What to do with year off?

[joshto]

I finish my senior year this coming april and plan to apply for sept 2010. Any tips on what I should with my 'year off' in order to better my application?

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[labgod]

research or volunteer abroad

 

[xrevision]

Not much of it will actually go onto your application, but it will be something you can talk about in interviews. Try applying for an NIH postbacc research position. Go teach for america. Coach a little league team. Point is... do something you enjoy.

 

[armybound]

get a job

 

[chad5871]

I am taking a year off right now and I am working in an academic hospital as a clinical research assistant. It's a decent salary and I get clinical experience. I'm also doing a bunch of stuff with performing arts (something I thoroughly enjoy) because I won't have to the chance to do as much later in life.

 

[RuSkaya]

I have a year in between as well (applying for 2009 and graduated in May)
I am currently in a one year MA program at my university
I have read that it will not help the application much but I just personally wanted to stay in school

 

[linguini]

I am taking a year off right now and I am working in an academic hospital as a clinical research assistant. It's a decent salary and I get clinical experience.

That's what I'm doing as well. It's a good experience and you get to meet lots of doctors and other health care personnel and really see how an academic medicine environment runs on a day-to-day basis. You might even get publications out of it as well.

 

[footballrules]

That's what I'm doing as well. It's a good experience and you get to meet lots of doctors and other health care personnel and really see how an academic medicine environment runs on a day-to-day basis. You might even get publications out of it as well.[/quote]

It depends on the type of trial that is being done. If it is an internal trial, your chances improve for the CHANCE of having your name on the manuscript.

I work as a clinical research coordinator.

 

[footballrules]

I finish my senior year this coming april and plan to apply for sept 2010. Any tips on what I should with my 'year off' in order to better my application?

Get a job! Also work on improving the weak areas of your application. No applicant is ever perfect, so focus on your weak areas.

 

[Fibroblastman]

Land a job doing research in a lab! The pay may be horrible... but it's only for a short time and you develop great connections/collaborations!

 

[joshto]

How about doing a 1 year masters program? That would keep me focused with my year off, but with my 27s MCAT and 4.0 GPA I don't see it helping my situation. Should I risk my GPA dropping off?

When you apply to a med school with a masters degree as opposed to an undergrad degree, will the masters degree make up any iota for a low MCAT?


From and adcom board, what is the difference between the following 2 students chances:

Student 1: HBSc, 27s MCAT, GPA 4.0
Student 2: HBSc, MSc, 27s MCAT, GPA 4.0

?

 

[copperfrog09]

Don't waste your money on a master's program unless it's something you're interested in just for the sake of doing it.. use it on an MCAT prep class instead, and re-take the MCAT. You obviously don't need to improve your GPA Congrats on that! Do something you're interested in, or re-take the MCAT.