timeline question

[thetaiota]

Let's say there's a premed who just finished junior year. They're taking the MCAT this summer and starting senior year in September. Their plan is to send in their application in 2020, right after they get their college degree. What if at the time of their application during the summer of 2020, they don't have any research or shadowing hours, or they've just started doing those activities? Would it be okay to spend the year of 2020-21 doing research and shadowing, while those applications have already been submitted?

If it's not okay, then do students just wait another year before applying? But then their MCAT would almost be expired, right?

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[ihoop24]

Do not submit an application without any shadowing or other important EC's. Adcoms don't take projected hours into much consideration because it is not guaranteed that they will be completed. If your hours are low, take a gap year then apply the following year with updated EC's.

 

[Moko]

Start shadowing and volunteering now if you / this hypothetical premed have not already started doing so. These are essentially baseline requirements for any med school applicant.

Research is not mandatory by any means, but most folks applying to research-heavy schools will have some research experience at the time of application. Competitive applicants without research experience usually make up for it in other parts of their application.