<p>I will graduate from UCLA in about three years.However, how does the medical school process work- mcat,application etc...</p>
<p>Where are you in the process right now? Do you want to move immediately from undergrad to medical school, or could you see yourself intentionally taking a year (or more) off?</p>
<p>currently, I am a freshman;however, I am considering transfer, for I would like to attend another institution. I am worried that taking the mcat, classes and applying to medical school a year or more earlier will be extremely difficult.</p>
<p>Nationally, the mean age of a MS1 is now 24. The average age is closer to 26. At least half of the top 10 med school have student bodies that are 50% or more non-traditional students. (Student who not matriculate directly into med school after undergrad, but have 1 or more years gap after UG graduation.)</p>
<p>Not all, perhaps even not even most, med school applicants apply after their junior year.</p>
<p>Delaying your application until after your graduation will in no way harm your application. In fact, it may even been seen as a plus at some schools.</p>
<p>why is it-the age- so high?</p>
<p>Well, delying application might be non-harmful for some families, while very harmful for others, because of addtional year of support, since finding a job is near impossible. So, everybody needs to know where they are with this. We told our D. up in front - no gap year. I did not care too much if it is beneficial in terms of Med. School application. Normally, on average, regular case so to speak, kids prep. for MCAT during junior year and take MCAT right after spring finals while some material is still fresh from final exams. I worked for my D. and her pre-med friends. So, she planned lighter junior/senior schedule (no more than 16 hrs). Then they went to interviews during senior year, letting profs know if they needed to skip classes. Some of them were not so accomodating, so tough luck, you do what you need to do, interview is a priority. There are also Second Look events at Med. School to help making decision/rent apartment…</p>
<p>caveat–I don’t understand your question.</p>
<p>Do you mean why are so many older students?</p>
<p>The reasons for this are varied. </p>
<p>Some go to med school after a graduate program. (Either a traditional grad degree or grade enhancing one). </p>
<p>Some go med school as career changers. (Either after taking a formal post bacc program or a do-it-yourself one. I’ve met career changers who have been a clergyman, school teachers, river raft guide, manager for a chain of service stations, Park Service employee, research lab techs, art museum curator…) </p>
<p>Some go to med school from a career in another medical field–like nursing, PA, pharmacy, EMT. </p>
<p>Some go to medical school after completing 1-2 years of public service in TFA, the Peace Corp, Americorp, etc </p>
<p>Some go to medical school later because they choose to wait until after graduation to apply. </p>
<p>Some choose to defer their admission for year or more because they want to do something else before settling into the 5-9 year grind that is medical educationl.</p>
<p>Most medical schools value older matriculants because they have more real world experience and can better relate to the real world problems their patients face. They also value the greater maturity and compassion that older students may have.</p>
<p>What do applicants do with the additional gap year?</p>
<p>It depends. </p>
<p>Some do full time volunteer work. Several medical schools offer special admission considerations for TFA and Peace Corp volunteers.</p>
<p>Some work at biology research related jobs–like research assistants at NIH or at university research labs.</p>
<p>Some work in public health jobs (paid or unpaid).</p>
<p>Some work as EMTs.</p>
<p>Some work whatever job they can find to pay the rent and do volunteer service on the side to improve their applications. Or they work and take additional [usually graduate level] science classes to improve their GPAs.</p>
<p>Some go to grad school full time an earn a MS.</p>
<p>Some just take a gap year and travel. (Vagabond around Europe, for example, or work as wilderness guide/ski instructor) </p>
<p>There is no one right path to medical school. Everyone travels their own unique journey.</p>
<p>My DD chose to apply after she graduated from undergrad, because of her schedule and ability to take the MCAT at certain times and due to wanting her senior classes to count for her GPA.</p>
<p>She got a full time research asst job at a university, I think she was paid over $30k plus full benefits. She was happy to be doing interviews and not missing class to do so. She enjoyed the mental break from school, including connecting with many in her community who were not pursuing higher education. She began to look forward to re-immersing herself in education, though the income was nice, she was not at all tempted to stop studying an start just working a job, in a very conscious way she affirmed her desire to be an MD.</p>
<p>A gap year can be valuable. Though when we made the plan, DD felt like she was doing something unusual, she had a handful of sorority sisters who also applied for medical school the same cycle as her, all had just graduated and all got in somewhere with that gap year in the mix.</p>
<p>Having gap year or not is very personal question. It depends on personal and family situation and by no means one person situation will be applicable to another. It is very worthwhile to ask yourself an members of your family. We are just strangers here.</p>