Anyone else's parents give them a hard time for not applying junior year?

[senzen]

My parents definitely weren't on board with a gap year originally, but they definitely agree with me now that it was the right decision.

My advice? Bombard them with evidence. Quotes from medical school directors recommending gap years, statistics about the average age of medical school matriculants and that most people take at least one year off between medical school. Tell them that a year off will let you add awards/honors/grades from your senior year to your application, as well as a year of research or whatever, and that it's putting your application "at risk" if you don't take a gap year. Just be patient, and *convince* them.

I have yet to find legitimate sources that actually recommend gap years. Even though we all know it's true. It didn't help yesterday that his doctor best friend told him a gap year is a bad idea...

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[alsab]

this is me as well 100%

 

[referee3]

Y'all must have crazy asian parents. My parents couldn't have cared less that I took 2 gap years.

 

[Drinkingtea]

Y'all must have crazy asian parents. My parents couldn't have cared less that I took 2 gap years.

Pros and cons of having crazy asian parents I guess. Sometimes, I admit, when I wanted to give up as a pre-med, it's nice to have their forceful encouragements haha. Unfortunately, unless they are physicians themselves, prestige is the focus instead of what really matters in medicine. Also, logic/facts don't win against what they hear in the grapevine. If I say what they hear is BS I am immediately reprimanded for being disrespectful. My parents are immigrants, and they subconsciously feel look down upon all the time. Guess the last thing they want is to have the kids tell them they are misinformed.

 

[raiderette]

My mother is pushing me to take a gap year. She hates the fact that I am studying for the new MCAT while taking classes. I swear she lurks on here.

 

[HowTragic]

Quite the opposite for me. My parents were against me applying junior year for direct matriculation because I took the MCAT late and they wanted me to have a gap year to do more research, take it easy for a year, and potentially come back with a stronger application. On the contrary, I thought taking a gap year was a waste of time, knowing very well that if I relaxed for a year I'd lose my steam and never again muster up enough motivation to subject myself to another X years of continuous and intensive studies. No need to make an overwhelmingly long and difficult career path even longer.

And to top it off, my parents are "traditional" Asian parents.