Gap Year -- What to do?

[5hch3ng]

Hi all,

Just wondering what your guys's opinions/experiences with having a gap year and what to do within that year. Do med schools CARE what type of job I do... like being a garbage man, for example. Do they just to see you aren't just fooling around for a year? Do they want me to have more time with patients, shadowing, volunteering, clinical, research, etc?

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[miss chievous]

Hi all,

Just wondering what your guys's opinions/experiences with having a gap year and what to do within that year. Do med schools CARE what type of job I do... like being a garbage man, for example. Do they just to see you aren't just fooling around for a year? Do they want me to have more time with patients, shadowing, volunteering, clinical, research, etc?

If you're taking a gap year because something is weak in your application, then you need to obviously fix it. However, if your stats are fine and you're taking a gap year to just kind of relax, the most common advice is to do something you'll enjoy doing, and do some volunteer work and shadowing on the side to make sure you're still involved in the medical profession.

I'll be doing productive stuff (research/volunteering) about 25 hours a week for my upcoming gap year. The other hours I plan on playing Xbox all day. After all, this may be my last year of freedom. Gotta make the most of it

 

[AlteredScale]

If you're taking a gap year because something is weak in your application, then you need to obviously fix it. However, if your stats are fine and you're taking a gap year to just kind of relax, the most common advice is to do something you'll enjoy doing, and do some volunteer work and shadowing on the side to make sure you're still involved in the medical profession.

I'll be doing productive stuff (research/volunteering) about 25 hours a week for my upcoming gap year. The other hours I plan on playing Xbox all day. After all, this may be my last year of freedom. Gotta make the most of it

Pretty much spot on. I am applying for the 2014-2015 cycle but I graduate next year so I'll have a gap year.

Just do stuff that you love doing already, which hopefully you can tie into why you want to pursue medicine. I'll still be volunteering and hopefully conducting some clinical research at our hospital. I really love the whole area of clinical research and love being in front of people and not in front of a bench. But I'll also be joining a band again and doing some more shows and writing as I'm not going have that chance for the next four years!

Best of luck!

 

[lovemango]

If you're taking a gap year because something is weak in your application, then you need to obviously fix it. However, if your stats are fine and you're taking a gap year to just kind of relax, the most common advice is to do something you'll enjoy doing, and do some volunteer work and shadowing on the side to make sure you're still involved in the medical profession.

I'll be doing productive stuff (research/volunteering) about 25 hours a week for my upcoming gap year. The other hours I plan on playing Xbox all day. After all, this may be my last year of freedom. Gotta make the most of it

+1

I worked as an ER scribe during my two gap years, but I also travelled a lot (including a week-long trip to DC and a two week trip to South Korea), watched a bunch of movies on Netflix, read books, etc. I'm enjoying my last few weeks of summer right now before med school starts