Originality in your Gap Year

[orangeman25]

For anyone else that is about to be on their gap year, or has already taken one, I have a question. My plans include paid research + working in the emergency department in a university hospital. How important is it to do something unique and more "adventurous" during your gap year? I know some people spend a year abroad working on a community service project, some people take up a new hobby, etc etc. Is anyone else spending their gap year doing more mainstream things like I am?

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[Oso]

There will always be people who have taken more time off and done more 'unique' things. Oh well, your gap year plan is solid. I wouldn't worry about it at all. Most people who take one year off end up doing research, tutoring, local volunteering, etc. If you feel like doing something adventurous (ie. traveling) then do it because you want to do it, not because you think it will make you stand out.

 

[lysine9740]

I am almost done with my gap year, as I start this summer. I became a substitute teacher all year, did shadowing in a field I was interested in, have read around 30 books, and been making things out of wood for school (book shelves, study tables, etc.). Your gap year is just that, yours! Do things that make you happy and have fun. If you are already accepted and don't need things to get you in, do whatever you can think of to just have fun and enjoy your life. The perfect year off is doing what you love. For some it's traveling and being productive, for others like me is getting a bunch of hobbies. I wouldn't have done anything else if I could have.

 

[orangeman25]

I am almost done with my gap year, as I start this summer. I became a substitute teacher all year, did shadowing in a field I was interested in, have read around 30 books, and been making things out of wood for school (book shelves, study tables, etc.). Your gap year is just that, yours! Do things that make you happy and have fun. If you are already accepted and don't need things to get you in, do whatever you can think of to just have fun and enjoy your life. The perfect year off is doing what you love. For some it's traveling and being productive, for others like me is getting a bunch of hobbies. I wouldn't have done anything else if I could have.

Sounds like you filled your year with meaningful activities. I'm pretty happy with my gap year plans, even though they may seem mundane! I have a question for you. When you interviewed, were adcoms interested in how you are spending your gap year? Or did they really only inquire about things you had done prior to sending in your application?

Also congrats on the med school acceptance.

 

[504196]

I am almost done with my gap year, as I start this summer. I became a substitute teacher all year, did shadowing in a field I was interested in, have read around 30 books, and been making things out of wood for school (book shelves, study tables, etc.). Your gap year is just that, yours! Do things that make you happy and have fun. If you are already accepted and don't need things to get you in, do whatever you can think of to just have fun and enjoy your life. The perfect year off is doing what you love. For some it's traveling and being productive, for others like me is getting a bunch of hobbies. I wouldn't have done anything else if I could have.

How do you become a substituent teacher?

 

[lysine9740]

Sounds like you filled your year with meaningful activities. I'm pretty happy with my gap year plans, even though they may seem mundane! I have a question for you. When you interviewed, were adcoms interested in how you are spending your gap year? Or did they really only inquire about things you had done prior to sending in your application?

Also congrats on the med school acceptance.

It is not mundane, as it is what you want to do, and you will probably enjoy it a lot. Funny thing is, I actually did not interview. As the first school I got accepted to (MSUCOM) was very early on, and they don't interview. It was my first choice so I didn't keep going on with apps. If your ECs are lacking, then your gap year should be filled with those, and adcoms will be interested in it. But if you have a solid app, they will most likely ask you what you plan on doing during your gap year, and the best is just tell them what you are doing, since it is fine

How do you become a substituent teacher?

Every state is different. For Michigan you would go on subpass.com and it is pretty self explanatory. It would be a quick Google search for your state. But the requirements are all similar. You would need 90+ credits, get fingerprinted, pass background check, etc. For me etc. was a few quick online lecture slides, and a 2 hour class where you turn in official transcript and all other required materials. I highly recommend it, it is loads of fun. I think it helped me a lot with leaderships skills. And even though I was pretty good at public speaking, this really solidified it.

 

[504196]

It is not mundane, as it is what you want to do, and you will probably enjoy it a lot. Funny thing is, I actually did not interview. As the first school I got accepted to (MSUCOM) was very early on, and they don't interview. It was my first choice so I didn't keep going on with apps. If your ECs are lacking, then your gap year should be filled with those, and adcoms will be interested in it. But if you have a solid app, they will most likely ask you what you plan on doing during your gap year, and the best is just tell them what you are doing, since it fine



Every state is different. For Michigan you would go on subpass.com and it is pretty self explanatory. It would be a quick Google search for your state. But the requirements are all similar. You would need 90+ credits, get fingerprinted, pass background check, etc. For me etc. was a few quick online lecture slides, and a 2 hour class where you turn in official transcript and ell other required materials. I highly recommend it, it is loads of fun. I think it helped me a lot with leaderships skills. Even though I was pretty good at public speaking, this really solidified it.

Cool. Thanks for the advice! I will probably look into that.

 

[LizzyM]

Yes, and it worked out well.

Adventurous gap years are for rich people. Not everyone is rich, and medical schools understand and respect that.

I disagree. Almost anyone can learn a new skill with a minimum of money and a large investment of time. Almost anyone can do something fun and adventurous without a big outlay of cash if they are creative.

