Best Gap Year Jobs Before Med School?

[questionstoask]

say you got rejected or want to defer entrance to med school for 1-3years for some other reason. what are some of the best ways to spend this time?

here are some things to consider:
1) i love my undergrad campus and feel i did not get as much out of it, and i would love to just stay here without working or studying!
2) i want to fool around with some girls, to travel,etc.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[ilovescrubs]

say you got rejected or want to defer entrance to med school for 1-3years for some other reason. what are some of the best ways to spend this time?

here are some things to consider:
1) i love my undergrad campus and feel i did not get as much out of it, and i would love to just stay here without working or studying!
2) i want to fool around with some girls, to travel,etc.

I'd say the best thing you can do is to go on a bender for about 6 months, end up in some European county whose name you can't pronounce, and then set up a brothel or something. I feel like this is an all-around good idea... and a sure-fire way for medical schools to admit you. I mean, who wouldnt?

 

[questionstoask]

I'd say the best thing you can do is to go on a bender for about 6 months, end up in some European county whose name you can't pronounce, and then set up a brothel or something. I feel like this is an all-around good idea... and a sure-fire way for medical schools to admit you. I mean, who wouldnt?

thats not a good idea. i wouldnt get any job in europe. and i dont want to live off my parents' handouts.

 

[bigman43]

say you got rejected or want to defer entrance to med school for 1-3years for some other reason. what are some of the best ways to spend this time?

here are some things to consider:
1) i love my undergrad campus and feel i did not get as much out of it, and i would love to just stay here without working or studying!
2) i want to fool around with some girls, to travel,etc.

nice attitude buddy. i cant believe med schools didnt accept you

 

[questionstoask]

nice attitude buddy. i cant believe med schools didnt accept you

i didnt say that med schools didnt accept me. i only said that my goal is to go to med school but not now. so i want jobs/activities that are intesting for ME.

 

[ilovescrubs]

i didnt say that med schools didnt accept me. i only said that my goal is to go to med school but not now. so i want jobs/activities that are intesting for ME.

So basically you want to be a professional frat-boy?

 

[questionstoask]

So basically you want to be a professional frat-boy?

i am sorry that you're such a nerd. get off my thread,please.

 

[profdogg]

Have you considered ski bum?

 

[trevagandalf]

Humm.. I was also looking for some options B before, if I didn't get into med schools and I had a similar view from what you had. You can either stay in undergrad for another year (I don't know what that does to your financial aid and scholarship, but it is possible, maybe your parents will help?). I think that a more pausible way is to go to grad school at your institution because grad students are usually paid, and this way you don't have to worry about them cutting your scholarship or financial aid. You can always do research at your university, but since you don't want to work, I just don't know your other options. Or you can go travel through TEFL programs (Teaching English as Foreign Language). One that I was specially looking at is a program in Spain, the earn is not great, but you can definetly make a living after the inicial investment to get certified. They guarantee you a 15 hour / week part-time job (which leaves a lot of time for Europe travelling), but it's only for a semester. And if you want to visit Thailand, you can spend the other semester teaching TEFL there ( they pay much better for TEFL teachers )

http://www.canterburytefl.com/

Also, you might want to consider studying abroad if you parents are willing to pay for you. Or you can volunteer abroad, but most are usually paid, unless you join peace corps or get into a mission trip. Either way, there are lots of options to enjoy your youth before going into medical school!

 

[MChitty]

Most schools will ask what you did in your time off. I feel like if you're not going to work or study, then you'd better have something good to write down.

Out of curiosity, if you're not working, but not spending your parents' money, how will you eat??

 

[questionstoask]

Humm.. I was also looking for some options B before, if I didn't get into med schools and I had a similar view from what you had. You can either stay in undergrad for another year (I don't know what that does to your financial aid and scholarship, but it is possible, maybe your parents will help?). I think that a more pausible way is to go to grad school at your institution because grad students are usually paid, and this way you don't have to worry about them cutting your scholarship or financial aid. You can always do research at your university, but since you don't want to work, I just don't know your other options. Or you can go travel through TEFL programs (Teaching English as Foreign Language). One that I was specially looking at is a program in Spain, the earn is not great, but you can definetly make a living after the inicial investment to get certified. They guarantee you a 15 hour / week part-time job (which leaves a lot of time for Europe travelling), but it's only for a semester. And if you want to visit Thailand, you can spend the other semester teaching TEFL there ( they pay much better for TEFL teachers )

http://www.canterburytefl.com/

Also, you might want to consider studying abroad if you parents are willing to pay for you. Or you can volunteer abroad, but most are usually paid, unless you join peace corps or get into a mission trip. Either way, there are lots of options to enjoy your youth before going into medical school!

thanks! but the only viable option would be to go to grad school here(masters). they actually have a few programs i might be interested in. they would cover tuition and give a minimal stipend and i would have to do research. but the problem is that i would have research+grad school classes. i know grad school classes are mostly seminar style, so usually the median is an A- but it is still deceiving because you have to read all those articles and do all the presentations.. and med schools dont care if you get a 4.0 but if you do poorly they will suddenly become pissed. i'm afraid i just won't have enough time to enjoy life here. and i definitely won't get to do any travel... also i love this city but i would also enjoy living in some southern city(i've never been to the south) just for the experience.

i cant teach english abroad because i suck at english and i have a foreign accent.
i dont think you can study abroad after having finished a bachelor's degree. you might enroll into a graduate program, but that's complicated and you'd have to study...

