What else can I do?

[Onebyone]

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I'm new to the forums and I have a few questions. I need some new perspectives on my situation!

Short summary: I am a junior at GWU with a major in Psychology, concentration in Cognitive Neuroscience, and a minor in Biology. I decided a year late that I wanted to do go to medical school. During my freshman year I took only a single pre-med requirement class. I decided that summer that I wanted to go the pre-med route so I took Bio I,II and Chem I,II my sophomore year. Now I'm taking Organic I and several higher level biology courses, but I feel behind.

Stats: My freshman year GPA was a 3.65. I didn't do too well in my first core sciences (cGPA after sophomore year is 3.56). Now, however, I have to bomb my finals to not get A's in all my classes (including Organic I, Neurobiology, and Visual Perception). Next semester I'm taking Organic II, Cell Bio, and a graduate class in Cognitive Neuroscience among other non-med related classes.

I work in a lab for the CogNeuro department. I started as an RA in the spring of my sophomore year but next semester I will be running my own study and should hopefully get a published paper out of it before I graduate. I'm also looking to volunteer at a suicide hotline starting next semester when I turn 21 (you have to be 21 in DC to volunteer).

My main question: When should I take the MCAT?

Option 1: Take the MCAT at the end of this summer. I had Physics I in high school, no Physics II yet, no Physiology, no Micro, no Genetics. I really need to re-learn general chem as well because I feel it is a weak spot. To take the MCAT this summer I would take Physics II during the first half of the summer and study everything else on my own.

Option 2: Take the MCAT next spring and apply a year late. That way I would have time to take more science classes and adequately review material I don't feel comfortable with. But often so many people are hesitant to "take a year off" and I have no idea what I would do in that gap year. I have no money as it is so finding a paying job would have to be a top priority. I cannot definitively cater to med schools' definitions of a useful gap year.

One last question: Is there anything else I can do to help my application that I haven't already mentioned? I'm looking to realistically boost my GPA to a 3.7-3.75 before I graduate and I really want to prove that my sophomore year performance is not reflective of my abilities. I had some pretty severe outside factors in play during that year but I don't think it's appropriate to make excuses.

Sorry for being a bit long winded; I'm just feeling overwhelmed with all of these choices!

 

[Catalystik]

I agree with option II. You'll need 1.5 years to get your ECs beefed up. It sounds like the research activity will be fine. The only community service you mention is the Suicide Hotline, not yet begun, which also has relevance to clinical medicine. But you'll need true clinical experience as well where you interact with sick people, and the average applicant has 1.5 years of this. I'd cross the border into Maryland if you have to, and also start volunteering in a hospital (maybe a psych unit, but you need experience with medically-ill people too), clinic, nursing home, hospice, etc. Just 3-4 hours per week is fine. Don't forget that most med schools like to see some physician shadowing time. I'd suggest 2-3 types of doc, of varying specialties. What about leadership, teaching, other community service, hobbies, interest in the Arts, sports? These are additional desirable elements to list on your Primary application. With your interest in Psych, you might consider becoming a peer counselor for students with drug and alcohol issues. You could volunteer at a needle exchange program or a homeless shelter (where I understand that mental health issues are rampant). Your application should reflect an interesting person with a passion about something, not some last minute activities that show you jumped through the expected hoops.

I think that taking the MCAT at the end of next summer, when you've completed all the prerequisites and have had at least two months of dedicated study time is a good idea. Then you'll have room for a retake in January-April if necessary (but try to get it right the first time).

For your gap year, just get a job and stay involved in some type of clinical activity. Adcomms understand that you have to make a living.

 

[Onebyone]

Thank you for the excellent response. I could definitely get involved in something like volunteering for a homeless shelter; I never made the connection that the majority of people you would be helping are mentally ill. I have always wondered how much weight ECs that are not med-related have. I'm a bit of a fish nerd and live right next to the National Aquarium, and have considered volunteering there. But wouldn't my volunteering time be better spent studying or doing some other volunteer work that would stand out on my application?

When you say the end of next summer you mean 2011 after I graduate right? I just hope I have studied Organic, etc, well enough to remember then!

 

[Catalystik]

I'm a bit of a fish nerd and live right next to the National Aquarium, and have considered volunteering there. But wouldn't my volunteering time be better spent studying or doing some other volunteer work that would stand out on my application?

When you say the end of next summer you mean 2011 after I graduate right? I just hope I have studied Organic, etc, well enough to remember then!

I think being a fish nerd volunteering as a docent at an aquarium would make you stand out. It seems to me that such a position would include the desired "teaching" element that adcomms like to see.

By 'end of next summer', I meant September through October of 2010 for the MCAT (with the backup being Jan-May 2011), assuming you plan to apply June 2011.

I guess my plan is really a fusion of both of elements of both of yours. I don't see you as having an optimal application before summer 2011.