Should I take another gap year? Concerned about longevity of non-clinical volunteering

[smf123]

Hi there,

I'd appreciate any opinions on whether I should take another gap year to extend the longevity of my volunteering experiences. Apologies for the long post ahead.

Some context: I graduated this month. I decided on pre-med in the spring of Junior year and shortly thereafter began a scribe job. I am already taking 2 gap years with hopes to matriculate in 2026. With this plan, I'll have plenty of clinical hours by the time I apply, but I'm more concerned about my volunteering.

Prior to deciding on medicine, I was somewhat interested in K-12 education and was (and still am) passionate about the opportunity for social mobility that education provides. So while I did do non-nonclinical volunteering during undergrad (including Americorps), it was focused entirely on education in underserved communities, and I have heard that tutoring-adjacent activities are not as strong as others.

I started volunteering at a homeless shelter and women's crisis center after graduation. I also started hospice volunteering because even if I don't necessarily need the clinical hours, I really wanted to have direct patient contact. This gives me ~8 months of these activities before I apply in 2025. I know premeds who have been volunteering at one organization for 3-4 years, and I'm afraid that my 8 months of volunteering right before I apply will come across as box-checking.

Would it benefit me significantly to take another year in order to extend the longevity of my volunteering?

I also worry about how to convince service-oriented schools of mission-fit. I'll have a good amount of hours (~800 including the education stuff), but an 8 month-long timeframe doesn't seem to illustrate a deeply held mission/conviction to me (even though I do resonate with it).

As always, thank you for your insight!

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[Mr.Smile12]

Have you posted a WAMC profile?

Some service-oriented schools want longevity, and some don't. Too challenging to generalize.

 

[LizzyM]

Some context: I graduated this month. I decided on pre-med in the spring of Junior year and shortly thereafter began a scribe job. I am already taking 2 gap years with hopes to matriculate in 2026. With this plan, I'll have plenty of clinical hours by the time I apply, but I'm more concerned about my volunteering.

Prior to deciding on medicine, I was somewhat interested in K-12 education and was (and still am) passionate about the opportunity for social mobility that education provides. So while I did do non-nonclinical volunteering during undergrad (including Americorps), it was focused entirely on education in underserved communities, and I have heard that tutoring-adjacent activities are not as strong as others.

If anyone takes the time to read your personal statement (and they should), they'll see that you were a late arrival at pre-med land and that you were previously exploring the possibility of a role in k-12 education. Your community service during that time will be taken into account as a measure of your altruism. Furthermore, tutoring-adjacent activities are not strong when they are focused on peer tutoring or religious education (Sunday school, tutoring in preparation for bat/bar mitzvah) but highly regarded when focused on underserved communities.

 

[smf123]

Have you posted a WAMC profile?

Some service-oriented schools want longevity, and some don't. Too challenging to generalize.

I definitely plan to post a WAMC once I take my MCAT!

Thank you for the insight - and if I step back a bit I really just want to get into any medical school at all, so I'm trying to be less obsessive about crafting a profile that is perfect for every single school.

 

[smf123]

If anyone takes the time to read your personal statement (and they should), they'll see that you were a late arrival at pre-med land and that you were previously exploring the possibility of a role in k-12 education. Your community service during that time will be taken into account as a measure of your altruism. Furthermore, tutoring-adjacent activities are not strong when they are focused on peer tutoring or religious education (Sunday school, tutoring in preparation for bat/bar mitzvah) but highly regarded when focused on underserved communities.

Thank you very much for your reply! Regarding my personal statement then, should I put more focus on the transition from education to medicine? I was not really planning to go that route - the "inciting incident" was more so a death in the family, and I was not going to dedicate more than a sentence or two to the education background, and just for context. Would I be able to expand more on that initial interest (and the insights/skills that it lends to my pursuit of medicine) in the activities section instead?

 

[LindaAccepted]

Hi there,

I'd appreciate any opinions on whether I should take another gap year to extend the longevity of my volunteering experiences. Apologies for the long post ahead.

Some context: I graduated this month. I decided on pre-med in the spring of Junior year and shortly thereafter began a scribe job. I am already taking 2 gap years with hopes to matriculate in 2026. With this plan, I'll have plenty of clinical hours by the time I apply, but I'm more concerned about my volunteering.

Prior to deciding on medicine, I was somewhat interested in K-12 education and was (and still am) passionate about the opportunity for social mobility that education provides. So while I did do non-nonclinical volunteering during undergrad (including Americorps), it was focused entirely on education in underserved communities, and I have heard that tutoring-adjacent activities are not as strong as others.

I started volunteering at a homeless shelter and women's crisis center after graduation. I also started hospice volunteering because even if I don't necessarily need the clinical hours, I really wanted to have direct patient contact. This gives me ~8 months of these activities before I apply in 2025. I know premeds who have been volunteering at one organization for 3-4 years, and I'm afraid that my 8 months of volunteering right before I apply will come across as box-checking.

Would it benefit me significantly to take another year in order to extend the longevity of my volunteering?

I also worry about how to convince service-oriented schools of mission-fit. I'll have a good amount of hours (~800 including the education stuff), but an 8 month-long timeframe doesn't seem to illustrate a deeply held mission/conviction to me (even though I do resonate with it).

As always, thank you for your insight!

The point of having clinical exposure is to show that you know what you're getting into and really want it. 8 months of doing so with commitment means you know what you're getting into. I don't think it's an issue.

To avoid any appearance of box-checking, make sure your essays also reflect what you have learned and contributed during your volunteering, both clinical and non-clinical. Don't just describe the events, reflect on them.

 

[LizzyM]

A sentence that would set the stage for the inciting incident would be all it takes. "From the time I was __, i thought that a career in teaching __ grade would was my calling. However, in [year}, ...."
Just that intro would put your volunteering prior to that in context.

 

[smf123]

The point of having clinical exposure is to show that you know what you're getting into and really want it. 8 months of doing so with commitment means you know what you're getting into. I don't think it's an issue.

To avoid any appearance of box-checking, make sure your essays also reflect what you have learned and contributed during your volunteering, both clinical and non-clinical. Don't just describe the events, reflect on them.

Thank you, this is very reassuring! And I will definitely take your advice into account and approach these experiences with intentionality.

 

[smf123]

A sentence that would set the stage for the inciting incident would be all it takes. "From the time I was __, i thought that a career in teaching __ grade would was my calling. However, in [year}, ...."
Just that intro would put your volunteering prior to that in context.

Thank you so much! I tend to over-explain myself unnecessarily so this is very reassuring.