What to do during the 1yr prior to matriculation?

[ocwaveoc]

Hey everyone.
I'm finishing up my prereqs this coming May and will be applying for med schools this coming summer to start school in Fall 08. I'll be studying for the Aug MCAT. So, my summer is tied up. But, come fall of this year and next year I was thinking of working to save up some money as I've pretty much depleted my savings going to school to finish prereqs. On the other hand, I'm afraid that the ADCOM will not look favorably towards not being in school for a year. What is your suggestion. Does anyone know who's had this issue and how he/she handled it or what the ADCOM had to say?
Thanks.
James

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[foofish]

Hey everyone.
I'm finishing up my prereqs this coming May and will be applying for med schools this coming summer to start school in Fall 08. I'll be studying for the Aug MCAT. So, my summer is tied up. But, come fall of this year and next year I was thinking of working to save up some money as I've pretty much depleted my savings going to school to finish prereqs. On the other hand, I'm afraid that the ADCOM will not look favorably towards not being in school for a year. What is your suggestion. Does anyone know who's had this issue and how he/she handled it or what the ADCOM had to say?
Thanks.
James

I'm currently in my "lag year" while applying to med school, and I found a job working in a research lab at a medical school...which if anything, has helped my application. A lot of people in your position either look for a research or clinical job (e.g. clinic/project manager) that often are only looking for a 1-2 year commitment....it shows you continue to be committed to medicine, and gives you something new to talk about in interviews (they definitely will ask on their secondaries or in the interview what you're up to now).

 

[ShyRem]

I was a reapplicant and thus had a "lag year". When asked what I'd been doing in that time, I said I was being a mom to my two children, remodeling my home to put it on the market - ripping out floors, painting, tiling, grinding down uneven concrete floors, tearing out carpet, redoing trim and molding, retrimming out the outside of the house, reframing windows, replaced the front door, landscaping, concrete sidewalks, replaced the fence that blew down, install new light fixtures, take down the nasty popcorn ceiling...

By the time I was partway through with that list, the interviewers generally looked rather impressed and asked if I had time to sleep. One asked if I contracted out my services for popcorn ceilings. Several asked if I wanted to do orthopedics (I don't particularly).

Bottom line: whatever you do, don't lie. Certainly getting a house ready to sell isn't very glamorous, but I didn't lie and it showed I wasn't afraid of hard work.