Question about what ELSE I should do in my gap year?

[lno1999]

Hi all! So to start…

Stats and Background
• TX, ORM, graduated from T10 state school
• cGPA=3.97 sGPA=3.94
• MCAT: The only thing really “missing” from my app
• Not sure if I am applying MD-PhD or MD Only

Clinical Experience
Paid
• ER Tech = 2100 hours

Shadowing
• OMFS: 12 hours
• Emergency room: 88 hours

Research
• Clinical Research Fellowship: 600 hours, includes multiple abstract/poster presentations, oral presentation, and a fellowship award
• Undergraduate Research Assistant: 450 hours, includes a poster and oral presentation
• Research Assistant at T5 Med School: 2000 hours, includes xxxx (this is my gap year job)

Nonclinical volunteering
• Volunteer Musician: 300 hours, includes providing music for military funerals and services, non profit events, healthcare galas, etc.
• Shift Lead at Non Profit: 600 hours, includes working with recovering addicts in a volunteer run coffee shop, helping mentor them and prepare them for real-world jobs after leaving the program

Other EC’s/Paid Employments
• Tutor for University Learning Center: 300 hours, tutoring individual and large groups
• Teaching Assistant: 300 hours, running discussion sections, office hours, test reviews, grading, etc
• Municipal Electrical Company Internship: 150 hours, helping analyze and rewrite city doctrine for energy buyback standards in distributed generation from solar power


Hobbies
• Trumpet: 3500 hours, includes being on the sub list for two professional orchestras during undergrad, highly ranked university wind ensemble/orchestra/small ensembles,
etc
• Crew: 250 hours, rowed crew in uni, only for one semester though so not even sure I should include this lol
• Esports: 600 hours, played video games for my school very competitively during COVID, was a top 10 nationally ranked player, coached a semi-pro team, won some money and got payed to play in a few tournaments


So my main “question” I have is if there are any big gaps in my application that need to be filled during this next year before I apply (other than taking my MCAT, which I have set up already.) Boston is really expensive (especially doing academic research, haha,) and I am currently planning to get either a Health Unit Coordinator or Tutoring job on the side/weekends for extra income, but if other people see a gap in my application that I don’t realize, I would rather live off of beans and rice and fill the gap where it’s needed I really appreciate whatever advice y’all have for me!

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[Mr.Smile12]

Aside from your MCAT, I'd take the time to really figure out where you would be most comfortable as a future student. Schedule time and plan to network with current students and attending recruitment events. I would try to do some shadowing or informational interviewing with non-ED specialties.

 

[chilly_md]

Agree with Mr. Smile. I would suggest shadowing primary care specialties if possible.

 

[lno1999]

Aside from your MCAT, I'd take the time to really figure out where you would be most comfortable as a future student. Schedule time and plan to network with current students and attending recruitment events. I would try to do some shadowing or informational interviewing with non-ED specialties.

Thanks! I will probably end up in TX given that I am a TX resident, but luckily I have a pretty good network spread across the TX schools. However I would love to end up in the Northeast for school and am hoping to network some at the school I will be working at, despite it being a reach that I end up there.

 

[lno1999]

Agree with Mr. Smile. I would suggest shadowing primary care specialties if possible.

Thanks! It’s been on my list for sure, and hopefully now that COVID is calming down and things are going closer to normal it will be easier to shadow again! I appreciate the advice.

 

[LindaAccepted]

You've gotten good tips here. I was also going to suggest a few hours of non-ER shadowing.

You might also want to do something where you serve the underserved. I realize you worked with drug addicts and have a lot of hours in that so you can check that box. But med schools don't really want mere box checkers. If you continue doing community service when the box is checked, you're also showing commitment.

 

[lno1999]

You've gotten good tips here. I was also going to suggest a few hours of non-ER shadowing.

You might also want to do something where you serve the underserved. I realize you worked with drug addicts and have a lot of hours in that so you can check that box. But med schools don't really want mere box checkers. If you continue doing community service when the box is checked, you're also showing commitment.

Is 600 hours considered “box checking” now??? The last time I posted on here about advice on my application I was told 150 was the standard/“box checking” mark by @gonnif

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

Box checking relates to quality rather than quantity. One can have 5000 hours and still be box checking

 

[LindaAccepted]

Is 600 hours considered “box checking” now??? The last time I posted on here about advice on my application I was told 150 was the standard/“box checking” mark by @gonnif

Depends on when you did it. If you did it two years ago and haven't done any community service since, it looks either like box checking or like something you did and are not so interested in any more. Consistency reveals commitment and continuing, genuine interest.