year off

[Z4doc007]

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IF a person has a year off between the year they apply to med school and the year of entrance to med school, what are some good options to consider for the year they will be off?

 

[TheMightySmiter]

It depends on whether or not money is an issue.

 

[Vulcan]

Well, remember that schools will be critical of what you did in that year off, so make it count. I would recommend starting off strong by curing at least 3 major diseases. Following that, I would say you should invent 4-6 revolutionary new kinds of medical OR instruments, create 5 new antibiotics, and perfect at least one new surgical procedure previously deemed impossible.

Once you've set up a solid grounding there, you should do some traveling. Head to Africa and save all the underserved people there. There's quite a few, but as a pre-med, you're expected to be able to do it.

By the time you come back, you should have just enough time to build a few new railroad stations in your town by hand, learn to play the trombone professionally, and read the collected works of William Shakespeare (committing every line to memory of course).

Learning to fly won't hurt either, seeing as interviews might be in another state and airline tickets are expensive.

(Seriously though, find a lab job and see if you can get some clinical experience in there. If grades are the problem, consider a masters to get that GPA up...see? I can be actually helpful too 😀)

 

[SparkleMotion]

Well, remember that schools will be critical of what you did in that year off, so make it count. I would recommend starting off strong by curing at least 3 major diseases. Following that, I would say you should invent 4-6 revolutionary new kinds of medical OR instruments, create 5 new antibiotics, and perfect at least one new surgical procedure previously deemed impossible.

Once you've set up a solid grounding there, you should do some traveling. Head to Africa and save all the underserved people there. There's quite a few, but as a pre-med, you're expected to be able to do it.

By the time you come back, you should have just enough time to build a few new railroad stations in your town by hand, learn to play the trombone professionally, and read the collected works of William Shakespeare (committing every line to memory of course).

Learning to fly won't hurt either, seeing as interviews might be in another state and airline tickets are expensive.

(Seriously though, find a lab job and see if you can get some clinical experience in there. If grades are the problem, consider a masters to get that GPA up...see? I can be actually helpful too 😀)

Make sure you get that 51 MCAT and 4.6 GPA. Absolutely crucial!!

 

[235009]

It depends on whether or not money is an issue.

more money > less money

always

do what's most lucrative

 

[Z4doc007]

lol money isnt the issue..i heard EMT is a good option

 

[RK.md]

I took a year off, so my only advice is be prepared to address what you plan to do. Teaching for an MCAT prep course, research, playing in the NBA (😉)... just have an answer for your interviewer(s). And don't be ashamed to say that you plan to travel or relax for a few months either. 😀

 

[TheMightySmiter]

If money isn't the issue, I would say travel as much as possible!!! Only work as an EMT if you already have your cert or would get it before graduating.

 

[WildcatsDoc]

Research, AmeriCorps, EMT (make sure you look into jobs around your area though...there are absolutely none in my hometown), substitute teach, Kaplan instructor, so on and so forth....

 

[Cytotoxic]

If you like research, nothing beats the NIH IRTA program. 1-2 years of independent research + decent stipend.