 

[brainfry]

School janitor???

 

[questionstoask]

Have you considered ski bum?

you mean ski instructor? i think even if i could get a paid position here, the season only lasts january-april. and such jobs arent very stable(i mean unless you're really good). then you'd have to be a windsurfing instructor in the summer? i think it is more simple to just get a regular 40hr/wk job. but with my credentials(biology) i dont think i could get any interesting jobs.

 

[questionstoask]

Most schools will ask what you did in your time off. I feel like if you're not going to work or study, then you'd better have something good to write down.

Out of curiosity, if you're not working, but not spending your parents' money, how will you eat??

well obviously i intend to get a job. i just want it to be no more than 40hrs/wk, to be in a good location(either the city i am in right now or in some southern city like myrtle beach,sc or san diego,ca), and i dont know what but something else is missing.

 

[MChitty]

well obviously i intend to get a job. i just want it to be no more than 40hrs/wk, to be in a good location(either the city i am in right now or in some southern city like myrtle beach,sc or san diego,ca), and i dont know what but something else is missing.

If you're just looking for something to do that will pay the bills and leave you with flexibility you can work in a restaurant or retail or something similar. You'll probably be able to make your own hours and though the pay isn't spectacular, you'll be able to get by.

If you want something that's interesting and will enhance your application for med school, unfortunately, you're just out of undergrad and those are definitely much harder to find.

 

[questionstoask]

actually now that i've looked at the requirements, i dont think i could get into grad school here with a stipend...

 

[questionstoask]

If you're just looking for something to do that will pay the bills and leave you with flexibility you can work in a restaurant or retail or something similar. You'll probably be able to make your own hours and though the pay isn't spectacular, you'll be able to get by.

If you want something that's interesting and will enhance your application for med school, unfortunately, you're just out of undergrad and those are definitely much harder to find.

im not interested in being a waiter(i wouldnt make a good one). you could at least come up with something like lifeguard or fitness instructor(but i wouldnt make a good one either). but then i cant stay in this city

 

[MChitty]

im not interested in being a waiter(i wouldnt make a good one). you could at least come up with something like lifeguard or fitness instructor(but i wouldnt make a good one either). but then i cant stay in this city

Well I'm fresh out of ideas then!

May have to become a working stiff like the rest of us...

 

[trevagandalf]

part-time research? When you do research, most of the time you are waiting for a machine to run or something to get mixed and reacted anyway! Plus, mostly what an university can offer is at best during the night... why would you want free time during the day??

 

[Giddyup5]

pharmecutical companies

 

[questionstoask]

part-time research? When you do research, most of the time you are waiting for a machine to run or something to get mixed and reacted anyway! Plus, mostly what an university can offer is at best during the night... why would you want free time during the day??

at my school to do reserach you must be either a summer ugrad student, a master's student, or a ph.d. student. master's students get free tuition+stipend, but i dont know if it's so easy to get accepted here(i just emailed someone)...

 

[KAI1927]

im not interested in being a waiter(i wouldn't make a good one). you could at least come up with something like lifeguard or fitness instructor(but i wouldn't make a good one either). but then i cant stay in this city

Before I went to med school I did landscaping for a while. I really enjoyed it, outside all the time, great workout and no stress. It was probably my favorite non-career oriented job I've ever had.

 

[questionstoask]

pharmecutical companies

i dont know of any in my city. i dont think it's so easy to get hired. and i'm afraid i might lose touch with the ugrads if i work in some other part of town. and i might get used to that lifestyle and then would have to reapply to med schools if im a grad student, i could still be a TA and could still live around campus...

 

[questionstoask]

Before I went to med school I did landscaping for a while. I really enjoyed it, outside all the time, great workout and no stress. It was probably my favorite non-career oriented job I've ever had.

i have no idea how to do this;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landscaping

 

[questionstoask]

i am thinking about the following options:
1)apply to masters programs at my school and there is no guarantee i would get in.
2) enlist in military(national guard). i might then get some reduced tuition for a state med school. i wouldnt have much fun and the location would suck(though i might get to travel a bit). but i would get to scuba dive and do some other fun activities. but i would have to leave my dear college town
3) go be a lifeguard in the south. i would get just enough $ to get by. i would still have to leave my college town. and i dont know if i would really enjoy the south

all these options seem interesting but scary to me

 

[TheRealMD]

Wow, 25 posts and very few of them reasonable.

