Should I scribe or do research in my gap year for T20 acceptance?

[Yaa Yeet]

GPA: 3.92
MCAT: 518
Clinical Hours: 300 (150 hospital transport, 75 hospice, 75 First Aid)
Non-Clinical Hours: 310 (250 Crisis Text Line, 60 Homeless Shelter)
Research: 200 hours, no publication

I want to apply and maybe get into a Top 20 medical school. Should I spend my gap year as a scribe or should I look for a research position? What would be recommended for me to do?

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[Mr.Smile12]

GPA: 3.92
MCAT: 518
Clinical Hours: 300 (150 hospital transport, 75 hospice, 75 First Aid)
Non-Clinical Hours: 310 (250 Crisis Text Line, 60 Homeless Shelter)
Research: 200 hours, no publication

I want to apply and maybe get into a Top 20 medical school. Should I spend my gap year as a scribe or should I look for a research position? What would be recommended for me to do?

Welcome to the forums.

Use the WAMC template.

If this is what we're working with, shadowing and seeing what doctors do is critical. Go scribing. Can't guarantee it gets you to a brand school, but it won't block you from getting into ANY school.

Bump up the homeless shelter or other service orientation activities to be 150 hours by application. 250+ for high tier schools. Crisis text line is not as helpful.

 

[Yaa Yeet]

Use the WAMC template.

If this is what we're working with, shadowing and seeing what doctors do is critical. Go scribing. Can't guarantee it gets you to a brand school, but it won't block you from getting into ANY school.

sorry i forgot to add 80 hours of shadowing. i'm just wondering if scribing or research is best for me in my gap year for a top 20. also sorry about the format this is my first day on sdn

 

[AJS59]

sorry i forgot to add 80 hours of shadowing. i'm just wondering if scribing or research is best for me in my gap year for a top 20. also sorry about the format this is my first day on sdn

Fill out a WAMC for best results.

Anyways, its up to you. T20s love research but you already have some of that. The most important thing imo is continue your homeless shelter volunteering in your gap year.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Here's the template

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Hello, and welcome to the What Are My Chances (WAMC) forum. The purpose of this forum is to Post threads about your chances of acceptance to MD and/or DO schools Have your school list critiqued and modified by other members of SDN Determine how to strengthen your current application General...

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[Yaa Yeet]

Fill out a WAMC for best results.

Anyways, its up to you. T20s love research but you already have some of that. The most important thing imo is continue your homeless shelter volunteering in your gap year.

thank you! also i just started doing homeless shleter volunteering like a month ago, I know it's not the best because i'm not showing longevity here. but yes, I will try to do it during my gap year too

 

[Yaa Yeet]

Welcome to the forums.

Use the WAMC template.

If this is what we're working with, shadowing and seeing what doctors do is critical. Go scribing. Can't guarantee it gets you to a brand school, but it won't block you from getting into ANY school.

Bump up the homeless shelter or other service orientation activities to be 150 hours by application. 250+ for high tier schools. Crisis text line is not as helpful.

does it look bad that my homeless shelter volunteer was started a month ago? also, I thought crisis text line was looked at fondly by medical schools? Thank you!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

does it look bad that my homeless shelter volunteer was started a month ago? also, I thought crisis text line was looked at fondly by medical schools? Thank you!

It's not ideal, but you have what you have. Text Line is not in-person. It may have been viable during the pandemic, but we have seen decreased interpersonal competency in incoming students since, and many of them did text counseling (because it was available in the pandemic).

 

[Yaa Yeet]

It's not ideal, but you have what you have. Text Line is not in-person. It may have been viable during the pandemic, but we have seen decreased interpersonal competency in incoming students since, and many of them did text counseling (because it was available in the pandemic).

thank you very much for responding!

 

[SpicyHotSauce]

You have the stats for a top 20 school, but not the ECs imo (because of low research. It isn't really that low, but from what I've seen of applicants here, they have more research).

I would look for a research position personally, while continuing clinical and non-clinical volunteering.

 

[Med Ed]

Your metrics are solid, but at T20 schools your application will likely be lost in a sea of others with similar numbers and better ECs.

Unless you have an ace up your sleeve, if you're gunning for a T20 I would suggest 2+ productive research years at the NIH or a similar time commitment in the Peace Corps.