Medical School

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One thing frequently parroted is wherever you can get the highest gpa and costs the least. Solid advice. However, everyone seems to ignore that fact that while gpa is very important, there is a huge disparity between average MCAT at an Ivy/elite and other schools. So, the 4.0 or 3.9 may also coincide with a 522 and a 502.

Students admitted to elite schools are more likely to have a demonstrated ability to score high on standardized tests than those at less elite schools, and the MCAT is a standardized test. If the student admitted to the elite school attended a less elite college, it probably would not alter their MCAT score.

Talk to professors. The course content is taught at a much higher level at elites, at or above difficulty of the MCAT tests. Plus, having a large cohort of similar level peers can push you to study hard and put the work in outside of class on research and clinicals. At many good but not great undergrads, "no one gets into medical school it is so hard" is repeated all the time, sewing seeds of doubt in the fully capable. At ivy+ levels, almost everyone gets in somewhere, it is not considered rare or terribly difficult, and the school cultures center around studying and maximizing the resume. That environment cannot be duplicated and accounts for a portion of the success.

Agreed, they have strong test takers and it’s this. The depth of the classes are not same. It’s proven by needing significantly less time preparing for MCAT. A common theme from one prof was you’ll hate my exams, but thank me later when taking MCAT.

[Anonymous]

I don't understand the hate for the gap year. In my child's cohort, the ones who took a gap year are the affluent ones with time and money to kill, so it could be envy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Suppose you are a good but not super star student. SAT 1530. Which would you choose in what order for premed? Cornell, Duke, UVA.

get in to all three first

Maybe they are picking an ED option. Personally, I would go where the student is most likely to stand out and excel relative to peers.

Yep. If grades are so so in high school, there’s no guarantee they will go to Duke and level up. But MCAT may not be as big of a struggle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the hate for the gap year. In my child's cohort, the ones who took a gap year are the affluent ones with time and money to kill, so it could be envy.

Hate, envy. Sounds like you are trying to provoke.

[Anonymous]

I'm a Harvard medical school professor who works directly with students and the majority take a gap year. Personally, I think taking a few years to work outside of the classroom makes a difference in maturity and situational awareness, especially during the clinical years when working with teams and patients is critical.

[Anonymous]

I think the problem with a gap year is that medical students in the US already spend a very long time before they start their careers. Contrast that with Europe where medical training already starts in the undergrad years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the hate for the gap year. In my child's cohort, the ones who took a gap year are the affluent ones with time and money to kill, so it could be envy.

I have two girls who have taken gap years. They will turn 24 shortly after starting medical school. Thats just a long road to start late especially if they want to have children.
You are right though. It’s generally kids with the financial means and connections. It’s actually making the admissions process harder and less diverse for lower income families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Above poster seems to imply that students take gap year if GPA is lower. That is not true for many students. Many with top GPA and MCAT are taking gap years to further strengthen their apps as the process has become ultra competitive.

Not at our two kid's different schools, both schools in the top-6 (ivy+) med school feeder list. Gap years are not as common at these schools as nationally and they are usually used for GPA issues. Not always: some top students have a funded 5th year somewhere and do it for the prestige. There are many current seniors at both schools that are already admitted to top-5 programs this year, no gap, as well as some superstars who had funded gap years who are also in top-5 programs. Most gap students are not the top-25% at these schools. Some are. Almost all Top-5 admits are non-gap year students, and the gapped ones who are into T-5 are doing extraordinary, funded, "known" fellowship type experiences with their gap.
From TOP SCHOOLS gaps are absolutely not needed to get into top-5 med schools, and not needed for "average" elite school students to get into T-25 med schools.

This isn't true. Harvard themselves say that 75-80% of their graduates take a gap year. The same 75%+ holds for the Ivies in general. Almost all T5 admits do take a gap year. It isn't helpful when people post made up numbers like the PP.

+1

[Anonymous]

I never hear people disparaging gap years. My kid at an Ivy and is not taking one, and if anything, felt pressured to even though not needed. They started working as an EMT prior to college, got research early on, so checked all boxes with leadership and volunteering. They’d rather get going as it’s a long road, has maturity, doesn’t want to waste time or money proving that with some additional experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I never hear people disparaging gap years. My kid at an Ivy and is not taking one, and if anything, felt pressured to even though not needed. They started working as an EMT prior to college, got research early on, so checked all boxes with leadership and volunteering. They’d rather get going as it’s a long road, has maturity, doesn’t want to waste time or money proving that with some additional experience.

Let’s hope your “ivy” kid doesn’t regret that decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I never hear people disparaging gap years. My kid at an Ivy and is not taking one, and if anything, felt pressured to even though not needed. They started working as an EMT prior to college, got research early on, so checked all boxes with leadership and volunteering. They’d rather get going as it’s a long road, has maturity, doesn’t want to waste time or money proving that with some additional experience.

Let’s hope your “ivy” kid doesn’t regret that decision.

Funny how I say something positive about no disparaging of gap years in their world and you respond with that. Best to you as well!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the hate for the gap year. In my child's cohort, the ones who took a gap year are the affluent ones with time and money to kill, so it could be envy.

I have two girls who have taken gap years. They will turn 24 shortly after starting medical school. Thats just a long road to start late especially if they want to have children.
You are right though. It’s generally kids with the financial means and connections. It’s actually making the admissions process harder and less diverse for lower income families.

I took a gap year after college. With med school, residency, I had my first child at 32 which I know is not that late but I wish I was younger and could have had more kids

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the hate for the gap year. In my child's cohort, the ones who took a gap year are the affluent ones with time and money to kill, so it could be envy.

Actually, it’s a flex not to have to take a gap year. Gap years are for those who need to take MCAT again or get clinical hours they didn’t get in college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I never hear people disparaging gap years. My kid at an Ivy and is not taking one, and if anything, felt pressured to even though not needed. They started working as an EMT prior to college, got research early on, so checked all boxes with leadership and volunteering. They’d rather get going as it’s a long road, has maturity, doesn’t want to waste time or money proving that with some additional experience.

Same. Mine will likely be the youngest in their med school class, but will get out younger and have a head start in retirement fund.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the hate for the gap year. In my child's cohort, the ones who took a gap year are the affluent ones with time and money to kill, so it could be envy.

I have two girls who have taken gap years. They will turn 24 shortly after starting medical school. Thats just a long road to start late especially if they want to have children.
You are right though. It’s generally kids with the financial means and connections. It’s actually making the admissions process harder and less diverse for lower income families.

I took a gap year after college. With med school, residency, I had my first child at 32 which I know is not that late but I wish I was younger and could have had more kids

We both know that one year did not make a significant difference.