Should I take a gap year

[kitkat95]

So some background. My sGPA is slightly higher than my uGPA both hovering around a 3.9. I have over 100 hours of shadowing, a summer of clinical research, am beginning the first of 3 scheduled semester of lab research in my field of medical interest, will have over 100 hours of both clinical and non-clinical volunteer experience. I also hold leadership positions in multiple student organizations, one of which is not medically related. The one problem is I am on track to graduate in 2017, a year earlier than expected. As a result, I am currently planning on taking the MCAT in June but am unsure if I will feel fully prepared. Also I want to go MD because I really want to do research, possibly MD/Ph.d, and I want to potentially specialize.
So my questions are
1. What is too late of a date to take the MCAT without delaying the application?
2. Would it be safer to wait until I feel fully prepared to take the MCAT, take it at a later date such as august and take a gap year before applying? If so...
3. What are some possible options for a gap year?

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[thatwouldbeanarchy]

The absolute latest MCAT date that I would consider is July. If you take the exam in July, your scores will likely be reported in August. You could submit AMCAS in June, be verified likely sometime in July, work on secondaries and have them ready to submit by the time your MCAT scores are reported in August. Obviously, it's best to get all of your applications in as early as possible so if you could take the MCAT in June (or even before), that would be your best option.

I would absolutely without a doubt wait until you're fully ready to take the MCAT. I would start thinking about your study plan now and really be honest with yourself about how much time you have and how much studying you need. You could even take a full length practice now just to get an idea of what your score is like without any dedicated prep - so you know where you stand. If it means taking a gap year to prepare, I would do it. You're already graduating early so it's not even a delay in the traditional med school timeline.

Gap year ideas: Scribing, lab research, clinical research (great way to get patient contact and research experience at the same time), medical assistant (there are some jobs you can get without completing a certification program). You could also simply work a regular, non-clinical job to make money and keep up with volunteering on the side.