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Is taking a semester off to study for mcats considered really bad? I only have to take 3 courses to graduate and I plan on putting them off for next semester (fall).
Taking a semester off
- Thread starter vectorman
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So you're going to have a semester off then come back and take three more courses? Schools are going to want you to explain that gap (and studying for MCATs won't really do). You are better off finishing early and then studying the following semester.
My school's on the quarter system and I only took one class during winter (second) quarter to study for the MCAT. It was Biochem II and offered only during the winter. Nobody, though, has ever asked about that quarter.
It might be different to take off an entire semester, though, because it's half a year and no classes at all.
It might be different to take off an entire semester, though, because it's half a year and no classes at all.
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I took a semester off to study for the May MCAT. Then I audited a summer class and took a full semester the next semester. I've been accepted to med school and nobody ever asked me about the time off! My MCAT went up 5 points so it was definately worth it! I did some shadowing and volunteer work during that semester so it wouldn't be a completely dead gap on my application.
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Gee, if you can't take undergrad classes and study for the MCAT at the same time, how on earth are you going to go to med school and prep for Step 1?
It's one thing to take a lighter course load, but to simply take off to study for one test seems pretty silly to me.
It's one thing to take a lighter course load, but to simply take off to study for one test seems pretty silly to me.
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I think that's harsh. Everybody has a different pace and different way of studying and the MCAT is a big deal. I don't think there is anything wrong with vectorman's idea. I did the same thing and no one asked me at interviews about that gap; though I did continue to work 15 hours a week just to maintain my sanity.
Vectorman - you may want to think about having something small on the side just to have something else to think about because believe me, just having the MCAT can get really draining. Even with my job, there were times when I felt overwhelmed having the MCAT as the primary focus in my life.
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🙄 he has the time to burn anyways. If I could take longer for Step 1, I would, but you make do with what you have. He has a choice here, and I think it's a perfectly reasonable option to take the semester off in this case.
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Granted, I'm getting to where I'm pretty far removed from my MCAT, but it is offered at the end of the summer, right? Why not graduate this semester and then study all summer for the August MCAT? Results will be back in time for you to apply in September and you will have all year to interview, earn some money and volunteer/work in a research lab. I don't know that studying for the MCAT for a semester will benefit you that much more than studying for a couple of months, and you may learn something in those last three classes that help you on the exam.
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Well, your med school classes to a large degree are going to be your initial prep for Step 1, but most people do have 5-8 weeks of time after second year to devote exclusively to Step 1 studying.
I still think a semester-long gap in your schooling is going to look odd to some people unless you can explain what you were doing in that time (in addition to MCAT prep).
