Taking a year off. advisable for my situation?

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[AlexB]

your in a good spot; you just need to retake that MCAT. If your scoring in the 33 range consecutively, I'd focus on your weaknesses and aim for a 35.

edit: considering you'll have extra time now, because your taking a year off.

 

[Grobe57214]

Where are you in-state?

 

[organdonor]

Hey guys,

This is my first post!

I will be a senior in the fall and I am 99% percent sure I'm taking a year off to retake my mcat and get more clinical experience. I took the mcat last august and only managed a 28R and right now have a 3.67 GPA and only a 3.6 science GPA (had a terrible junior year for personal reasons, got a c+ and three B+ in my upper level biochem classes).

I was sick during the mcat and was getting 33+ in all AAMC exams (i took all of them plus kaplan's for practice) so im confident i will do better when i retake the mcat.

i have a lot of volunteering and ECs: spent 2 hrs a week for the past 2 years at a clinic/ nursing home for disabled patients. I've been an RA (Resident Assisant) since last year and will continue that this year. I've been doing an independent study in a biochem lab for the past year and am working in the lab this summer as well. I'm the captain/ participated in intramural sports teams (basketball, football and soccer) since freshman year.

I need shadowing experience, how can i do this with the current privacy regulations? Im not even an EMT so i think that might hinder my chances of getting into a hospital to shadow? Would working at a doctors office front desk count as "shadowing"?

I have a few ideas for my year off:
1. get "in-hospital" experience
2. do a 5th year masters program
3. find a lab position in academia/industry
4. do Teach for America (2yr commitment tho)
5. apply to special masters program at some med schools that will boost your chances of getting into that med school

if you all could comment on how my credentials look; weakness/strengths/things to improve (besides the GPA which will go up senior year) and about my ideas for a year off that would be great! also let me know of other opportunities for a year off!

I dont think its a good idea for me to apply this cycle because my stats are obviously not good enough, I prefer to apply to MD schools and dont want to go to the Caribbean for med school..

Although a 28R isn't a very competitive score if you are applying OOS, it is probably right around what your in state school would accept for residents. If you've got letter writers, try applying to your in state schools. If you have only one in state public school, try applying via EDP if you can.

Is there a specific reason why you don't want to apply to DO schools? You would be extremely competitive as a DO applicant. I work with DO's and MD's in a hospital and noone even knows the difference, including the nurses. There is no difference in pay, no difference in prestige, and despite what you hear on here DO's enter competitive residencies all the time. Most of the DO's I work with are orthopedic surgeons. MD=DO=doctor.

I would at least apply if I were you, with a strong back up option. Lets say you would earn about 200k a year as a doctor. If you happen to get admitted one year earlier, thats like an extra 200k (not exactly, but I think you understand what I am getting at). Even if your chances are below average, I think it is worth a shot for an extra 200k in the bank.

*also retake that MCAT as soon as possible! Some schools advertise that they accept MCAT scores for this cycle until about August/September or so and many will extend that if they are on the fence and it is the only thing holding you back.

 

[InterMilan]

Where are you in-state?

A 28R would be well acceptable if he were a Texas resident ...

 

[Grobe57214]

How do you know he is a Texas resident? The reason I ask is because in New York, it would be tough to get in with a 28.

 

[banner18]

im in MA. i dont mind DO schools but id like to specialize in oncology( well see how that changes in a few years) and the pre-med advisors were telling me that MD's get a better chance at good residency programs. in any case, DO is definitely a great option but i feel that id take a year off anyways since its already a little late to retake (i want to ace the mcat the second time without any rushing) and submit my app the next year on the june 2 (or whenever the applications first opens)

 

[docelh]

plan sounds legit.

 

[banner18]

what do you guys think about my EC's? i feel that it is almost exactly like every other pre-med applicant which is part of the reason why im taking a year off to improve the resume and also hopefully get some shadowing done.

dont you feel that my grades are little low? especially the science gpa.

 

[azrael87]

First off, a 3.67 overall isn't too bad seeing as how it was my ending GPA. Pumping it up a little more never hurts of course. If you can just pull up the MCAT and get some clinical experience on your belt, I'd say you're in good shape.

In your shoes, I'd register for an end of summer MCAT (unless you're already registered and ready for an early one). This way you can spend plenty of time studying up and get that 33 (or higher). Then you can start the master's program in the fall and start shadowing.

As for how to start shadowing, there's a few roads to take there. You don't need to be an EMT or anything like that. Do you have any personal contact with physicians? Ask them if they or anyone they know would be interested in being shadowed. Even if you don't have a personal contact, you can call a hospital or doctor's office directly and ask what you would need to do to begin shadowing a physician. Different hospitals and individual doctors have different policies, so it'll vary. Do your digging now so by the time you start up in the fall, everything is already set up. If you really feel the need to get your foot in the door before you start shadowing, apply to volunteer in a hospital first.

As for lab stuff, if you can find a job in one, go for it. Just make sure you can properly balance your time with the lab work, master's program, shadowing/volunteering, and your personal life.


