Starting college in spring instead of fall - timeline differences for mcat and med school admission

[Destalchemy]

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Hey guys, I plan on starting school at a cc this next semester and then using my states 4 year transfer program. At some point the difference of starting my spring semester rather than fall is going to catch up to me; I'm just trying to figure out how to adjust for this

 

[Dr panda]

You can catch up by taking summer classes

 

[LizzyM]

Plan on taking a gap half year. Use Jan-Apr to study for MCAT and prepare your personal statement without the aggravation of taking classes at the same time. Work and/or volunteer during that last 6 months before submitting your application, too. (You should be doing community service and getting clinical experience, including shadowing, starting next summer at the latest.)

 

[Rachapkis]

Taking a gap year (or half year) is common among medical school applicants. The gap will give you a chance to improve your ECs and to study for the MCAT. I do not see it as a negative at all.

 

[Destalchemy]

Plan on taking a gap half year. Use Jan-Apr to study for MCAT and prepare your personal statement without the aggravation of taking classes at the same time. Work and/or volunteer during that last 6 months before submitting your application, too. (You should be doing community service and getting clinical experience, including shadowing, starting next summer at the latest.)

Wouldn't taking the mcat after I graduate be a gap year and a half? Do you mean to take the mcat 4th year, apply by summer/fall during my last semester, and then have Jan-July to volunteer, etc with no classes?

 

[Destalchemy]

Sorry, poor wording - I have started volunteering and dont plan to squeeze it all in.

I was planning on taking a gap but not two years considering I'll be 30 entering med school and dont want to be even further behind. Maybe its wishful thinking, but a year and a half gap seems unnecessary for someone a bit older like myself with more life experience. Whereas 6 months still gives me that gap while not putting me behind a whole 2 application cycles from people applying traditionally.

I always figured the large gap years were for the really bad gpas or the young, inexperienced kids who have only been students there whole life or the ones who are reapplying. Would that be an ignorant assumptiion?

 

[LizzyM]

Here's what I'd suggest that leaves you with 18 months or so between college graduation and matriculation to medical school

Get letters of recommendation lined up and submitted to Interfolio by the time you graduate.
Take MCAT in April or May after graduation.
Have personal statement and application ready to submit by May 30.
Have all secondaries written and submitted by July 4th.
Have committee letter (if using) submitted by September 1 (check committee deadlines carefully, some start 9 months in advance of this date).

If you want a shorter gap, change the the words "after graduation" to "before graduation" and do everything a year earlier (when you still have 6 months before being awarded the degree.

 

[KnightDoc]

Wouldn't taking the mcat after I graduate be a gap year and a half? Do you mean to take the mcat 4th year, apply by summer/fall during my last semester, and then have Jan-July to volunteer, etc with no classes?

No, I think you are correct, and the only way for you to take the MCAT without having to worry about classes would be to take a gap year and a half. The only way to avoid that is to take summer classes to get yourself on the medical school application cycle, which is geared to the traditional academic year.