Should I withdraw my AMCAS 2019 app and apply next year for this job offer?

[dogcathorsedog]

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Was wondering if people could give me advice on whether to keep my app in this cycle or withdraw before it is verified and apply again next year.

Recently graduated and was planning on taking one gap year to live at home and work/volunteer at a clinic. After a week realized I didn't like the gig as there was no real work assigned to me. Decided to quit and sent out some applications to research technician jobs. Got offered a job at a big hospital in NYC doing cancer research. They want a two-year commitment.

Submitted my AMCAS application on June 16th so probably will not be verified for five more days. If i withdraw now and apply in a year I will be able to include this position in my activities section and probably get another letter of rec out of it (Maybe a pub even who knows?). Or I can keep this close to the chest and break on my commitment after one year as a tech assuming I get an acceptance. For some context I am not totally confident in my ability to procure an acceptance this cycle due to my low gPA (3.4 GPA but 519 MCAT).

Any advice or considerations would be helpful as I probably have three days to decide. Thanks

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

It's not worth it in my opinion. You will likely procure an acceptance given a solid school list

 

[don't you dare]

do you have to retake the mcat?

 

[Catalystik]

Was wondering if people could give me advice on whether to keep my app in this cycle or withdraw before it is verified and apply again next year.

Recently graduated and was planning on taking one gap year to live at home and work/volunteer at a clinic. After a week realized I didn't like the gig as there was no real work assigned to me. Decided to quit and sent out some applications to research technician jobs. Got offered a job at a big hospital in NYC doing cancer research. They want a two-year commitment.

Submitted my AMCAS application on June 16th so probably will not be verified for five more days. If i withdraw now and apply in a year I will be able to include this position in my activities section and probably get another letter of rec out of it (Maybe a pub even who knows?). Or I can keep this close to the chest and break on my commitment after one year as a tech assuming I get an acceptance. For some context I am not totally confident in my ability to procure an acceptance this cycle due to my low gPA (3.4 GPA but 519 MCAT).

Any advice or considerations would be helpful as I probably have three days to decide. Thanks

A year of research and some pubs will not help adcomms overlook your lower GPA or make you a candidate for typical research-oriented med schools. Take the job because YOU want the experience, but in the meantime work on other weaknesses in your application.

Advice above based on a less-than-complete understanding of your overall application, without regard to possible moderating factors.

 

[dogcathorsedog]

A year of research and some pubs will not help adcomms overlook your lower GPA or make you a candidate for typical research-oriented med schools. Take the job because YOU want the experience, but in the meantime work on other weaknesses in your application.

Advice above based on a less-than-complete understanding of your overall application, without regard to possible moderating factors.

Thank you for the input. I think I did not make it clear that I do plan on taking the offer regardless, I am very excited to be working in this lab and the research interests me, but I need advice on whether it would be wise to make a two year commitment and then renege after one year or if I should withdraw. If I took two years off it would give me more time to work on the weakness of my application, is that what you were suggesting?

do you have to retake the mcat?

No my score will not expire by next cycle.

 

[21Rush12]

Take the lab job and then if you have to leave to go to Med school you just go. Life happens.

 

[Catalystik]

I think I did not make it clear that I do plan on taking the offer regardless, I am very excited to be working in this lab and the research interests me, but I need advice on whether it would be wise to make a two year commitment and then renege after one year or if I should withdraw. If I took two years off it would give me more time to work on the weakness of my application, is that what you were suggesting?

If you renege after a year you have no hope of getting a strong LOR from them. Planning on continuing for the full two-year commitment is your best course. If you withdraw your application before verification, you'll get all your money back except for the base rate for one school.

If this venue has a university affiliation, you might check into whether it comes with free tuition benefits so you can buff up your GPA without taking a hit to your finances. If you work full-time, you can't take full-time coursework and strengthen your ECs, but you could get, say, 30 semester hours in during a two-year period going part-time.

 

[curkholderia]

Most employment in the US should be at-will, the two-year commitment is probably not legally binding, just don’t sign any contracts. You’ll burn some bridges, sure, but life happens

 

[Walter Raleigh]

Burn the bridge if you have to; it's not worth withdrawing unless you are seriously on the fence.