A year off after college....What would you do?

[AZK]

I'm in the process of applying to medical school, I just graduated and didn't get in this year. I am currently reapplying and trying to figure out what I want to do for the next 12 months. This could be anything from travel to job to poker etc... I am looking for some good ideas. I more or less need to be in the US (unless travel is less than 3 weeks at a time) due to potential interviews with medical schools. Improving my application, by going back to school, volunteering at a hospital etc... wouldn't hurt either but hopefully I can do these things while doing something I really enjoy/want to do. More than anything else, this will probably be my last year of "freedom" so I am looking to do something fun and challenging that I won't be able to do in the future. Any ideas? I thought there was a website with good post-grad. 1 year programs or something but I'm having trouble finding it. Anyone do anything incredible that they want to share? Thanks.

[Reef]

get satellite internet for your laptop and play poker for $ while travelling the world

[IronDragon1]

Volunteering is something you should look into for sure. Similarly, perhaps you could take the MCAT again

That and the obligatory poker stuff

[nothumb]

I'd say get a real job so you know what it's like to work for a living.

NT

[AZK]

Reef - How much would that cost? I feel like travelling the world is definitely an option, but difficult without a partner in crime, I don't know how much I'd enjoy it without my friends, and most of them are in school or have the 9 - 5 job thing going on.

Irondragon1 - Yeah, the MCAT doesn't need to be taken again, I just don't have much clinical experience, I was thinking about medical missions, but I'm having difficulty finding information on them. I am working on that. The other problem is that I can't do much as a volunteer in teh hospital, if I wanted to be a tech. I'd have to get certified whcih requires taking a semester course, by then it will be moot. So I'm sort of between a rock and a hard place.

Nothumb - it's hard to get a job when you can make your own hours/$ by playing poker. I'd have to find something I'm interested in/qualified for, those two together are very difficult to pull off I'm finding. For example, being a surgical tech would be incredibly intersting to me, but I'm not qualified and would have to take a course...

As for the poker thing, I thought I was going to live the life and play a lot, make money, enjoy it etc... but after about 3-4 weeks of doing nothing but playing poker and going out (aka "the life") I'm friggin sick of it and so bored. I t could be burnout from excessive playing (sometimes 10 hours/day), but I think I've just gotten to the point now where the game is getting boring if I play too much.

I don't know if this helps, but I'm one of those goal/challenge oriented type people. I need something interesting/challenging to motivate me and then I go over the deep end with it. Become obsessed with it, learn/do everything about it. Get sick of it, and move on to something else. I didn't think Poker was going to be one of these "hobbies" for me, and it isn't, but it isn't something I can do for a year day in day out. I need to have a lot more going on...

[Brainwalter]

build a ship in a bottle.

[Malachii]

Hey AZK, love your mid/high posts

My plan after college is to take a year off and try to get a job on a cruise ship as a poker dealer. You can travel the world and hone your craft all at the same time. Won't improve your application, but you'll be glad you did it.

[slickpoppa]

I dont know if you're into outdoor activities, but a NOLS course could be cool

[JaBlue]

Help out in a leper colony or something. You can probably earn enough for food and expenses, and I'm sure you can learn a lot from the doctors there. You'll be doing a whole hell of a lot of good and it'll look great on your apps. I generally dislike people that do volunteer work just because they want to put it on their app, but since you have the potential to REALLY help some people, this seems like a good suggestion.

[siccjay]

bang bitches

[JaBlue]

holy [censored] DO NOT DO THAT

[Malachii]

Porque?

[AZK]

Yeah I thought about looking into something like NOLS, are there any other types of programs like it?

As for the leper colony idea, I'm trying to find a website with medical missions but anytime I google it I keep getting Christian mission crap...

[JaBlue]

You will be working incredibly long hours at a boring job for crappy pay. Also most cruises just have blackjack, etc. and don't spread poker. If they do, you're not going to learn anything from the 80 year olds playing 2-4$.