EDIT: For some reason I was thinking you'd be going into the Master's program THIS year. If you've got a year left to shadow, volunteer, raise your GPA, etc, then I'm not sure you'll even need to do any grad classes. IF you'd really rather wait, just use this year to pump up your EC's, apply first thing next June, and just keep yourself occupied during the year off (ideally, saving up money for all the application expenses).

 

[banner18]

First off, a 3.67 overall isn't too bad seeing as how it was my ending GPA. Pumping it up a little more never hurts of course. If you can just pull up the MCAT and get some clinical experience on your belt, I'd say you're in good shape.

In your shoes, I'd register for an end of summer MCAT (unless you're already registered and ready for an early one). This way you can spend plenty of time studying up and get that 33 (or higher). Then you can start the master's program in the fall and start shadowing.

As for how to start shadowing, there's a few roads to take there. You don't need to be an EMT or anything like that. Do you have any personal contact with physicians? Ask them if they or anyone they know would be interested in being shadowed. Even if you don't have a personal contact, you can call a hospital or doctor's office directly and ask what you would need to do to begin shadowing a physician. Different hospitals and individual doctors have different policies, so it'll vary. Do your digging now so by the time you start up in the fall, everything is already set up. If you really feel the need to get your foot in the door before you start shadowing, apply to volunteer in a hospital first.

As for lab stuff, if you can find a job in one, go for it. Just make sure you can properly balance your time with the lab work, master's program, shadowing/volunteering, and your personal life.

I was planning on taking the mcat around the end of summer/ start of senior year.

i dont exactly have personal contact with physicians but ill try calling my doctor and start asking around.

do you think doing the masters program is the best thing to do in my year off? ive heard that masters programs always try to keep you for more than 1 year or that its just too difficult to finish up a masters in one year.

if i just did clinical work/ shadowing for a year along with some tutoring would that be better?

 

[azrael87]

do you think doing the masters program is the best thing to do in my year off? ive heard that masters programs always try to keep you for more than 1 year or that its just too difficult to finish up a masters in one year.

if i just did clinical work/ shadowing for a year along with some tutoring would that be better?

I had to edit my first post after I realized I didn't properly address this, but in summary, no I don't think the master's program is necessary for you at all. You'd be starting it months after your application is already submitted anyway. You should stay somewhat busy in your year off, but not necessarily with more full time schooling. The clinical/shadowing and tutoring along with the boosted MCAT and GPA will be fine IMO. If you really wanted to take more classes, I'd look more into post-bacc programs rather than master's cuz like you said they are generally 2 years.

 

[banner18]

OK i know this is a really old thread but im starting it up again so its all in one place..

I've decided on taking a gap year following graduation in spring 2011 (college went too fast!!) and after talking to many people about SMP's and masters programs i feel like they are a waste of money for me since i already have a "decent" GPA.

so, do you think that its wise to get CNA certification? have any CNA's had good experiences/ recommend it in their gap year before applying to med school?

I do NOT want to do any more research since i've done a shisssh load in my ugrad (3+ years, 10 hrs per week plus a thesis paper) and i really cant do work in a lab all day i need more human interaction haha

also i do not want to do teach for america because its a two year commitment, three of my friends are doing TFA and its swallowing up their lives, no time to even think about med school

what other options do i have for just a one year program??

 

[denco88]

OK i know this is a really old thread but im starting it up again so its all in one place..

I've decided on taking a gap year following graduation in spring 2011 (college went too fast!!) and after talking to many people about SMP's and masters programs i feel like they are a waste of money for me since i already have a "decent" GPA.

so, do you think that its wise to get CNA certification? have any CNA's had good experiences/ recommend it in their gap year before applying to med school?

I do NOT want to do any more research since i've done a shisssh load in my ugrad (3+ years, 10 hrs per week plus a thesis paper) and i really cant do work in a lab all day i need more human interaction haha

also i do not want to do teach for america because its a two year commitment, three of my friends are doing TFA and its swallowing up their lives, no time to even think about med school

what other options do i have for just a one year program??

I didn't personally do it since I'm not taking a year off, but I know someone who did CNA.... I wouldn't say she loved it, but she said it was a great experience and taught her that she really wanted to be a doctor and the adcoms loved it

 

[Silverfalcon]

OK i know this is a really old thread but im starting it up again so its all in one place..

I've decided on taking a gap year following graduation in spring 2011 (college went too fast!!) and after talking to many people about SMP's and masters programs i feel like they are a waste of money for me since i already have a "decent" GPA.

so, do you think that its wise to get CNA certification? have any CNA's had good experiences/ recommend it in their gap year before applying to med school?

I do NOT want to do any more research since i've done a shisssh load in my ugrad (3+ years, 10 hrs per week plus a thesis paper) and i really cant do work in a lab all day i need more human interaction haha

also i do not want to do teach for america because its a two year commitment, three of my friends are doing TFA and its swallowing up their lives, no time to even think about med school

what other options do i have for just a one year program??

I would get more hours in volunteering and shadowing before you worry about another certification. You have GPA and research, so if you get that MCAT up, you will be in a good shape. MCAT is by far the most important thing for your case (than any other factor).