What's the best timeline for me to go straight into med school?

[JakAttk]

I'm trying to decide if I want to take a gap year or not - I've read lots of advice on this and ultimately understand that it's just going to come down to personal reflection, so that's not the question I'm asking. What I need help with is determining the best path forward if I aim to avoid the gap year, so I can decide if it's reasonable for me.

Relevant info is below:

• ORM
• Just finished my sophomore year
• T30 university
• 3.91 cGPA and 3.88 sGPA.
• ~60 hours volunteering at a free clinic checking patients in, taking vitals, general support
• Currently taking CNA I course at a community college
• ~300 hours of work-study in lab doing research support (mostly analysis)
• Doing research for credit in Fall, will have at least 1 poster presentation

I'm taking the final MCAT-related courses this Fall (biochem and cell bio), and will finish up prereqs with stats in the spring

If I want to straight into medical school, would that mean working as a CNA, studying for the MCAT, doing research, and school in the Fall? I need some help deciding a) if it's reasonable, and b) what the best course of action would be. Thanks for any input.

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[chilly_md]

You would likely need to apply after graduating. Studying for the MCAT takes a large time commitment and you will need much more clinical experience than you already have. Medicine is an altruistic profession, so schools expect you to volunteer in the community as well to help those less fortunate.

Rushing those things in the fall and spring would likely lead to either a worse MCAT score and/or worse grades.

 

[Just D.O. it]

Although I agree with chilly in terms of definitely needing a gap year to put your best foot forward, if your highest priority is getting into any medical school (DO included) without a gap year, I think its doable.

I recommend that you get a clinical job or volunteer position this summer, and do it regularly, accumulating at least 150ish hours. You also need to do MCAT prep for every section except the bio section so you aren't overloaded doing it in the fall. There are some clinical jobs/volunteers with a lot of downtime so you can combine these two ideally.

When fall comes around, take a low course load and focus on polishing the prior MCAT prep as well as working on the bio section. Schedule a late winter MCAT whenever the scheduling opens. Finish out the fall, and over winter break do the same deal with a clinical job + MCAT prep. When the MCAT test date starts to approach, take a few official AAMC full length practice tests to see if you can consistently score at least 508. If you have hit that milestone, then go and take your MCAT, otherwise plan to take a gap year. The spring of junior year keep your grades up and try to add more to your volunteer hours as possible. When summer rolls around apply broadly, making sure to include 10-15 DO schools and pray for the best.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Be advised the majority of matriculants have taken at least 1 gap year before starting medical school. Not all of them did it because something "bad" happened to them as an undergraduate.

Be aware, you likely need to prepare for Casper or PREview.

You should show you can build a team of champions and mentors, whether it's for LOR's or for transitioning to the challenging life of a professional.

You need to understand why you are passionate for a career in medicine in spite of all the headaches the healthcare system and medical education will throw like sand into the engine of a fast sports car. You should also figure out why you are passionate about your patients.

You should figure out how you would pay back a mortgage of debt that comes with your education and before you get your non-professional life going (with a car, a house, a family, two cats and a dog).

 

[GoSpursGo]

I also generally think you're going to put your best foot forward if you take a gap year. You do not have the kinds of ECs that are necessary to get into med school, and you cannot afford to prioritize grinding volunteer hours without compromising your academics and MCAT. It is conceivable that you could make it work, but I don't understand why you would take the risk. You have a 3.9, which is something that many applicants would kill for because it is one of the two most important pieces of your application and is almost impossible to repair once you stumble in a semester--don't risk that just so you can apply on an artificial timeline.