rising senior, taking gap year - how else to "beef up" my app?

[alexagator]

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[BurghMed]

I'm in a pretty similar situation, but at a less prestigious university, mcat a few points lower, relatively high gpa, lots of research, essentially no clinical volunteering, and taking a gap year next year. Not to hijack your thread but I'd also love some advice

 

[alexagator]

anyone..?

 

[Aerus]

I'm in a pretty similar situation, but at a less prestigious university, mcat a few points lower, relatively high gpa, lots of research, essentially no clinical volunteering, and taking a gap year next year. Not to hijack your thread but I'd also love some advice

So, basically, you're nothing like the OP. Just make your own thread in the What Are My Chances? forums.

anyone..?

You should have made a thread in the What Are My Chances? forums. You will get a lot more helpful advice there.

 

[alexagator]

So, basically, you're nothing like the OP. Just make your own thread in the What Are My Chances? forums.


You should have made a thread in the What Are My Chances? forums. You will get a lot more helpful advice there.

ok, thanks! I'm new here and didn't notice that forum.

 

[Asklepios89]

You should learn Spanish. Even if you plan on going into research primarily, it's important to be able to communicate with your patients, and it'll give you a huge boost on your app if you become fluent. At USC, the Dean told us during the interview that they specifically look at the languages the applicants speak (primarily spanish).

 

[Tri4thlete]

Do you have any certifications? CNA, EMT? I'm a firm believer in hospital experience. I worked as an EMT for 4 years during undergrad then took a year off to work as an emergency department technician in a busy ER. Invaluable experience. Shows that you know what working long shifts are like and how to deal with real live patients. I'm going to school knowing how to intubate, start an IV, work in intense situations, etc. Most of my classmates probably won't even know where to start when administering an IV or IO. Get hospital experience if you can! Cheers.

 

[alexagator]

You should learn Spanish. Even if you plan on going into research primarily, it's important to be able to communicate with your patients, and it'll give you a huge boost on your app if you become fluent. At USC, the Dean told us during the interview that they specifically look at the languages the applicants speak (primarily spanish).

I do speak several other languages, but not Spanish. Would you suggest I take a formal class, or will Rosetta Stone suffice?

 

[DermViser]

Basics (these stats/hours are taking into account my senior year, which is still yet to be accomplished) :
-CA resident
-Rising senior
-Top 20 university
-Planning to take at least 1 gap year (currently debating whether I should take 1, or 2)
-Projected cGPA (including future senior year courses): at the very lowest, 3.8
-Projected sGPA (including future senior year courses): at the very lowest, 3.7, but most likely close to 3.8
-MCAT: 36
-Research: by the time I graduate, I will have 3 academic years and 2 summers of research. For 1.5 of these years I will have been completely independent and running my own project
-Publications: one 7th author pub (out of 10 authors... haha better than nothing). Don't forsee publishing anything else during my undergrad career
-Hospital volunteering: ~75 hours, I basically just hang out with patients in the activities room
- Shadowing: so far, I have ~40 hours, not sure if I need more, but I can easily arrange to do so
- Community service: I will admit that this is my weak point. I tutor and mentor high school students, but only during the summers. I started my own mentorship program for disadvantaged high school students this summer and since I have a more relaxed class schedule next fall, I hope to continue it during the school year.


Questions for my general audience:
1) I am really really interested in MD/PhD, since research is my forte as well as my primary interest. However, I don't know if I want to put myself through the 8+ year program due to some personal/family issues. Nevertheless, how competitive am I for MD/PhD?
2) If I end up applying MD only, how competitive am I for CA schools, like UCLA (my top choice), UCSF, UCSD, or UC Davis?
3) What other schools should I look into?
4) I am already taking at least 1 gap year, and planning to do research full time and hopefully squeeze in some more volunteering. Should I take 2 gap years to strengthen my application or is 1 enough?
5) Advice on how to improve my ECs? Anything I should add in or spend more time on?

Thanks all! Looking forward to hearing your suggestions.

With your stats you shouldn't be taking any gap years.

 

[alexagator]

With your stats you shouldn't be taking any gap years.

Really? The premed committee at my school made it seem like if I didn't take a gap year, they wouldn't be able to endorse me strongly... but regardless of what they think, I wanted to take one anyway just to work for a bit and relax as well as make my app even stronger!

 

[DermViser]

Really? The premed committee at my school made it seem like if I didn't take a gap year, they wouldn't be able to endorse me strongly... but regardless of what they think, I wanted to take one anyway just to work for a bit and relax as well as make my app even stronger!

I don't know what MORE you can accomplish in your gap year. More ECs? I understand you're in California, but I also think it sucks you go to a school that requires you to go through a premed committee for the "honor" of applying for med school. Gap years are for people with deficiencies in their application. If you need it to "relax" then fine, but doing 2 years is just ridiculous.

