Medical Should I take a gap year to get clinical experience?

[GoSpursGo]

Should I take a gap year? I haven't had clinical experience since high school (100 hours shadowing, 100 hours volunteering) but hope to get clinical experience this summer/through the next year before applying. Is 1.5 years enough time to get the required clinical experience to apply to med school? I have a 4.0 and will spend the next year studying for the MCAT.

Too early to tell. Clearly you don't have enough ECs at this point but you still have time. See what experience you can get over the next 12 months and then decide.

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[TheBoneDoctah]

What year are you and what do you currently have on your app for clinical/non-clinical hours? 1.5 years is a good chunk of time to get some hours in if you can find a solid gig, but as you know, this is kinda tough right now with COVID. If you can find a scribing job, this is great as it knocks out shadowing and clinical hours. When it comes time to apply, if you don't have enough hours, then take a gap year. You always want to apply with the absolute best application possible even if it means taking a year.

 

[Goro]

In the COVID era, there's scribing, contact tracing and screening.

 

[AlteredScale]

If you have not had any clinical experience since high school then yeah I would probably take a gap year. Why didn’t you volunteer at all in college?

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

I have been volunteering with clubs but not in clinical volunteering. I was a freshman when COVID hit during my second semester of my first year, and my parents are immunocompromised, hopefully I can get back into the hospital I'm currently in my second semester of second year. I applied for many contact tracing positions, none of which got back to me! Still trying, volunteering with Big Bros/Big Sis and MealsonWheels...tough position for me right now.

Keep trying. You still have time. If you don’t have the hours by the time you apply, take a gap year. It’s more important to have a complete app than apply with a mediocre app.