Also, it is only under the guise of travelling. In reality you will be working 7 days a week for a 6-month contract. You might get to see some nice coasts, but you're going to be on the ship all the time.

I would heavily advise against doing this. Especially if you want to do something productive.

[IronDragon1]

[ QUOTE ]
.

I was thinking about medical missions, but I'm having difficulty finding information on them.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hope this helps (http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/volunteer/index.cfm)

EDIT: This too (http://www.who.int/employment/internship/en/)

EDIT part 2: And another (http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/index_volunteers.html)

EDIT yet again:
It just (http://www.redcross.org/services/volunteer/0,1082,0_325_,00.html) doesn't stop (https://recruit.cns.gov/)

[JaBlue]

just directing his attention to your post

[AZK]

Thanks for the links, I'm checking them out now.

[The Truth]

I am in a similar situation. I am not applying for medical school Until the end of this year which is when I graduate. So, I will have a year off during the application process. This post made me a little nervous thinking about not getting in during that year and having to take another one. I think I should be ok though, I have a 3.9 gpa and have worked in a hospital as a clerk for a year or so... As well as research experience in university labs. I should be ok on rec letters. (rec letter question: My dad and my uncle are both doctors. My uncle is actually a pretity big time doctor that runs the big ER in the town where I want to go to medical school. Should I get a letter from my uncle, or just use my professors at school?)

Any idea what score i'll need on the MCAT to be competitive with these credentials?

Sorry for rabling and the hijack, just got to typing.

[AZK]

It is the most tedious and annoying process ever. It is also a total crapshoot in some regards, but there are things that you can do to greatly improve your chances. Here's a list off the top of my head

1) Crush the MCAT. By crush, I mean 33 or better, study every waking moment you can. I spent an entire summer dedicated to it. Most people say 30 or above is good, and it is, but 33 or above is even better.

2) Your GPA is good, make sure your science GPA is equally as good as your non-science GPA.

3) Get as many letters of rec as you can. It only gives them a better profile of you. I don't know how much weight a rec from your uncle will carry, but any job, prof, research, etc... you get the idea. Get these early, as people have lives too and often take forever to get back to you.

3)Start thinking/working on your personal statement early so you can have it ready for AMCAS, I went through about 10 revisions, 3 of which were major face lifts.

4) THE most important thing. APPLY EARLY. AMCAS goes up in may, it goes live in june. Submit june 5. Do not submit later than july 1 unless you like playing russian roulette. It's one rolling process, the sooner you submit the primary, the sooner you get secondaries, fill em out, get responses from schools, set up interviews, get in, etc.... Applying early is crucial.

If I think of any other major screw ups I did that managed to get my ass waitlisted I'll let you know. If you have any other questions PM me.

PS~ what do you do as a clerk? what are the qualifications? I was interested in working as a tech. at the local hospital, surgical tech or something to that extent, I just realized now I have to take a class or something for most tech positions in order to have certain qualifications. So I'm trying to find other jobs in the hospital that would be as interesting. Any ideas?

Thanks.

[The Truth]

Yea, a clerk was basically a desk job. I took the charts that the doctors filled out, and I entered the labs they wanted into the computer, then I sent down to the pharmacy what drugs the patients needed. I answered the phone, and kinda directed the floor I worked on.

You could certainly get a job doing something similar, I did this my first year of college part time. Like 8 bucks an hour (WOOPIE!) but good experience.
Another option is patient care assistant. This job sucks. You do the dirty of the dirty. Change bed pans, bring patients food etc.

edit: no experience needed. You will be a lord resident genius compared to nearly everyone there if i had to guess.

[housenuts]

[ QUOTE ]
Hey AZK, love your mid/high posts

My plan after college is to take a year off and try to get a job on a cruise ship as a poker dealer. You can travel the world and hone your craft all at the same time. Won't improve your application, but you'll be glad you did it.

[/ QUOTE ]

this seems like a fantastic idea. anyone know anything more about it?