What Should I Do?!

[Yung Dr. Allie]

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I am a Junior Biology major with minors in Psychology & Chemistry at a small, private 4-year university. My current GPA is 3.73.

I'm starting to freak out a bit because I feel as if I have not had a lot of experience/exposure to medicine/labs and for some reason it's just now hitting me.

I've shadowed a doctor the summer after my freshman year and in the process of completing volunteer registration at a hospital near my school.

I've done about a year of lab work, but it's not medically related; it was a research projected dedicated to determining the effects of different light intensities paired with high temperatures on the effects of coral bleaching.

For the longest time, I know I've wanted to pursue a career in medicine but lately, the realization that I'm kind of behind on my track has discouraged me and now I'm questioning if I even have what it takes anymore because I've let these things slip past me and I feel really stupid for it. x( Given that I don't have too much experience, I was considering taking at least 1 or 2 gap years so I could get more exposure in the field and strengthen my application. However, coming from a fairly strict Filipino household, my parents don't really like the idea of taking the break, and want me to just plow through. But I'm scared I won't get into anything..

What should I do? Any suggestions for lab work, volunteering, MCAT, etc. would be appreciated and really helpful.

 

[Optimist Prime]

It's time to be your own person. Take a gap year and work on volunteering and the MCAT.

 

[Goro]

Yup. OP, you're an adult now. Old enough to vote, drink, smoke, drive, work, pay taxes and fight and die for our country.

Therefore, you can grow a spine and tell your parents that you'll do this on your timetable, or they can F** up your medical career and you apply on theirs.

It's time to be your own person. Take a gap year and work on volunteering and the MCAT.

 

[WedgeDawg]

Moving to pre-allo proper

 

[whatever5]

Tell your parents that without experience in a clinical setting, you will NOT get in. There's no ifs, ands, or buts about it. You will not get in. Work on racking up that experience now, and if you work for a year in a clinical setting post grad you could apply for the following cycle.

 

[padfootmd]

I am a Junior Biology major with minors in Psychology & Chemistry at a small, private 4-year university. My current GPA is 3.73.

I'm starting to freak out a bit because I feel as if I have not had a lot of experience/exposure to medicine/labs and for some reason it's just now hitting me.

I've shadowed a doctor the summer after my freshman year and in the process of completing volunteer registration at a hospital near my school.

I've done about a year of lab work, but it's not medically related; it was a research projected dedicated to determining the effects of different light intensities paired with high temperatures on the effects of coral bleaching.

For the longest time, I know I've wanted to pursue a career in medicine but lately, the realization that I'm kind of behind on my track has discouraged me and now I'm questioning if I even have what it takes anymore because I've let these things slip past me and I feel really stupid for it. x( Given that I don't have too much experience, I was considering taking at least 1 or 2 gap years so I could get more exposure in the field and strengthen my application. However, coming from a fairly strict Filipino household, my parents don't really like the idea of taking the break, and want me to just plow through. But I'm scared I won't get into anything..

What should I do? Any suggestions for lab work, volunteering, MCAT, etc. would be appreciated and really helpful.

I come from a similar background and had this talk with my parents. In the end, they understood. Just explain to them what the process is, that a lot of people take gap years for perfectly legitimate reasons, that it's often even recommended, give them an idea of what you plan to do during said gap year, etc. Just sitting down and having an honest conversation helped my parents understand that it's not at all a negative to take a gap year or two.

 

[Lost in Translation]

I'm also Asian. When I was applying I basically told my parents to **** off and leave me alone with the process. And they have. You just gotta show them who puff daddy is.

Go out there and get some clinical experience. The rest of your app is solid, so check off that clinical box and you're fine.

 

[Yung Dr. Allie]

Tell your parents that without experience in a clinical setting, you will NOT get in. There's no ifs, ands, or buts about it. You will not get in. Work on racking up that experience now, and if you work for a year in a clinical setting post grad you could apply for the following cycle.

This is exactly what I told them. It's mostly my mom that doesn't seem to understand this, but my dad is a little more open to whatever options would be the best for my success in applying. I've told my mom a lot of the benefits of taking the gap years, but she still is iffy.. I guess I just need to make a better presentation of my reasonings!

What's a good amount of clinical experience to have? My bare bare bare minimum is 100 hours. I definitely plan on doing more than that, I just want to know what others have done.

 

[Gibbward]

I know how you feel. My parents were both doctors in the Philippines (my mom is still practicing and is a dean at a med school there), and they've been telling me that maybe I should just go back to the Philippines to study and then head back here to the US for residency... My point is sometimes (most of the time) parents don't understand the med school app process. You just gotta set them straight and tell them they are setting you up for failure by insisting that you apply when you're not ready.

 

[whatever5]

This is exactly what I told them. It's mostly my mom that doesn't seem to understand this, but my dad is a little more open to whatever options would be the best for my success in applying. I've told my mom a lot of the benefits of taking the gap years, but she still is iffy.. I guess I just need to make a better presentation of my reasonings!

What's a good amount of clinical experience to have? My bare bare bare minimum is 100 hours. I definitely plan on doing more than that, I just want to know what others have done.

Well quality over quantity is important for sure, but I would say 150 at the very least. I had upwards of 1000 when I applied though so who knows what's enough.