<p>My nephew is considering medical school. Will have a double major in art and economics, class of '11 at a great LAC, 3.7ish GPA/3.2ish science GPA, and has completed the standard med school pre-reqs, took the MCAT recently, results to follow. He's decided to take a year off before med school as he's behind the normal application timeline AND he thinks the year off will be refreshing. BUT, he has no idea what to do during his year off; thinks he'd like to do something to beef up his application. He has limited ECs--several varsity letters are really it--and limited time in a medical setting--only a summer shadowing internship. </p>
<p>What could he do during the sabbatical year to 'beef up" the application? How important would that be?? He seems to think finding something in a medical/science/research setting would be difficult for her as a non-science major. He's on his own to finance medical school, so it seems to me he should try to get a job to earn some money. </p>
<p>Is it commonplace for medical school students to take time off????</p>
<p>Any suggestions/thoughts would be appreciated.</p>
<p>DD worked full time in a city in which she had an interest in a University research lab, she was a full time research asst; made enough money to support herself and fund a month in Europe this summer (free places to sleep at friends houses, so not so very much$) She also ended with a podium presentation at a conference.</p>
<p>She had no prior research experience and began in June after graduation, so could list it on her app and by the time interviews came around she had lots to say.</p>
<p>It was a great year to work full time, which is less stressful in her situation than school, she also took ED classes, Spanish, photography, etc. She had a lot of fun, it was smart for her. One really interesting thing is that she made new friends with locals on rec sports teams and many had never gone to any college and were not interested. She declared herself ready to get back to school and a school crowd, a very good way to face the challenge of medical school.</p>
<p>1.) Post #2 is right; according to AAMC tables the average age at matriculation is 24-25, meaning that the average student has taken 2-3 years off.</p>
<p>2.) The standard choices are:
a.) a master’s degree (useful to raise the GPA, which this guy might need)
b.) laboratory research (some schools like research experience)
c.) clinical exposure (always helpful)</p>
<p>3.) Almost anything works as long as you are paying attention to the medical connections throughout. BRM actually has a great comment about how waiting tables is very similar to working a shift at an Emergency Room.</p>
<p>I think what bdm was saying is that a Masters might help compensate for a lower GPA on the application although it does not actually raise your AMCAS GPA.</p>
<p>I believe it’s always been this way. Graduate courses have always been separate from the undergraduate courses. Which is why getting any old master’s isn’t a great way to raise your GPA. Not only are you expected to get high grades in graduate courses, your grades from those courses are counted separately.</p>
<p>ncg, that is my understanding, also. A 4.0 M.S. GPA won’t, in and of itself, make up for a 2.7 UG GPA. (Hence the advent of SMP’s? Some of which I believe are “linked” officially or un-officially to med schools?)</p>
<p>SMP’s would fall out of the “any ole masters” category since they are designed to be viciously hard.</p>
<p>But, a great graduate GPA is not going to make up for a less than stellar undergrad GPA. SMP’s are the route to go if your undergraduate GPA is not good enough.</p>
<p>as an aside, perhaps the reason that grad school gpa’s aren’t as important is that the grad curves are much more generous? Even at the Big State U’s which may have a C+ curve in the typical premed courses, the same course with a grad number has have B curve or better. Heck, back in the Old Days, the Big U I went to had two grade lists for the exact same course: the undergrads had the C+ curve, and the grad students - same lecture, same discussion sections, but different course number - had a B curve for the exact same middlin’ score. Of course, in the grad program, anything less than a B- was considered a ‘fail’ and had to be repeated…</p>
<p>Don’t think grad school is an option as he’d like to take a break from the whole school thing. I’m thinking he needs somehting real world. Says he’d like to do research, but thinks he’d be unable to find anything since he’s not a science major. He’s a bit nervous about rec letters—as a non-science major he found it difficult get to know the science profs, etc.</p>
<p>Cur, I’m surprised he’s under the bus without knowing his MCAT score. Wouldn’t a good MCAT store make the difference?</p>
<p>Guess I gave inaccurate info—DN corrects me on the GPA, says his mom ( source of original info ) is ‘lame’----Accurate information: 3.8 GPA 3.7 SGPA . Does that change things significantly? </p>
<p>He doesn’t really care where he goes to med school, says it’s not that important. I’m sure this group disagrees with his theory. Yes?</p>
<p>Original question still stands: How can he beef up his app with little/no chance of doing research as a non-science guy?</p>
<p>If he wants to be a practicing doctor, then no, it doesn’t matter where he went to medical school as long as its a U.S. school. If he wants to go into academic medicine, or hospital administration, then yes, it does matter where he went to medical school.</p>