<p>Hi everyone :) I'm obviously new to this forum, but I've found it quite helpful in the past. I thought I should shoot you all a question after unsuccessfully researching on the internet about a gap year. </p>
<p>I will be a senior undergraduate student this upcoming fall and have decided to apply to medical schools once I graduate to include my senior grades on the application. I'm hoping with the extra time, I'll also be able to improve my MCAT scores (I haven't taken the test yet, but just in case), get stronger LORs, and get more of an experience in the clinical setting. After graduation, however, I'm not entirely sure what I'd like to do, and my parents are (understandably) on my case about that.</p>
<p>So far, I've considered volunteering at a local free clinic and continuing with my tutoring experiences outside of college. Having the majority of the year off, however, I feel like I'll need to do something else to keep myself occupied. So, I was considering taking classes at a community college. (I would take classes at my university, but it'd be too expensive to do so).</p>
<p>My question is, do you guys recommend doing so? I mean, I'll have my bachelors in biological sciences by the time I graduate, so there's no requirement for me to take more classes. But, I was thinking of taking other courses as well; I'd assume most of them will be science-related because there's no such thing as too much science! I was also thinking of looking into child development courses because I'd like to go into pediatrics.</p>
<p>I'd obviously have to look into requirements for the community college courses. But if I can, I don't see why I shouldn't. I'm just worried that it'd be too random of a thing to do for Adcoms. </p>
<p>I think I’d look for a full time or 20+ hr/week part time job before I’d consider taking more classes (unless you need the grade boost). There are jobs available where you do get you clinical experience while you get paid: clinical research/studies, medical scribing, CNA, EMT, Etc</p>
<p>If you’re interested in pediatrics, try looking for therapeutic daycare centers in your area and see if you can get on as paid asst there. Another option would be a classroom aide in a special ed elementary school class. (Neither requires a degree, but it’s some cash in your pocket and lots of hands on experience.)</p>
<p>A job will give more responsibilities and more patient contact than a volunteer position might. And you’ll have a chance to prove your work ethic and develop relationship with your boss for an additional LOR.</p>
<p>agree with no classes unless your GPA needs serious help. Get a job or load up on volunteer stuff. </p>
<p>Teach For America is also a possibility if you want interactions with kids although I honestly have heard mixed reviews at best from people who have done it. The people who knew they were going to be tossed into a very difficult educational environment with no real support got what they expected and had positive things to say.</p>
<p>If you are asking for advice, it is too late for mine. I do not see any reason for having a gap year at all. We actually have told our D., that she will not have one and she personally did not care to have a gap year anyway.
The first reason is that it is much easier to take an MCAT right after classes are done as close as possible to final exams. Again, based on D’s experience, she was sorry that she had 2 weeks in between finals and MCAT, she said that she was sorry to waste 2 weeks of her summer. She though it would be just fine to have a couple days break and take MCAT.
Another factor is the job market. If you have a great opportunity already, than you are way ahead of most others. If you are not up to a paying job for the next year, I definitely feel that the gap year is not a good idea at all.<br>
In regard to classes and again based on D’s opinion, she expressed many times that no UG classes can prepare you for Med. School. Surely, you need a basic education, basic knowledge, but if you are looking for more specifics, again, according to my D. the academic level of UG vs Med. School exists in a different universe.
The one thing that seems to be of a great importance is knowledge of Foreign Languages. It has helped my D. at several ocasions at Med. School and presented her wih more opportunities. Definitely Spanish and maybe some other. but maybe you are already fluent in one? If not, I would strongly recommend taking college class in as high level as possible (usually they are based on placement test).
Best wishes!</p>
<p>You could also do full-time research at a laboratory during gap year. Then during your interviews you could talk about the research that you are doing, that might give you a boost.</p>
<p>^^Hate to disappoint you streampaw, but only seldom, if at all, will an applicant be asked about his research. (Exception: MD/PhD applicant) And simply having an additional year of research will not offer a “boost” to an applicant. </p>
<p>In order for an interviewer to discuss your research, the interviewer first has to have an interest in and knowledge of your research field. That’s not something anyone should count on.</p>
<p>Past history from this board suggests that besides healthcare policy, applicants are most likely to be asked about their hobbies, interests outside of medicine and past jobs.</p>
<p>^^^
Actually my friend did research during his undergrad at UCB. Two of his interviews asked about the research he listed on his app. They asked him to explain his research thesis and explain why he chose to go into that research. The schools that asked him were UCLA and Howard. He unfortunately didn’t get into UCLA Med (even with a 3.8GPA and an MCDB major from UCB) but he did get into Howard and several other medical schools for this fall!</p>
<p>Two out of how many? This is in contrast to my MSTP interviews which were usually 6 people per school and all 6 schools I interviewed at had each person ask me not only those things but questions about methods, future directions, alternate conclusions, setbacks, etc.</p>
<p>Not as many questions about research during interviews as my D. wished. She was actually looking forward to have them, her participation was long term - 3 years with somekind of presentation and she herself wrote proposal for grants and received 2. Nope, did not happen as much during her Med School (not MD/PhD) interviews. More often were discussion about Music (she graduated with Music Minor) from classical all the way to pop bands and the pieces that she actually played way back in HS. another common point of discussion was her unusual for pre-med volunteering (also 3 year commitment). To my demise, she choose not even mention her 3 Foreign languages on her application, she said she ran out of space.<br>
Research is also extremely hard to get into outside of your UG, D. had no problem getting position at her univerisity, but could not get anything outside despite of her very high college GPA and great LORs. In our area, you need to be connected to get into research.</p>
<p>Thank you all for your advice! (WayOutWestMom, I’m definitely going to look into the activities you suggested; I never really considered therapeutic daycare centers!)</p>
<p>In response to MiamiDAP (and anyone else, if I wasn’t clear enough in my original post), I’m taking a year off because I’m going to have to apply next cycle. As much as I’d like to apply this cycle, my chances don’t look so great at all. My cGPA is at a 3.58 and my sGPA is at a 3.4. (No Cs, but a horrible junior year due to personal and family issues; plus I’m a California resident, so you can probably see my dilemma there). I won’t be taking the MCAT until late July and by the time I get my scores, my application won’t be in until September. </p>
<p>With my senior year on my application, I’m hoping to boost my cGPA up to a 3.65 and my sGPA up to a 3.55 or 3.6. I’ll continue with the majority of my ECs during the school year, but once I apply after graduation, I’ll still have a full year before starting medical school (if I get accepted). Thus the original post.</p>
<p>Best wishes! In our situation, D. had no problem getting in whatever she wished at her UG, but nothing was available in hometown at all, including the lowest paying and dirtiest jobs. Your situation might be different. As long as you not going to waste your time…D. has always questioned what she would do while her friends are all at school. One reason she took care of everything during school year.</p>
<p>I think that taking a gap year can be helpful to some applicants and it has become more common lately. I have been told that more than 50% of the entering class at Penn in recent years have taken a gap year or more. It can certainly help one’s application if there is an upward trend in grades so the GPA is higher. Graduating Summa or Magna and with Honors thesis can also help.</p>