what to do in a year off before med. school?

[nidal abilmona]

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hi everyone,
after i finish my senior year, i'll do my mcat and apply to med school. so i will have a year off before med. school. what is the best thing that i should do? some friends told me to do research, can u help me know more about conducting medical research? such as: where? with whom? in what field? publishing the research... etc ... or give me alternatives

 

[brsboarder]

you have a lot to think about, but there are many posts on the topic. Research is easy to come by and I hope your not serious about where or with whom. However, if you are, there are two quick answers. One being, where you are, the other being what you want to work on. You might hate research if your not interested in the subject. However, as an example, if you lived in Boston, I would suggest checking out MGH, BU, Tufts and Harvard. Other things you can do include things you might not get to do at any other time in your life. Apply early, get a normal job then travel starting in January. Get a job in a field you might have some interest in but know that your not going to do it. Anything. Jeez, explore your options, do some research,

figure out what makes you happy and do it

 

[missbee]

Going a completely different route here, but I figure if you have all your stats, why not take a break? You're going to be working your ass off for the next 4 yrs + residency + possibly fellowship + blah blah so live it up while you can!
Travel!

 

[cbrons]

If i got a year off before med school, I'd go live in another country for at least 9 months, learn a new language.

 

[FlowLimited]

...although you don't want to completely slack off between undergrad and med school. A lot of schools will ask you what you've been doing during the gap, and it won't look very good if you tell them you've been sitting around your house watching TV. But travel is good, and everyone needs a break sometimes. So do what you want, but just do something and not nothing.

There are a lot of "academic" options too besides research. You might want to look at what sort of things your application may be lacking and try and boost those areas. More volunteering, shadowing, etc. My best advice would be to do something that you actually enjoy. It'll be more genuine, and you'll better be able to talk about it on secondaries and during interviews.

 

[tres]

I'm no pro.. but here's my $0.02:
Try to network and see if there are professors at your univ. looking for a research assistant.

However, unless you already have experience working in a lab, it might be difficult to find a job as a research assistant for only a year (most people don't want to train for such a short period).

But if you have.... Look online at universities in your area, esp. medical schools, there should be tons of those openings. There is rapid turnover of students in those jobs.
Make sure you research exactly what you will be doing before you commit yourself to a year of monotonous, meticulous bench work!

State agencies could have some positions for entry level research assistants. Biotech companies also like to hire new grads.

There are some clinical research positions that are interesting and don't require any previous experience. Look for those in hospitals, cancer centers etc.

You could do Americorp for a year. That's tons of fun. There might be a site in your area or you could relocate. The application process might take a while but so will your other options...

 

[ufgrad00]

hi everyone,
after i finish my senior year, i'll do my mcat and apply to med school. so i will have a year off before med. school. what is the best thing that i should do? some friends told me to do research, can u help me know more about conducting medical research? such as: where? with whom? in what field? publishing the research... etc ... or give me alternatives

Hey,

I had a year off, and from my experience much of the time early on will be busy with your applications. Writing essays for secondaries and planning for interviews and such will take more time than you think probably up until January.

As far as staying busy, you could volunteer or do some research, but my suggestion would be to work and save as much as you can before going to school, as well as taking time off to relax. Before you start school you will need expenses to find a new apartment, secondary applications, and have a lot of traveling expenses from interviews.

So unless you are secure in your finances during your year off, which maybe you are, my biggest suggestion would be to work and volunteer a few hours a week until you are accepted somewhere. It really doesn't matter where you work, for instance you could work retail or anything you want, but try to make as much bank as possible because, believe me on this, you will need it early on. Remember that the adcoms are working hard too, so you will garner some respect and it will help to show some maturity as an applicant. After you are accepted and have saved a few grand you should take time off to enjoy yourself.

 

[nidal abilmona]

hi everyone,
after i finish my senior year, i'll do my mcat and apply to med school. so i will have a year off before med. school. what is the best thing that i should do? some friends told me to do research, can u help me know more about conducting medical research? such as: where? with whom? in what field? publishing the research... etc ... or give me alternatives

ok do u know any institution that offers research oppurtunities for international students because i'm lebanese?

 

[brsboarder]

most universities should be open to international students. But, your going to have to call, email etc and find out, or talk to some international students. While we are loaded with advice here, most people aren't going to do your homework

 

[foster033]

If i got a year off before med school, I'd go live in another country for at least 9 months, learn a new language.

This would be next to impossible if you were applying at the same time.

 

[BoneMachine]

This would be next to impossible if you were applying at the same time.

I had the impression that he meant if he simply took a year off before applying. Otherwise, you're definitely right.

 

[disorder]

secure a job BEFORE you graduate. i can almost guarantee you will NOT have enough time to study, take the MCAT, apply, and find a job simultaneously.

do not underestimate the difficulty in finding a job, but you may get lucky if you know the right people. volunteering is also a good idea, but it takes time to find the right volunteer position.