The Confusion with doing a Fifth Year(Super-Senior)/Gap Year and applying to Medical School

[Monkeyman32]

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I am a rising sophomore at a large public university in the tri-state area and I'm considering a fifth year(GPA bump,research opportunities, travel obligations, and just a chance to better my app). To clarify, I'm going to apply to med school during the summer of 2020(that summer after the fifth year graduation) and my MCAT scores will be available before the summer of 2020 as well.

As to my question(s),and source of confusion, what constitutes a gap year for a fifth year student and will the medical schools see the coursework for the fifth-year if one were to apply a month after graduation(June-July)?

While searching for this information I found one poster who provided the following guidelines for a fifth year student who wishes to apply to med schools immediately after graduation.

"What?
If you want all your grades to be out:
May - you graduate
June - you apply to med school
For the next 14 months, you pray to Budda/God/whoever - that you are accepted (directly or from wait-list)
August - start school
That's 1 gap year".

@moisne

Other posters insisted that a fifth year senior should wait the following summer in order to apply, so the med schools will see the fifth year grades. I would appreciate any knowledge on this subject/civil feedback.

Best Regards,
Monkeyman32

 

[Lucca]

It's all about applying when you feel most ready to apply.

To be clear, an application cycle begins in the summer of year 1 and ends in the summer of year 2 to matriculate in the fall/late summer of year 2. Thus, a gap year refers to spending the year of the application cycle while not enrolled in class. Certainly, you could apply after your fourth year, do the app cycle during your fifth, and matriculate directly after graduating undergrad with 0 gap years.

If GPA repair is necessary, a fifth year followed by a gap year would allow you to have 2 more years of grades than a "traditional" applicant who applies directly after typically three years of school. It also gives you more time to prepare for the MCAT is necessary. It may also cost a boatload of money to stay another year in undergrad and how much you are gaining from a year of classes when you already have 100+ GPA hours is questionable.

A gap year after a fourth year adds only a single year of classes but offers the opportunity to do something non-academic or academic that you did not have the opportunity to do as an undergrad. It might even earn you some money above living expenses depending on what you do and allow you to save for the costs of the application cycle on your own should you need to.

My advice would be to choose the path where you feel you will be more enriched, gain more, lose less (all of which is trivial advice) but to also only apply when you are absolutely ready. If there is something else you have the chance to do in undergrad and won't be able to do later in your career but it would require you to push your app back, I would say just do it. Nobody I have spoken to has regretted taking time off from school as long as you are doing something productive and interesting to you.

 

[Monkeyman32]

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My advice would be to choose the path where you feel you will be more enriched, gain more, lose less (all of which is trivial advice) but to also only apply when you are absolutely ready. If there is something else you have the chance to do in undergrad and won't be able to do later in your career but it would require you to push your app back, I would say just do it. Nobody I have spoken to has regretted taking time off from school as long as you are doing something productive and interesting to you.

Thank you for your reply and for the advice,Lucca. My university is extremely affordable, mainly because I live off campus, but I understand your reasoning. As of now, I'm taking things slow, day-to-day basis, improving my application as best as I can, then I will apply when all of my ducks are in a row. It doesn't make sense to apply when you know you're not ready, academically, mentally or physically, to only crash and burn after MS1 or something.

Best Regards,
Monkeyman32

 

[moisne]

Why did you tag me? Confused...

Oh is that my quote? However many years you aren't in school is considered a "gap year". Some refer it to however many years after undergrad.

Don't worry about the details. Do as well as you can. If the final semester GPA makes a large impact on your application, then wait. If not... Don't.