Taking another year off to add volunteering and community service?

[Qwerty2013]

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Hello,
I am a senior and I was thinking of submitting AMCAS in 2015 but I realized that my community service and volunteering hours are lacking:-(. Until now, I've been heavily involved in research + summer research program, some shadowing and limited school activities.
sGPA and cGPA are both 3.8+. (Not counting the college classes I took while in HS...my current Undergrad GPA is 3.9+) and I have yet to take the MCAT-conflicted on whether I should cram and take it this year or take the new 2015 MCAT....
It seems like re-applying to med school is frowned upon and my premed advisor tells students to hold off from applying until they feel very ready to apply. Sure, maybe if I apply broadly I might get in somewhere...but would it be worth holding off another year (to spent a year doing community service and do clinical volunteering) so I may increase my chances of being accepted to at least a med-level tier med school? If I wait a year, I would be also better prepared for MCAT 2015 (which is a big unknown at this point).
Thanks! ^^

 

[zaben]

Do it. Most people who I have seen at interviews are not still in school, but are doing what you want to (volunteer/research etc) for a year right after they graduate. A lot of people I meet are also just spending the year after graduation traveling/seeing the world. Just do something that gives you more material to talk about in an interview/stand out as unique to some person clicking through applications and you are good.

 

[Great White Buffalo]

The average age of matriculation is creeping up, around 24-25 years old, so from a competitive standpoint, more folks are having more experience that you will competing with for a spot. After undergrad, take a year or so to beef up your weak spots and do your best to prepare for the MCAT. You won't regret it, and I agree with your advisor's advice, reapplicants have a bit of a disadvantage. Do it once, do it right, and make sure you've put your best effort into it. Take all the time you need, and hopefully you have a supportive family that will help you during your gap year(s) Best wishes.

 

[Dr. Retractor]

Aside from there not being many seats left for the MCAT, it wouldn't be a good idea to cram for a few months, especially if you're in school. I would recommend taking the 2015 MCAT, taking a gap year, and improving the volunteer aspect of your application.

Higher MCAT + More volunteering/clinical experience + good GPA = get into a better med school, which is worth an extra year.

 

[Bronxzoo]

So I would say that the two things to think about now are your MCAT and LoR. From the extracurricular side, if you have good research experiences, that can make up for volunteering experiences. The important thing is how ready you feel about getting a good MCAT and good LoRs. Your GPA is fine as it is already.

From a career perspective, if you do decide to take a year off, I might recommend more focus on research (specifically, if you're spending a whole year on it, aim to publish). When it comes to residency application, the publication you produced during your time off MATTERS! When it comes to applying for fellowships, the publication you produced during your time off MATTERS! When it comes to applying to academic attending jobs, the publication you produced during your time off MATTERS!

On the other hand, no one except medical school admissions will ever care about the extra volunteering experience. Residencies, fellowships, and job interviewers... just don't care about how much community service you've done... at all. There seems to be a lot of disconnect between what pre-med advisors say and... you know, reality

 

[Ace Khalifa]

So I would say that the two things to think about now are your MCAT and LoR. From the extracurricular side, if you have good research experiences, that can make up for volunteering experiences. The important thing is how ready you feel about getting a good MCAT and good LoRs. Your GPA is fine as it is already.

From a career perspective, if you do decide to take a year off, I might recommend more focus on research (specifically, if you're spending a whole year on it, aim to publish). When it comes to residency application, the publication you produced during your time off MATTERS! When it comes to applying for fellowships, the publication you produced during your time off MATTERS! When it comes to applying to academic attending jobs, the publication you produced during your time off MATTERS!

On the other hand, no one except medical school admissions will ever care about the extra volunteering experience. Residencies, fellowships, and job interviewers... just don't care about how much community service you've done... at all. There seems to be a lot of disconnect between what pre-med advisors say and... you know, reality

For those of us who aren't planning on going into academics and who actually love volunteering and service, this advice is flawed. OP, take the time to volunteer. Remember, medicine is a service profession first and foremost. Why would you pursue this profession if you didn't want to help others?

 

[Qwerty2013]

So I would say that the two things to think about now are your MCAT and LoR. From the extracurricular side, if you have good research experiences, that can make up for volunteering experiences. The important thing is how ready you feel about getting a good MCAT and good LoRs. Your GPA is fine as it is already.

From a career perspective, if you do decide to take a year off, I might recommend more focus on research (specifically, if you're spending a whole year on it, aim to publish). When it comes to residency application, the publication you produced during your time off MATTERS! When it comes to applying for fellowships, the publication you produced during your time off MATTERS! When it comes to applying to academic attending jobs, the publication you produced during your time off MATTERS!

On the other hand, no one except medical school admissions will ever care about the extra volunteering experience. Residencies, fellowships, and job interviewers... just don't care about how much community service you've done... at all. There seems to be a lot of disconnect between what pre-med advisors say and... you know, reality

I work in a bio research lab whether projects move very slowly (just the nature of the research). I may have a small coauthorship by the spring but I cannot say that the gap year will directly lead to publication(s). Sure, no one except med school admissions will care about volunteering in soup kitchens, club memberships etc...but getting into a good med school is precisely the issue at hand lol