MA job or take classes

[whichbreath]

Hey, I'm a super nontraditional applicant hoping to apply this cycle, but I don't have that many great EC's. A little about me: in a PhD program currently (stats), hate it, and want to switch to medicine. I have most of the prereqs down (1 year of bio + lab, gen chem (missing lab), ochem + lab, physics (missing lab)). So again I'm planning to apply this cycle. I was wondering if I should spend the coming school year taking upper div classes, or if I should get a MA job? The upper div classes would be:
Genetics, biochemistry, microbiology, developmental biology, immunology, and molecular biology of cellular processes. I should note I have 2 upper div science classes, human physiology and physical chemistry. But I got a C and an A, respectively. The MA job would be from an adult school with high placement rates. Pros and cons of each path?

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[Dral]

There are too many unknowns here.

What is your undergrad GPA (with split)?
What are your MCAT plans and do you need prep for it?
What do you have in the way of shadowing or other volunteering?

If you need grade repair and an improvement on your knowledge base for the MCAT, then courses are likely a better choice.

If you have a great GPA, are generally ready for the MCAT (or considering a refresher course for it) but are missing a lot of the non objective things needed to get into med school, the MA position would likely be a better choice.

It's hard to give you advice straight away without knowing more about your GPA/academic background.

 

[whichbreath]

So I took the mcat last summer and got a 510. My cgpa is 3.75 (same for undergrad and grad). I’ll know the split soon after I sent transcripts to AMCAS. I was a mathematical science major and a stats grad student now. Due to this, I have very little bio or chem upper div coursework. I’ve fulfilled the upper div prereqs at my school for biochem, genetics, microbiology, immunology, dev bio, and molecular bio of cellular processes (i.e. can enroll in them next year).
I have 200 hrs volunteering in a clinic for the underserved (helping patients make online accounts, serving vegetables, teaching children literacy). And I currently have 100 hours in a food kitchen. Over the summer I will be shadowing and doing more food kitchen.
Based on this, I’m wondering whether MA or upper divs would be better. I feel like the MA experience would make me a much stronger applicant and the upper div coursework would put me in a stronger position to retake the mcat if I were to. Since the MA program starts in July, I would realistically make a decision by then and take a leave of absence from my grad phd program.
I’m missing a couple labs, namely gen chem lab and physics ii lab. I might do this in the extension program at my school while doing medical assisting? It’s just two classes.

 

[AJS59]

What's your timeline on when you're applying (i.e. which cycle?)

 

[whichbreath]

What's your timeline on when you're applying (i.e. which cycle?)

I've been debating between this cycle (opening in May) and the next one. Since it takes a whole year before actually starting med school, I figured I'd apply this cycle. I plan to send out my primary application at the end of August to 25% DO/75% MD (school list can be found in other thread). Over the summer, I'll be shadowing two specialties and doing more food kitchen. Unless I realize while applying, **** I have nothing to write about, I really want to apply this year. If I don't end up getting in anywhere this cycle, it'll still be really good to know what the application process is like. And then my application will be stronger for next time since I'll be spending a whole year taking upper divs or MA'ing.

 

[PeteytheFish]

Based on what you've said, it looks to me like you don't really have any real patient-facing clinical experience. This is going to be a problem for you for two reasons. 1. Admissions committees like to see real experience working with patients in a healthcare environment (from your description, your volunteer experience does not count) so they know that the applicant knows what being a doctor actually looks like in practice. 2. You're taking a huge turn away from your PhD, so you have to work hard to make it very clear that you KNOW that medicine is the right path for you, that you have tried it out and love it, and that you are actually going to stick with it. This is especially true if you are walking away from your PhD without finishing it.

Honestly, without significant meaningful clinical hours, I think your application will be dead in the water. I would strongly encourage you to get an MA position and work for a year BEFORE you apply. Applying is expensive and you get diminishing returns every year you have to reapply. Get the clinical hours you need and apply when your application is truly ready. Whether you take courses while working as an MA is up to you, but don't over-commit yourself.

 

[AJS59]

I've been debating between this cycle (opening in May) and the next one. Since it takes a whole year before actually starting med school, I figured I'd apply this cycle. I plan to send out my primary application at the end of August to 25% DO/75% MD (school list can be found in other thread). Over the summer, I'll be shadowing two specialties and doing more food kitchen. Unless I realize while applying, **** I have nothing to write about, I really want to apply this year. If I don't end up getting in anywhere this cycle, it'll still be really good to know what the application process is like. And then my application will be stronger for next time since I'll be spending a whole year taking upper divs or MA'ing.

Submitting your primaries, even if you have the secondaries all pre-written at the end of August is not wise. Per the LizzyM rule, you really need to have your primary in by July 4th for success.

As others have suggested, waiting a year is to your benefit. There is no benefit in applying earlier than you should, and in fact there may be some downside to applying earlier than you should - namely, you have to show how you improved. Save yourself the time, energy and money and go at it next year.