apply this cycle or gap year?

[1029384576]

Hey everyone! I am a current junior in undergrad who is in the midst of deciding whether I should apply this cycle or take a gap year to do more research. I feel (and correct me if I’m wrong) that my application is pretty solid, except for my GPA and the fact that I haven’t solidified which PhD program I’d apply to. The pros and cons I see for each option are:

Apply this upcoming cycle:
Pros— save time
Cons— lower GPA since they won’t see my senior grades

Take a gap year:
Pros— chance to apply with 3.8+ GPA, experience another research field
Cons— extra time

I’ve put a lot of thought into whether a research-focused MD or an MD/PhD is better for my career goals, and after talking with both MD and MD/PhD researchers and students, I’ve decided on MD/PhD. My PI is a physician scientist, and I’ve enjoyed seeing the connection between shadowing him in the clinic and the research I’m working on. I don’t think I’d be satisfied doing 100% clinical work or 100% research, but need to have a balance between each.

Quick summary of my application:
GPA- 3.75 with upward trend
MCAT- 514
possibly URM (if being LGBT counts, not sure)

Research Experience:
-translational Immunology research, the last two years being very independent and collaborative with other students and post docs, 15-20 hours/week during school year and 40 hours/week during summers (3 years)
-published 4 papers (one first author), multiple posters, contributing author on talks
-not necessarily research, but I worked in a Clinical Diagnostic lab (9 mo)

Extracurricular/Leadership:
-college Calculus tutor (2 years)
-co-founder and president of a club which serves kids at Children’s Hospital (2.5 years)
-treasurer for my college student government (1 year)
-volunteer at an urban non-profit health center (1 year)
-ambassador for honors program (2.5 years)
-mentor for a program which helps college students prepare for and locate research opportunities (2 years)

So, my questions for you are: Do you think it’d be more beneficial for me to apply this cycle, or spend a gap year doing research in a different translational field? How did you decide which field you wanted to pursue a PhD in without doing research in them all? Any advice and personal experience would be appreciated!

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[amuseddoughnut]

As a PhD graduate, it's tough to decide what field you want to do your PhD in. You really just go with what you are interested in at the time and what you can see yourself dedicating 3 - 4 years to. It is possible, albeit difficult, to change departments as a PhD student, so if you change your mind you should be able to switch to another department/field if you are at the beginning of your PhD. The difficulty of the transition depends on the administration policies of the school though.

What PhD fields are you considering?