Taking a year off before internship?

[th1rteen]

Hi guys,

I was wondering if anyone on this thread has taken a year (or several) off between graduating vet school and starting an internship. I'm in a bit of a bind…planning on moving with my fiance wherever his medical school residency match takes him, and unfortunately I'm not sure if it makes since for me to match that same year. It seems like the odds of us matching in the same area are slim to none. I was hoping to apply the year after we move, and are settled down a bit. Has anyone else been in a similar situation or known anyone that has? Any input would be much appreciated!

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[Prospectivevet]

Hi guys,

I was wondering if anyone on this thread has taken a year (or several) off between graduating vet school and starting an internship. I'm in a bit of a bind…planning on moving with my fiance wherever his medical school residency match takes him, and unfortunately I'm not sure if it makes since for me to match that same year. It seems like the odds of us matching in the same area are slim to none. I was hoping to apply the year after we move, and are settled down a bit. Has anyone else been in a similar situation or known anyone that has? Any input would be much appreciated!

Hey Th1rteen:

We have a careers class where I go to school and someone specifically asked our guest speaker (who was a professor that helps select people that receive internships) if taking a year off would hinder the ability to get an internship.

I don't want to sound discouraging, but this professors' answer was a resounding yes! She said that committees are very biased about preferring only recent grads from veterinary school. She was very firm that if you want to take a break, then you need to do it after an internship and before a residency. She specifically stated on of the reasons for this is that "letters from professors that are older than a year are no longer considered accurate reflections of an applicant's current ability."

At the same time, I don't think that taking a year off would be as bad as taking five years off.

 

[th1rteen]

Thanks Prospectivevet!

Unfortunately I have heard similar things, just wanted to reach out to others and see if anyone else was experiencing a similar situation. Its unfortunate that they don't allow couples matching like they do in medical school! Hopefully going through clinics will help me assess whether or not an internship right out of school is the right decision for me.

 

[david594]

What exactly do you mean when you say "Taking a year off"?

If you mean your planning to not do anything that requires your DVM, then I'd agree it will probably hurt you a lot. But if on the other hand your plan is to get a job as a vet where your fiance ends up until you apply through the match next year, I think you wouldn't be hurting your internship prospects too much.

It is really unfortunate the MD match day is a month after the DVM match day. If theres were first you could apply to the match without ranking any programs, and then after he finds out where he is going you could try and scramble to a program in the area.

 

[th1rteen]

Oh yeah I would definitely be doing something vet related…probably working somewhere as a GP. I think the letters of recommendation would really be the biggest issue, like Prospectivevet said, and I'm not sure how to get around that. It's definitely frustrating that his match is over a month after ours, I feel like thats restricting my options quite a bit. I'm only a third year right now, so I have time to think about this, but it's something thats been on my mind a lot lately…and I'm not really sure how to make the best decision for myself professionally, as well as personally.