As a new college grad knowing nothing about art history, I bought a huge art history book, read a chapter each week and visited a major museum once a week on the "free night" and went through the galleries systematically, one chapter and gallery per week (or month if it was a vast one) for a year and came away with a pretty good do-it-yourself education in art history. The total outlay of cash was just the cost of the book.

With Khan Academy and MOOGs there is so much to learn online for free or for cheap. Come to think of it, I'm going to look into learning sign language that way.

You can work and volunteer and find something that is fun and interesting for you and spend 3-5 hours per week on it and have something interesting to talk about when someone asks "tell me about yourself".

 

[moop]

I disagree. Almost anyone can learn a new skill with a minimum of money and a large investment of time. Almost anyone can do something fun and adventurous without a big outlay of cash if they are creative.

As a new college grad knowing nothing about art history, I bought a huge art history book, read a chapter each week and visited a major museum once a week on the "free night" and went through the galleries systematically, one chapter and gallery per week (or month if it was a vast one) for a year and came away with a pretty good do-it-yourself education in art history. The total outlay of cash was just the cost of the book.

With Khan Academy and MOOGs there is so much to learn online for free or for cheap. Come to think of it, I'm going to look into learning sign language that way.

You can work and volunteer and find something that is fun and interesting for you and spend 3-5 hours per week on it and have something interesting to talk about when someone asks "tell me about yourself".

Wait, so would it not be frowned upon if we took a year off to focus on a recreational sport (e.g., ping pong, billiards) and try our hand in the pro league before applying out?

 

[CyberMaxx]

I disagree. Almost anyone can learn a new skill with a minimum of money and a large investment of time. Almost anyone can do something fun and adventurous without a big outlay of cash if they are creative.

As a new college grad knowing nothing about art history, I bought a huge art history book, read a chapter each week and visited a major museum once a week on the "free night" and went through the galleries systematically, one chapter and gallery per week (or month if it was a vast one) for a year and came away with a pretty good do-it-yourself education in art history. The total outlay of cash was just the cost of the book.

With Khan Academy and MOOGs there is so much to learn online for free or for cheap. Come to think of it, I'm going to look into learning sign language that way.

You can work and volunteer and find something that is fun and interesting for you and spend 3-5 hours per week on it and have something interesting to talk about when someone asks "tell me about yourself".

I did what many pre-meds do, I worked full-time in a research laboratory and spent a significant amount of time volunteering. However I did find time for other things that I am interested in. For example, this past year I have been teaching myself a programming language which is something I never got to do in college (history major ). I have also been learning machining and am becoming a pretty decent swimmer!

To echo @msquaredb when I read the OPs post I thought of things like medical mission trips and months in Europe. Activities which may be great but may also come with a huge price tag. I do agree though, that just because you are financially constrained doesn't mean that you can't have fun/do 'unique' activities.

 

[LizzyM]

Wait, so would it not be frowned upon if we took a year off to focus on a recreational sport (e.g., ping pong, billiards) and try our hand in the pro league before applying out?

I can recall a guy who was interviewed and who had been a professional poker player during a gap. If we didn't admit him, it wasn't because he played poker. (I really don't recall what the decision was.) I also recall a non-trad who had made a bundle in high tech, cashed out, did a post-bac, submitted his application and then went to a big name cooking school in Europe for several weeks just because he had the time and the inclination. That was fun to talk about.

If you would be a serious amateur (national or international competition like Olympics) or a semi-pro or pro-athlete, that would be very cool. If you have the cash and want to do something out of the ordinary, that's fine. Frankly, it is fun to talk with applicants who have something to talk about that is beyond "the usual".

 

[Planes2Doc]

ADCOMs have seen just about everything under the sun. Unless you were to start a non-profit or something, you won't be a unique. But you know what? Doing "cookie-cutter" ECs has gotten thousands of people into medical school over the years. So do what you gotta do... Check those boxes, get high grades, and make sure you have a solid MCAT score, and you'll be fine.

 

[moop]

ADCOMs have seen just about everything under the sun. Unless you were to start a non-profit or something, you won't be a unique. But you know what? Doing "cookie-cutter" ECs has gotten thousands of people into medical school over the years. So do what you gotta do... Check those boxes, get high grades, and make sure you have a solid MCAT score, and you'll be fine.

For someone who has "The system is broken," linked in their signature, the advice you give certainly doesn't seem in line with that recognition.

 

[Planes2Doc]

For someone who has "The system is broken," linked in their signature, the advice you give certainly doesn't seem in line with that recognition.

The system is indeed broken... Even though I completely disagree with having to put up a huge facade in order to get into medical school, it must be done. Unfortunately this is the world we live in, and wht has to be done must be done. I just don't see people with average or above-average stats getting in without ECs (or simply put, playing the game).

Also, I HATED volunteering in the ED as a pre-med. I was treated like garbage and forefeitted a lot of potential income when I was the techs' b*tch. But in my posts, I highly recommend hospital volunteering as the best thing ever, because when you have to play the game, it's the best deal in town.

Sorry. The hoops pre-meds need to jump through suck. We have to pretend to be passionate about those things, and there'snot much else we can do about it except play the game.