 

[Southplains]

I agree with DermViser, you don't NEED a gap year at all (your committee either wants you to so you can end up at somewhere like UCSF for MSTP or they're just misinformed). It's fine if you'd like to take one. Your app looks great, including for MD/PhD programs. If you really want to end up somewhere prestigious for MSTP then yeah maybe I can see 1-2 years in a lab pumping out work and getting a great letter from the PI would be advised, but I'd be surprised if you couldn't get a spot somewhere if you applied broadly. Personally, for MD/PhD I wouldn't want to postpone starting at all..

 

[allantois]

If you take 2 gap years, you will most likely need to take new MCAT too

 

[alexagator]

I agree with DermViser, you don't NEED a gap year at all (your committee either wants you to so you can end up at somewhere like UCSF for MSTP or they're just misinformed). It's fine if you'd like to take one. Your app looks great, including for MD/PhD programs. If you really want to end up somewhere prestigious for MSTP then yeah maybe I can see 1-2 years in a lab pumping out work and getting a great letter from the PI would be advised, but I'd be surprised if you couldn't get a spot somewhere if you applied broadly. Personally, for MD/PhD I wouldn't want to postpone starting at all..

Thanks for the input. Do you feel that even with my lack of ECs my app is still good enough though? My advisor's main concerns were lack of leadership and lack of community involvement.

UCSF would be a dream, as well as any of the other California schools... so I feel like I need to pull out all the stops because I'd love to stay in California.
Any other ideas on how to strengthen my app? So far others have suggested learning Spanish, or getting certified as an EMT or CNA.

 

[Southplains]

Thanks for the input. Do you feel that even with my lack of ECs my app is still good enough though? My advisor's main concerns were lack of leadership and lack of community involvement.

UCSF would be a dream, as well as any of the other California schools... so I feel like I need to pull out all the stops because I'd love to stay in California.
Any other ideas on how to strengthen my app? So far others have suggested learning Spanish, or getting certified as an EMT or CNA.

I think your extracurriculars look fine, pretty standard for SDN premeds, but that's a good thing. The tutoring/mentoring is leadership and can be discussed in that context. With ECs though, it can be so subjective. The way you write/speak about it, the way your letter writers refer to the experiences etc all validate the EC and make them more impactful.

I don't know about California through experience though, so my opinion isn't that great about your chances to stay there. Are you really 100% MD/PhD? I'd expect you'd get into a CA school MD only for sure, and somewhere MD/PhD for sure if you applied now.

 

[Asklepios89]

I do speak several other languages, but not Spanish. Would you suggest I take a formal class, or will Rosetta Stone suffice?

The best would be to go to a spanish speaking country for a couple weeks and take 1 on 1 classes, with a heavy focus on conversation.

Otherwise there are plenty of free online resources. I'd suggest Duolingo, lang8, and memrise. For grammar there are like a thousand websites. To be able to hold a conversation it's best to actually talk, so I'd suggest language exchange (again free), or an official conversation class.

Good luck 🙂

 

[pinkorchid]

I am a rising senior in university, doing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. I plan to apply to med school afterwards, but will need about 2 years to complete my pre-reqs.

I have 2 questions:
1. I hear that being a nursing student can give me an advantage in the application process. However, I also hear that it can be a disadvantage. I would like to know if being in nursing does in fact give me an advantage over other applicants?

2. I would also like to know what would be a better choice for my fourth year nursing consolidation (a final placement where you work full time without pay under a nurse preceptor)...a medicine floor or public health? I think medicine would be helpful. However, I am also considering public health because if I do not get into med schools after several attempts, I would much rather work in the public health field then in hospital/bedside nursing. I also considered public health for consolidation just in case med schools in fact do not like accepting nurses because they would be taking away a nurse from a profession that is already suffering from a huge shortage (or for whatever other reason they don't want to accept nurses).

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[alexagator]

@pinkorchid Could you please start your own thread? Your post has nothing to do with mine. Thanks.

 

[Shirafune]

Questions for my general audience:
1) I am really really interested in MD/PhD, since research is my forte as well as my primary interest. However, I don't know if I want to put myself through the 8+ year program due to some personal/family issues. Nevertheless, how competitive am I for MD/PhD?
2) If I end up applying MD only, how competitive am I for CA schools, like UCLA (my top choice), UCSF, UCSD, or UC Davis?

Thanks all! Looking forward to hearing your suggestions.

As others have mentioned already, you are definitely ready to apply and you shouldn't worry about getting interview invites. However, I would suggest you get in some more volunteering/service hours because I think you are somewhat light in this area. You seem to know that already though.

As for MSTP programs, your MCAT and GPA are competitive (average matriculant values were 34/3.8 last cycle), but I would definitely take a gap year to get a bit more into research. 3+ years is great already, but another publication would be a big plus for you. If you work as a Jr. Specialist in the lab you are currently in, you could potentially squeeze something in (maybe a 2nd or 3rd author) before you fly out for interviews. In any case, this would be a great advantage for your top choices (both MD and MSTP!)

Best of luck!