sports injuries and time off advice

[Vinny Chase]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hi guys, this is my first time here. I kinda got on this whole pre-med train sorta late so I've got a few questions. I just graduated in May but....I'm taking 2 years off before med school cause I haven't taken my MCATs and I have a fairly serious sports injury. I played tennis for my university for three years and around October 06, I suffered a herniated disc. For those of you who don't know what a herniated disc is like, it's very very painful. It was almost impossible to sit for an extended amount of time and also quite difficult walking. This affected my senior year grades pretty significantly. The pain actually got so bad that I almost took 2nd semester of my senior off for surgery (i didn't though)

I've only recently been focusing my entire attention on rehabbing my back. What I'm concerned about is that I know med schools look at what you've done in your gap year(s) pretty closely. From now until around Dec-Jan, I'm not really planning on doing anything except getting my back fully healthy, studying for MCATs, doing some hospital volunteer work (I haven't done much yet), and maybe TAing an anatomy class for the school I just graduated. I'm planning on taking my MCATs in January and doing research at a lab (applying for a position at NIH, CDC) until med school.

So here are my questions..
1. Is the fact that I'm not getting a full time job until January going to reflect badly on me? I'd love to start working earlier, but right now, getting my back 100% healthy is my #1 priority right now.
2. I've heard that it may not be a good idea to tell med schools of my injury cause this may cause them to be a little hesitant of accepting you since you may pose a health liability down the road. So...can the decline of my senior year grades (and not getting a job) be explained due to my injury? I've heard quite a few differing opinions on what to do.
3. If I'm not able to get a TA position, does anyone have any ideas on what I can do while studying for the MCATs until Dec-Jan? Would just volunteer work suffice or do I need to find something else to do?
4. Not that I can help this any, but is it true that a high MCAT score taken as a college graduate is given less respect than say, a high MCAT score taken the summer before junior year?

Thanks so much!

 

[146233]

Okay... It's important to get your back feeling better. Tell med schools about it - you can use the whole experience to bolster your decision to study medicine, understand the importance of physicians properly managing pain, etc. They will certainly understand that you had little time for anything else, and shouldn't view you as a liability at all - provided you make progress in rehab.

As for the MCAT, a score is a score. Medical schools don't have the time to look when each applicant took the test and in what context. Study, score well, and it'll be a non-issue.

There are several other threads that pertain to EC ideas; do a search and look for advice there.

It sounds like you have quite a road ahead of you. Focus on getting well and the rest will follow in due course. Good luck!

 

[QTCL13]

Yeah, I def. agree with TheRealMD. I tore my rotator cuff and had to have 2 surgeries, and spent a lot of time recovering and not much else. Make sure you take care of yourself first. The whole nature of health is unpredictable: doctors, admissions committees, etc. will understand as long as you do the best you can.

 

[GreenShirt]

Get better and study hard! It sounds like you have some activities planned for your down time and they should be good experiences.

 

[ssquared]

I had a chronic condition in college that prevented me from attending classes, and my grades suffered as a result. Good for you for taking the time to get healthy; I was too stubborn to drop out of school for even a week to take the time to heal. Explain the injury and what you've gotten from the experience, and you'll be fine.

And volunteering while you're studying for the MCAT is fine. That way, you'll have ample time to study and you won't be bored or stressed by a job that you don't really want/need. I did the full-time thing while studying, and it sucks.

Good luck getting better!