder of an Alziemer's organization (VP), and cofounder of a Medical Students in Diversity organization (VP)
~100 Community Service.
Thanks ahead of time for everything!