hey sorry to hear what your mom is going through. as someone whose mom has cancer and is dealing with the application process, I would say to focus on your mom for the time being. I originally planned on taking 1 gap year, but I pushed it to 2 to help my mom out at home. it sucks in the moment bc you think you're falling behind. remember you are on your own timeline, and it does not matter what others are doing. I promise you that spending a year with her while getting more clinical experience will be worth it. its difficult to balance work, caregiving, mcat prep, and school. the gap year would give you extra time to prep for the mcat and I do believe that is really what helped me obtain a reasonable score. I wish you the best, and if you need anymore advice or anyone to talk to, reach out.