Medical School

[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.

Bravo. FYI, most kids don't do EMT before college because you usually have to wait in line for those kind of things and the lines don't move. Also, most places won't let you in an ambulance until you are 18.

[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.

Bravo. FYI, most kids don't do EMT before college because you usually have to wait in line for those kind of things and the lines don't move. Also, most places won't let you in an ambulance until you are 18.

EMT training can be done as a part of high school in our area.

[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 do not read it as hate for gap years, moreso lack of agreement that it is "necessary" to get in at all, or to get all of the extras done, or to get into T20. As with everything, DCUM loves to claim certain choices as the only way when it is simply one option that works for some students.

[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.

Bravo. FYI, most kids don't do EMT before college because you usually have to wait in line for those kind of things and the lines don't move. Also, most places won't let you in an ambulance until you are 18.

DCUM is precarious place to post, I wasn’t looking to go “brag”, merely pointing out that the common reasons for a gap year are already satisfied and because it is so common, they still felt the need to consider it. My point being it is certainly not frowned upon, many paths, and even those going straight through wonder if they need to check a box just being older so to speak.

[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.

Great choice! Neither is mine, advisor said would get into top schools without it. They started early with research. The only top students who take a gap either realized they wanted premed late or tried/trying for paid fellowships that will fully cover a gap year at Cambridge or similar, as they never got to go abroad, gives them a mental break of sorts and time to travel. Mine would rather get on with it, travel after senior year before med school starts, with money they have saved from TA and research job.

[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 do not read it as hate for gap years, moreso lack of agreement that it is "necessary" to get in at all, or to get all of the extras done, or to get into T20. As with everything, DCUM loves to claim certain choices as the only way when it is simply one option that works for some students.

I haven't seen anyone say that it is necessary, but rather the path that most follow. The odd ducks are those who are implying that taking a gap year is somehow "lesser" or somehow reduces one's chances to a top school when what they are saying is objectively false by the words of the schools themselves. Harvard saying the 75-80% of their students take a gap year and Amherst saying that for the class that graduated in 2024 44 out of 45 applicants took a gap year is pretty much all that you need to know on the subject of gap years.

[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.

Great choice! Neither is mine, advisor said would get into top schools without it. They started early with research. The only top students who take a gap either realized they wanted premed late or tried/trying for paid fellowships that will fully cover a gap year at Cambridge or similar, as they never got to go abroad, gives them a mental break of sorts and time to travel. Mine would rather get on with it, travel after senior year before med school starts, with money they have saved from TA and research job.

This is objectively false.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Bravo. FYI, most kids don't do EMT before college because you usually have to wait in line for those kind of things and the lines don't move. Also, most places won't let you in an ambulance until you are 18.

EMT training can be done as a part of high school in our area.

EMT is a waste of time. They will spend most of the time sitting around parking lots of taking homeless/tailor park people to the ER for common ailments or pain meds

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Bravo. FYI, most kids don't do EMT before college because you usually have to wait in line for those kind of things and the lines don't move. Also, most places won't let you in an ambulance until you are 18.

EMT training can be done as a part of high school in our area.

EMT is a waste of time. They will spend most of the time sitting around parking lots of taking homeless/tailor park people to the ER for common ailments or pain meds

Offensive and completely wrong. This place has become a cesspool of negativity and misinformation.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Highest med school placements
1. Harvard
2. Johns Hopkins
3. Duke
4. UPenn
5. Stanford
6. WashU
7. Rice
8. Northwestern
9. Brown
10. UNC Chapel Hill

So many of these schools weed out all but 10% of the "pre meds."

It'd not like you matriculate there and go to medical school 4 yrs later.

I assume all the state schools and all ivies weed out, but how does one know if a liberal arts school weeds out or not?

I think Ivies do comparatively little to weed out. They have among the highest average GPAs.

Good luck attending Cornell with that mindset.

Some folks here don’t accept that Cornell is part of Ivy League.

Cornell has more kids going on to medical school than any other university. No other school is even close.

Not even close to correct. https://www.aamc.org/media/9636/download
It's all about size.

lol
People just make up whatever that fits their narratives.

I assume PP meant the most of any Ivy university -- which is absolutely correct. Oh and the AAMC APPLICANT data is irrelevant.

[Anonymous]

10 pages of useless blind men touching elephant posts

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Doesn’t matter, if you are good you will get there. If not, you won’t. The process will keep you honest. BS won’t get you much.

Agree

[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.

Assuming they end up in primary care like most women, they can start popping buns out of their ovens as soon as they're in residency. Let's be honest, though, they'll probably stop practicing anyway since they're only in medical school to find a rich husband.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Bravo. FYI, most kids don't do EMT before college because you usually have to wait in line for those kind of things and the lines don't move. Also, most places won't let you in an ambulance until you are 18.

EMT training can be done as a part of high school in our area.

EMT is a waste of time. They will spend most of the time sitting around parking lots of taking homeless/tailor park people to the ER for common ailments or pain meds

Offensive and completely wrong. This place has become a cesspool of negativity and misinformation.

It’s true.

[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.

Assuming they end up in primary care like most women, they can start popping buns out of their ovens as soon as they're in residency. Let's be honest, though, they'll probably stop practicing anyway since they're only in medical school to find a rich husband.

LOL!!!

say you don’t know anything about medical school, medical students, or doctors … without saying it.

Patient outcomes and satisfaction are better with female doctors btw.