What did you do during your gap years? How did you find a job? When did you start applying for them?
Gap Year 1: After I graduated from Undergrad, I spent the summer "studying" for the MCAT. That summer was a tough one- I was burnt out from 4 years of grinding for my Biochemistry and Public Health degree. I was also president of a few clubs, did research for 3 years, and was active on campus. I took the MCAT without doing the necessary work needed to achieve the score I wanted to achieve. I wanted to buy some time to figure out if Medicine was for me. I applied to Biomedical Science Master's programs- I knew I wanted to pursue something in medicine. However I was unsure if I wanted to go the Ph.D route or the Medical School route. I started off the master's program taking basic science courses: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Doing the program also bought me time to study for the MCAT again.
Gap Year 2: I continued the program and took more courses such as Anatomy, Medical Physiology, Genetics, Neuroscience, and Microbiology. I also started working in a Microbiology research job- however I quickly realized doing research (while I thoroughly enjoy it and have had wonderful experiences) is not what I was passionate about. I came alive when talking about clinical cases and treatment plans in my courses and finally KNEW that this was for me.
Gap Year 3: I started studying for the MCAT again and began applying for jobs for the following year. I knew I wanted to take the MCAT in the summer, around the time I began applying. So I planned out how and when I would be able to study for it. In addition, I was working on writing a research paper on Lifestyle Modifications and management of Mental Health Disorders. This year was the most difficult for me- studying for the MCAT can be incredibly isolating and challenging. In a future post I'll discuss how to manage your mental health during this time. I learned a lot about myself and my study habits during this time. By the end of this year I graduated with a Master's degree!!!
Gap Year 4: I was preparing medical school applications and had taken the MCAT by July. I submitted all of my applications by August and was getting secondaries around that time as well. After I finished my research paper and the MCAT in August- I began applying for jobs. I will say this was an incredibly last minute thing to do- I was waiting and applying for about a month and a half before I heard back for job interviews. I heard back from an OB/GYN clinic and got a job as a medical assistant. I had no previous experience as a scribe or medical scribe so I thought this would be a good opportunity to gain clinical experience. I HIGHLY recommend working in a hospital or clinic setting to see how you handle the everyday demands of the job. It was one of the highlights of my gap years and I made wonderful connections with patients and coworkers while there. I started hearing back from medical schools for interviews around November. I had interviews in December, January, and March. I was waitlisted at two DO schools, and accepted to one MD program. This year, while it had its highs, also had devastating lows. Eventually I did get into a wonderful school and am very happy with where I have ended up. But I know the STRUGGLE it took to get here.
