Should I wait a year to apply or apply this fall?

[missa1ice]

Hello everyone,

As of right now, I don't have my letters of rec together but I have already requested it from the writers, don't have my personal statement, and just finished my EMT class and looking to start work sometime next month. A couple other things to know: I have a 3.3 GPA, did research for a year, volunteered in the emergency department, and shadowing a doctor for a couple months. My question is if I should hammer everything in by this fall to apply this cycle (working 72 hours a week as a EMT to get my patient care hours) or wait until the next cycle? Other people have been telling me that I should just apply this cycle and test out the waters because it doesn't "hurt to try". However, I'm not sure if this advice is entirely right. Does it hurt my standing to reapply if I don't get in the first time? Any advice would be extremely helpful. Thanks.

[rev ronin]

Reapplication doesn't hurt, unless you haven't improved your portfolio any. On the other hand, applying prematurely doesn't help. You have a marginal GPA and inadequate HCE, so you probably have poor odds overall. 72 hours per week is an unsustainable pace to work as an EMT, BTW.

 

Research is irrelevant, shadowing for months is way too long, and volunteering in the ED is nowhere near as good as real HCE. You need to see patients

[Deanj59]

I would take a shot at it and apply. Lot's of people I have heard from/about reapplied and got in their second time around, so I don't think it's a negative. And I agree with rev ronin, 72 hours a week is unsustainable. Most people I knew that worked those hours lived at work and had no time for other things - in your case, additional prep needed for school interviews, taking classes to have your application stand out, etc. I'd say if you really want to rack up hours 60 would be the most you would be comfortable sustaining longer term.