My suggestion is try to find a job as a research assistant. Pay is pretty low ($20-30k) and you usually have to have a "science" degree, but it's what someone suggested to me if I decide to wait a year or so.

 

[questionstoask]

Wow, 25 posts and very few of them reasonable.

My suggestion is try to find a job as a research assistant. Pay is pretty low ($20-30k) and you usually have to have a "science" degree, but it's what someone suggested to me if I decide to wait a year or so.

you dont get research assistant jobs at my school because there are all the thesis masters students... and i dont want to work in any other town (well unless the job is really cool).

 

[shadowclaws]

Just go live in some foreign country for a while. Its like cheaper to live in those places for a year than to live in the US for a month.

 

[shotdiscus]

Get your parents to co-sign on a loan for $20k. Take the money to Vegas and bet it all on black. You can't go wrong.

 

[nick_carraway]

Work in the area if it's a small enough city (restaurants, bank, clothing stores, coffee shops). The girls will come to you and you'll be close enough to campus to swing by now and then.

 

[Igor4sugry]

Get an engineering job, if you have that major

 

[mdgolfer84]

You could try being a non-student teaching assistant. Thats what I did, pay was good enough, and I only worked on average 15-20 hours a week.

 

[trevagandalf]

i am thinking about the following options:
1)apply to masters programs at my school and there is no guarantee i would get in.
2) enlist in military(national guard). i might then get some reduced tuition for a state med school. i wouldnt have much fun and the location would suck(though i might get to travel a bit). but i would get to scuba dive and do some other fun activities. but i would have to leave my dear college town
3) go be a lifeguard in the south. i would get just enough $ to get by. i would still have to leave my college town. and i dont know if i would really enjoy the south

all these options seem interesting but scary to me

It seems to me that you're afraid of the real world... College is fun, it's carefree, it's no responsibilities. But eventually you have to let it go. You prolly also have friends that you are afraid to let go off. It's a crazy lifestyle... It also seems that you are a little bit afraid to work, I have to agree that finding a job is hard stuff. But there are things called "research assistants" that you can apply for at any major university-level institution and earn some $$. Other than that, the job market is a harsh, harsh place especially for a newly graduate. You are still young and I am not against you exploring the world, still trying to be carefree... but eventually you gotta step out...

 

[questionstoask]

hey may be i should try masters in medical physics? at my school 1st yr is unfunded but 2nd yr is funded. and then can do a 2yr residency and get paid $150k. or if i decide to go to med school after 2yrs, i'll have lost 3yrs instead of 2yrs(most other depts are 18months long and may start in january and are fully funded).

 

[Pink08]

if you don't want to get a job in research, then my advice is to get a job you'll enjoy, and then on the weekends, or during some of your free time, make sure you keep active in meaningful ECs...

Some ideas:
1) shadowing doctors in different fields
2) some kind of volunteer work...like habitat for humanity, red cross, something you believe in and can devote some time to each month
3) a leadership role maybe at your church, or maybe for an event like Race for the Cure

These experiences aren't just for your med school resume...they're for you too. The more patient contact, leadership roles, and medically related ECs you involve yourself in, the more you'll be sure about why you really want to be a doctor. It's your career. Take some time off, get the partying out of your system, but don't forget to spend time really researching your future career as well. This time off is for you...not for the adcoms.

Good luck to you!

 

[foreverLaur]

can i get a real answer to this posted question? because i started my premedical pathway late, i'll have a year off. i won't take ochem until my senior year of college and therefore will have a random year off.

i want a job that will give me good experience, but will also give me a decent salary to help offset some of the costs of medical school.

i'll have a microbiology degree, 2 years of accounting work, and an internship/job offer from one of the Big 4.

 

[questionstoask]

It seems to me that you're afraid of the real world... College is fun, it's carefree, it's no responsibilities. But eventually you have to let it go. You prolly also have friends that you are afraid to let go off. It's a crazy lifestyle... It also seems that you are a little bit afraid to work, I have to agree that finding a job is hard stuff. But there are things called "research assistants" that you can apply for at any major university-level institution and earn some $$. Other than that, the job market is a harsh, harsh place especially for a newly graduate. You are still young and I am not against you exploring the world, still trying to be carefree... but eventually you gotta step out...

your post is good. but i am still afraid!

 

[questionstoask]

if you don't want to get a job in research, then my advice is to get a job you'll enjoy, and then on the weekends, or during some of your free time, make sure you keep active in meaningful ECs...