 

[moop]

The system is indeed broken... Even though I completely disagree with having to put up a huge facade in order to get into medical school, it must be done. Unfortunately this is the world we live in, and wht has to be done must be done. I just don't see people with average or above-average stats getting in without ECs (or simply put, playing the game).

Also, I HATED volunteering in the ED as a pre-med. I was treated like garbage and forefeitted a lot of potential income when I was the techs' b*tch. But in my posts, I highly recommend hospital volunteering as the best thing ever, because when you have to play the game, it's the best deal in town.

Sorry. The hoops pre-meds need to jump through suck. We have to pretend to be passionate about those things, and there's not much else we can do about it except play the game.

I don't find such statements convincing. There are plenty of ways to dodge the rock-bottom and lifeless ECs that many think are absolutely necessary to get into med school. For example, clinical opportunities at Princeton are a pain in the ass because they're not on campus and require a lot of extra effort and time to even physically get to. Plenty of premeds every year get into top 20s without hospital/clinical volunteering. Contrary to what adcom members here say, there is evidence that ECs are not as narrowly defined as your posts and those of many others seem to prescribe. Above all, committees are using those ECs as proxies to gauge dedication, compassion, etc., all that subjective ****. Thus, there are a wide spectrum of opportunities that can be seen as substitutes for the cookie cutter boring stuff premeds think are always required of them. Thus, finding an EC that one actually likes should not be all that hard. I don't do bench work, volunteer at hospitals, or even take all the labs required of me. But if my peers that preceded me are any indication, those things will not be what precludes me from a top-tier school. "We need to pretend because we're premeds" is just not the right mentality to have.

Of course, I do recognize that many do not have access to the alternatives that I am privileged to have because of Princeton. But that doesn't mean SDN as a whole should be encouraging premeds of all sorts to fake it, because you may very well be forcing someone who was considering the other options s/he had to drop them for the sake of "playing it safe."

 

[Planes2Doc]

I don't find such statements convincing. There are plenty of ways to dodge the rock-bottom and lifeless ECs that many think are absolutely necessary to get into med school. For example, clinical opportunities at Princeton are a pain in the ass because they're not on campus and require a lot of extra effort and time to even physically get to. Plenty of premeds every year get into top 20s without hospital/clinical volunteering. Contrary to what adcom members here say, there is evidence that ECs are not as narrowly defined as your posts and those of many others seem to prescribe. Above all, committees are using those ECs as proxies to gauge dedication, compassion, etc., all that subjective ****. Thus, there are a wide spectrum of opportunities that can be seen as substitutes for the cookie cutter boring stuff premeds think are always required of them. Thus, finding an EC that one actually likes should not be all that hard. I don't do bench work, volunteer at hospitals, or even take all the labs required of me. But if my peers that preceded me are any indication, those things will not be what precludes me from a top-tier school. "We need to pretend because we're premeds" is just not the right mentality to have.

Of course, I do recognize that many do not have access to the alternatives that I am privileged to have because of Princeton. But that doesn't mean SDN as a whole should be encouraging premeds of all sorts to fake it, because you may very well be forcing someone who was considering the other options s/he had to drop them for the sake of "playing it safe."

You're correct. There are other things that you can do besides the things that I and other SDN members tell people to do. But why is there such a Cookie Cutter mentality in the first place? It's because doing the bare minimum can get you into medical school. I don't quite understand why pre-meds need to spend so much of their time doing all of these random things, often which have nothing to do with being a doctor anyhow. Sure, no one is asking you to volunteer in a hospital and fake it. You can find other ways to get clinical experience. Sure lots of people end up getting entry-level clinical jobs. But in the long run, are they really worth it? Sure it's nice to get paid and all. But it's a big commitment. And you might end up sacrificing your grades, MCAT score, or even your own free time which you definitely won't have in medical school. I see so many people giving up the best time of their lives (college) to do a whole bunch of things that they never would have done if they weren't pre-med.

Okay, so if you don't want to be a Cookie Cutter. Then go do other things. It'll make you look better anyhow. You can get a clinical job, you can start a non-profit company, you can volunteer at a soup kitchen, the possibilities are endless. But, if you're someone who ultimately spent all of college doing these things and then end up sitting next to someone in medical school who volunteered in a hospital once a week and shadowed, how would you feel?

Look, there are plenty of hobbies I had well before I was pre-med. They are still hobbies now. They weren't shaped in any way by medical school admissions. They are things like photography and working out. I wouldn't go on SDN asking if I should keep doing them. People on this forum are asking about activities that they would not have done had they not been pre-med. Someone who volunteered since they were a teenager at their church isn't suddenly going to make a thread in pre-allo asking whether it looks good or not. But someone who never volunteered before realizing it was a requirement would make such a thread (which you see all the time). So why not lead them into the easiest possible direction, whereas simple weekly hospital volunteering and shadowing will ultimately yield the same result as the person who volunteered at a variety of places, had a clinical job, was a member of multiple clubs, etc... The goal is to get into medical school.

 

[3rdarmageddon]

I got a massage therapy license and worked as a sporting coach... original, but not much help to my application. Granted the massage helped me in two of my interviews at schools that accepted me.