Defer a year for marriage?

[cateoheight]

Hello all,

This is my first time posting, I've had a hard time finding posts where someone is in a similar situation. So here is some background:

I graduated Spring 2016 and changed my professional goals from PhD to MD in June. The plan is to apply this June to be accepted for Fall 2018. However, after an exciting turn of events I am now engaged.

My Fiance is in his first year of Law school, we are currently doing long distance (Michigan to Georgia). We would obviously like to bridge the distance, but we are trying to work out the timing of our marriage. We would ideally like to be married before starting medical school, but my first year and his last year will overlap and there is no guarantee we will live in the same state. He graduates Spring 2019.

SO my main question if I plan to get married summer of 2018, but only get accepted for Fall 2018 to schools out of state from my Husband, would I be able to defer a year? Is that a good enough reason to defer? The schools I am applying to do consider deferred entrance according to the MSAR.

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[Nommonnom]

Why dont you just apply to the ones in state this year and out of state next year?

 

[cateoheight]

Why dont you just apply to the ones in state this year and out of state next year?

Maybe I should clarify. My state of residence is Michigan, and he is at Emory Law in Atlanta, GA. If I move to GA, I won't live there long enough for their schools to consider me a resident. So I will likely be accepted to a Michigan school. I would love to go to Emory, but my stats are not realistic. I'm retaking the MCAT, and still plan to apply to emory just to at least try. I also would rather not wait another year to apply.

 

[candbgirl]

Why don't you wait a year to apply? You might not have a very strong application(or as strong as it could be) if you have only been working on ECs etc for a year. Waiting a year might be a good thing.


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[Nommonnom]

Maybe I should clarify. My state of residence is Michigan, and he is at Emory Law in Atlanta, GA. If I move to GA, I won't live there long enough for their schools to consider me a resident. So I will likely be accepted to a Michigan school. I would love to go to Emory, but my stats are not realistic. I'm retaking the MCAT, and still plan to apply to emory just to at least try. I also would rather not wait another year to apply.

Apply for the year you plan on attending.

 

[cateoheight]

Why don't you wait a year to apply? You might not have a very strong application(or as strong as it could be) if you have only been working on ECs etc for a year. Waiting a year might be a good thing.


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I have a strong app, just lower numbers. I volunteer 10 hours a week at a hospital, I work full time as a medical assistant with a derm surgeon and sometimes in gen derm, I graduated with a dual BS/MS in Biomol science, 2 years of research experience, departmental leadership awards, and I actually was president of our pre-med club (which helped me decide to purse an MD). My UG gpa is 3.4 and Grad is 3.9. My MCAT is 502, but I plan to retake in March.

The issue is idk if I'll have these great opportunities if I wait another year to apply and move to ATL with no connections for a medical assistant job or really any job.

 

[candbgirl]

Are you applying DO too? Your stats are more inline for DO. What is your sGPA? You ECs seem okay. Besides Derm do you have other shadowing? How about community service? Service to those less fortunate than you? Service that shows your altruism? Think about soup kitchens, homeless shelters, Ronald McDonald House ,etc..While working with derm patients is good and certainly interesting it is rather focused on one group. Maybe ask the Dermatologist if he/she can refer you to a PCP to shadow. Maybe volunteer in a nursing home or hospice facility too. Actually you could do this stuff when you move to Atlanta. It might make your application stronger. Good luck with the wedding planning!


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[cateoheight]

Are you applying DO too? Your stats are more inline for DO. What is your sGPA? You ECs seem okay. Besides Derm do you have other shadowing? How about community service? Service to those less fortunate than you? Service that shows your altruism? Think about soup kitchens, homeless shelters, Ronald McDonald House ,etc..While working with derm patients is good and certainly interesting it is rather focused on one group. Maybe ask the Dermatologist if he/she can refer you to a PCP to shadow. Maybe volunteer in a nursing home or hospice facility too. Actually you could do this stuff when you move to Atlanta. It might make your application stronger. Good luck with the wedding planning!


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I do have plans lined up to shadow OB/GYN, a PCP, and an infectious disease specialist. I actually was in a service club for 4 years, I have the number of hours written down somewhere for my app, but I have plenty of diverse hours. I also served on the exec as secretary for 1 year. My fave place to volunteer was the american cancer society hope lodge. I've also volunteered as a martial arts instructor for 4 years as well. I've considered DO - PCOM in ATL - but the providers I work with have discouraged DO. My sGPA is like a 3.3 UG, and i mean grad school is all science but idk how they will factor that into my app. Thank you so much for your input! I appreciate it.

 

[cy123]

I have a strong app, just lower numbers. I volunteer 10 hours a week at a hospital, I work full time as a medical assistant with a derm surgeon and sometimes in gen derm, I graduated with a dual BS/MS in Biomol science, 2 years of research experience, departmental leadership awards, and I actually was president of our pre-med club (which helped me decide to purse an MD). My UG gpa is 3.4 and Grad is 3.9. My MCAT is 502, but I plan to retake in March.

The issue is idk if I'll have these great opportunities if I wait another year to apply and move to ATL with no connections for a medical assistant job or really any job.

Your chances of getting an MD acceptance with those stats are kinda low, they don't really care too much about grad gpa's. Get like 511+ on your MCAT and you'll likely have a good shot at you IS MD schools. I think right now you could easily net multiple DO acceptances if you apply early next summer.

 

[candbgirl]

I don't think MD does actually. But maybe that has changed. Schools expect high Grad GPAs. DO does factor it in. Not surprising that derms would discourage DO and that's too bad. You should investigate it yourself and decide what's best for you. See how you do on your MCAT retake. Much depends on it. Remember AMCAS encourages schools to average multiple MCATs. Some do and some don't. But all scores are visible when they are evaluating your application.


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