Will it look bad if I am averaging 28hr of ECs per week in my gap year before reapplying?

[DrainCravens]

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I just graduated college this May and I'm used to having about 50hr of ECs + studying/classes each week. I feel uneasy if adcoms will view having 30ish hrs of ECs per week in my gap year before reapplying as "taking it too easy."

Currently, my planned schedule for the next 40~ weeks, excluding vacation:
12hr-- ED volunteering (I might split this between two departments if I don't get a PCT job)
3hr-- Temple volunteering (cleaning and food service; this is within my own community)
5hr-- Food pantry in inner city (outside my comfort zone, all new people)
8hr-- Family business work (bookkeeping, cashier work, hours might be longer since sometimes work gets carried away but 8hr is safe estimate)

That adds up to 28hrs per week.

Potential additions/changes, unconfirmed:

• I am interviewing for a PCT job, where I would probably work 20hr~ per week on average, which would replace my 12hr of ED volunteering.
• Might add 1hr~ per week if I get 40hr shadowing in the next year (don't have any confirmed)
• Might add 6hr~/week of research since I will be reaching out to residents nearby to see if I can help with any case reports.
  • I already have 600+hr research and a mid-author pub submitted this month, so this is more for fun.

Adding things that are not confirmed, I'm getting to 35-47hr per week.

Misc, not sure if this would count towards "work hours":

• Outside of this, I'll probably be working on some hands-on/messy hobbies which will add 4hr~ per week, maybe more.
• Also, I've been wanting to stick to a strict gym schedule for a personal goal. This would be around 6hr+ per week in the gym.

So, that's an additional 10hr per week of things.

My question:
Will I look privileged and/or soft for only working/volunteering 28hr per week? It feels a bit light, but would let me exercise, spend time on hobbies, spend time with family whilst still giving me time to shore up my weaknesses which are clinical experience (270hr in 2024-25 app) and nonclinical service (had none outside my own ethnic community).

Note, that I already boosted my shadowing this spring 2025 semester (20-> 45hr total). In May-July this summer, I worked as a Undergraduate TA (30hr), am wrapping up my research project remotely currently (30~hr), have gotten 40hr of ED volunteering, 20hr of Temple Volunteering, which works out to 17hr/week. This does not include 2 weeks where I attended two separate long distance weddings + visited family, and also I've been caregiving for my grandmother and taking her to appointments since she's recovering from a recent hospitalization.

 

[Hollow Knight]

I think you’re overthinking this. Working a job or volunteering during your gap year is fine.

I would probably post a WAMC but it’s interesting to me you refer to almost 300 hours of clinical exposure as a “weakness.” Maybe it really is that bad now but I wouldn’t think so and I was reviewing apps literally like two months ago……

But I really don’t think this hard about people’s ECs. Maybe I’m weird though

 

[DrainCravens]

I would probably post a WAMC but it’s interesting to me you refer to almost 300 hours of clinical exposure as a “weakness.”

I think my main weakness was my nonclinical volunteering wasn’t targeted for underserved people. At my stat range (3.9/512), a lot of those schools like Drexel, Tulane etc. value service. For research focused schools, letting my lab’s research publication hopefully get accepted in the next year would also help.

I just decided to take a year off to hopefully have the best possible app for MD, and wouldn’t be happy going DO without trying for MD fully.

I’ve considered retaking my MCAT, but don’t think it’s the best use of my time. I was averaging 512 on my last 3~ AAMC FLs.

 

[Hollow Knight]

I think my main weakness was my nonclinical volunteering wasn’t targeted for underserved people. At my stat range (3.9/512), a lot of those schools like Drexel, Tulane etc. value service. For research focused schools, letting my lab’s research publication hopefully get accepted in the next year would also help.

I just decided to take a year off to hopefully have the best possible app for MD, and wouldn’t be happy going DO without trying for MD fully.

I’ve considered retaking my MCAT, but don’t think it’s the best use of my time. I was averaging 512 on my last 3~ AAMC FLs.

Yeah every school values service. That’s very important.

Your grades and MCAT are awesome, don’t retake. You probably won’t get into Harvard but you probably wouldn’t anyway even with a 520, you’ll still be a great doctor.