Some ideas:
1) shadowing doctors in different fields
2) some kind of volunteer work...like habitat for humanity, red cross, something you believe in and can devote some time to each month
3) a leadership role maybe at your church, or maybe for an event like Race for the Cure

These experiences aren't just for your med school resume...they're for you too. The more patient contact, leadership roles, and medically related ECs you involve yourself in, the more you'll be sure about why you really want to be a doctor. It's your career. Take some time off, get the partying out of your system, but don't forget to spend time really researching your future career as well. This time off is for you...not for the adcoms.

Good luck to you!

thanks. i think if i stay here i'll do some volunteer ski patrol and doctor shadowing.

 

[Pink08]

can i get a real answer to this posted question? because i started my premedical pathway late, i'll have a year off. i won't take ochem until my senior year of college and therefore will have a random year off.

i want a job that will give me good experience, but will also give me a decent salary to help offset some of the costs of medical school.

i'll have a microbiology degree, 2 years of accounting work, and an internship/job offer from one of the Big 4.

If you want a medicine-meaningful job that pays decent, then I say try to use your Microbiology degree to get into some type of research. I think doing research is a great way to really understand where medicine is headed. I see that your profile says you're in Ohio. Try this website: http://www.omeris.org/careers/default.asp Omeris is dedicated to bringing biotech jobs (everything from chem, pharm, to microbio) to Ohio and is a great resource to finding all kinds of opportunities for research jobs. I've been using it myself since I'll be graduating with a Masters this summer and will have a two year gap before medical school. I hope this helps.

 

[xx216xx]

hey may be i should try masters in medical physics? at my school 1st yr is unfunded but 2nd yr is funded. and then can do a 2yr residency and get paid $150k. or if i decide to go to med school after 2yrs, i'll have lost 3yrs instead of 2yrs(most other depts are 18months long and may start in january and are fully funded).

You're a bit of an idiot aren't you?

 

[foreverLaur]

If you want a medicine-meaningful job that pays decent, then I say try to use your Microbiology degree to get into some type of research. I think doing research is a great way to really understand where medicine is headed. I see that your profile says you're in Ohio. Try this website: http://www.omeris.org/careers/default.asp Omeris is dedicated to bringing biotech jobs (everything from chem, pharm, to microbio) to Ohio and is a great resource to finding all kinds of opportunities for research jobs. I've been using it myself since I'll be graduating with a Masters this summer and will have a two year gap before medical school. I hope this helps.

i people on this forum. thank you!

 

[Abilene85]

your post is good. but i am still afraid!

I don't want to sound too harsh, but you're really going to need to get over this if you plan to be in health care, because that's about as real as this world gets.

I can relate to you though. I just finished undergrad, absolutely fell in love with my school's area, and now I just want one more year of being a kid before I start classes again. But it's really hard to "bum around" at our age. Society tends to look down on that kind of behavior and med schools will definitely want to see that you did something productive, preferably something that shows a continued interest in medicine. The people above me have given you some pretty good ideas about ways to spend your time.

 

[Jainraisig]

questionstoask- you are total tool. I suspect that you wont just have 1-3 years off between undergrad and med school but more like a lifetime. You want to visit the "South", San Diego or Myrtle Beach? You mean like south of Canada?

The responders are giving you good ideas but you shoot them down because they dont conform to your idealized and totally unrealistic vision.

What do you want to do?

Prioritize your goals. If you want to have the most time to party, get a part time job, live in a rat hole cheap apartment and save your cash for booze. If you want to make some fast cash and dont mind working 80 hours a week, go into investment banking. There are very few jobs right out of school that will pay you well. I you are interested in the subject matter of a particular masters program, do that. But dont do it because you will get $150k after 1 year. I highly doubt that.

Sometimes premeds just need to relax and do something that they enjoy. Not every job or activity has to be a resume builder. Be a bartender so you can live in a cool city. Teach English so you can travel somewhere youve never been before. Go to grad school for art history because you are interested in it. Or take a hard job to make some money. If you do go to med school, you have the rest of your life to live in medicine.

More concrete advice- check out BUNAC- they help arrange work visas for current and recent undergrads to live and work in Australia, NZ or the UK. You also dont need a TEFL certificate to teach in a lot places.

 

[Timmythemic22]

Hmmm....you seem the type that would do well with a "1 dollar to kick me in the nuts" sign and a street corner.

Let me know when you set up shop.

 

[Abilene85]

Hmmm....you seem the type that would do well with a "1 dollar to kick me in the nuts" sign and a street corner.

Let me know when you set up shop.

I did catch a whiff of that.

 

[sfnix]

win powerball and attempt to blow all the money in one year. like that one guy who won and started carrying around brief cases full of 65k. plus you could stay in your college town and "mess around with girls."

didn't guys stop "messing around" with girls in about middle school? don't we "hook up" in college?