Should I teach during my gap year or do research?

[NoahIndonesia]

Just yesterday a new door unexpectedly opened for me. For a bit of a background (I have a WAMC thread that has more details), I'm a 3x repeat MCAT offender (highest score = 33), sitting in a 3.65 cGPA and a 3.42 sGPA. I think this indicates that I am the epitomy of a borderline applicant.

I attend a Teacher's College, and am currently teaching as a 7th grade Life Sciences Teacher. Kids are fun, exasperating, exhausting, and annoying at times, but overall, fun. I think teaching has done a lot for my confidence, and interviewing skills. Next year will be my first year out of College, and I've been hired to teach at a Middle School I like. The money is good, and I'd be a Teaching Assistant at my alma mater, and concurrently pursue a Master's (probably in Forensic Science). All good and dandy.

BUT two weeks ago, I received an acceptance from an Ivy League School for a Master's in Public Health (It's not an MPH, more like a Master's in Epidemiology track program). More interestingly, it's fully funded, with a 16K Teaching Assistantship. And, I went ahead and applied to a job at their associated medical school (which is totally out of my league, and will not be an option even if I work there I assume), and got it. It's a 46k/yr Research position.


Now I'm in two minds as to what to do. I'm being real when I say, I prefer both equally. But it being my gap year, I want my decisions to reflect well about the admissions process.

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[pinstriped1992]

No helpful comments, but wanted to say congrats! Looks like you have a lot of good options regardless of whether you decide to apply to med school just yet. But keep in mind, the more experience you have after college the stronger your application will look!

 

[Catalystik]

Most use their gap year to improve deficiencies in their application 1) for the sake of Secondary essays that ask about plans, 2) so update letters have pertinent improvements to mention, 3) for interview conversations, and 4) in case they need to reapply. Your WAMC thread at http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/nervous-thinking-about-not-applying.1119048/ suggests that you are already strong in research, but have GPAs that make you an unlikely candidate for a research-oriented "top" school. A traditional masters in an Epidemiology-MPH or Forensics isn't going to much improve your candidacy for an MD school (if that's why you are considering them). I suggest that you take the Middle School job and consider taking additional undergrad upper-level Bio, Stats, and Biochem so your BCPM GPA will have improved if you need to reapply after the 2015-2016 cycle. Alternatively, consider a hard-science traditional masters, as a double handful of MD schools will be influenced by a high gGPA.

 

[ridethecliche]

I'm going to guess you got into harvard's program in epi since they only give MPH's to MD's and got a job at HMS.

The question is what you want to do after... Many schools allow you to do an Integrated 4 year MD/MPH or take the MPH in a 5th year, however that wouldn't carry the same 'weight' for a degree. If you're worried about not getting into med school, the Masters will allow you to do good work while you regroup to apply again if you have to.

The research job on the other hand might allow you to get some abstracts in, but you probably won't publish by the time you have to start applying. If you're planning on working for two years, then this might be a good idea to boost your app if you take some classes in the longer term.

In your position though, I'd do the masters. You can always apply later, but that degree will help get a better research job if you have to do that.

 

[referee3]

Dude. No question take the research position. Saving all the money before school will help so much and you will also get valuable research experience at the same time. It's a win win.

 

[NoahIndonesia]

Dude. No question take the research position. Saving all the money before school will help so much and you will also get valuable research experience at the same time. It's a win win.

Really? I was told teaching experience is really favorably looked upon.

Also +1 to this retro SDN design, I love it.

 

[Catalystik]

I was told teaching experience is really favorably looked upon.

It is.

 

[NoahIndonesia]

It is.

More so than research?

And I'd be teaching as a TA, but teaching kids is more fun! But Research is fun too, especially when you're getting paid haha

 

[Catalystik]

Having a balanced application helps one appeal to a broader number of med schools. You already have 2 years of productive research experience, which is well above the average listed.

Think about why teaching is a valued experience and how it will translate into a useful skill as a physician. Which of your potential jobs involves more multi-tasking, more problem-solving, more interpersonal connections, and students more like your future patients?

 

[Psai]

go teach man
being a doctor is all about teaching
research is lame

 

[referee3]

Having a balanced application helps one appeal to a broader number of med schools. You already have 2 years of productive research experience, which is well above the average listed.

Think about why teaching is a valued experience and how it will translate into a useful skill as a physician. Which of your potential jobs involves more multi-tasking, more problem-solving, more interpersonal connections, and students more like your future patients?

Agree with Catalystik. Except for problem solving, you'd most likely be doing more of that in research. If the money is not an issue than teaching may be the way to go.