Should I wait a year?

[RFS671]

Hey,

First time posting, and I have a question as to when to take the MCAT. I am a rising junior, and decided last summer basically that I wanted to go to med school. I already decided to take some of the requisite courses, but still feel a little behind, since next semester I will only be taking O-chem II. My GPA is a little low at around 3.4, with sciences being around the same area. I really screwed up I feel and didn't even think of research or volunteering until this summer and am still in the process of applying. I am applying to five different hospitals at the moment, hoping to get into at least one. I really don't know anything about research or how to get into it, so I thought I would ask my Undergraduate Research Center at my school to hopefully get into something junior year.

So I was wondering if it was still viable for me to try and take the MCAT end of summer between junior year and senior year to apply during senior year. (If I am completely wrong about this scheduling, please correct me.)

Or should I take a year off after senior year to get in more volunteering or research?

I feel like I have gotten into this whole thing way too late and I have a lot to catch up on, so, please, any information or advice you could give me would be amazing. Thanks!

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[JJMrK]

Hey,

First time posting, and I have a question as to when to take the MCAT. I am a rising junior, and decided last summer basically that I wanted to go to med school. I already decided to take some of the requisite courses, but still feel a little behind, since next semester I will only be taking O-chem II. My GPA is a little low at around 3.4, with sciences being around the same area. I really screwed up I feel and didn't even think of research or volunteering until this summer and am still in the process of applying. I am applying to five different hospitals at the moment, hoping to get into at least one. I really don't know anything about research or how to get into it, so I thought I would ask my Undergraduate Research Center at my school to hopefully get into something junior year.

So I was wondering if it was still viable for me to try and take the MCAT end of summer between junior year and senior year to apply during senior year. (If I am completely wrong about this scheduling, please correct me.)

Or should I take a year off after senior year to get in more volunteering or research?

I feel like I have gotten into this whole thing way too late and I have a lot to catch up on, so, please, any information or advice you could give me would be amazing. Thanks!

People who go through the application process during their senior year generally take the MCAT in the spring of their junior year, and submit applications in the summer between their junior and senior years.

You don't appear to be on track for this. You will not get in anywhere with no volunteering, and your application will be very late if you are just now getting around to thinking about the MCAT. You should be thinking about applying for the 2011 or 2012 cycle.

 

[Mobius1985]

If you're going into your junior year with a GPA of 3.4, you may need the extra year to raise your GPA enough (3.65 being the mean for accepted students) if you can't get straight As all of next year. If you have a significant research experience on your application (one year), and the usual clinical activity and community service (about 1.5 years is typical, done for 3-4 hours per week, aka clinical volunteering, but a year might be enough), you'd be ready to apply. You can go ahead and take the MCAT whenever you've completed the prerequisites and have had plenty of time to study and take practice tests to get an idea that you'll score in your target range. Also you need to think about the Letters of Reference you'll ask for. And don't forget to get some physician shadowing and a leadership experience.

And BTW, if you take your MCAT at the end of summer 2010, you'd be applying late, and would be at a disadvantage compared to those applying June 1. If you think you can get everything done on time to apply in a year, take the MCAT earlier.

 

[RFS671]

alright thanks for the honest advice guys. I think I might end up taking a year off. ill see how well the volunteering i do this summer goes before i commit, but it is slanting in that direction.

Thanks again guys!