What is the worst that can happen if you take a gap year?

[Mr Doc Turr]

I'll be 22 if I start medical school after I graduate, but as we all know the average age for an MD matriculant is 24. So I technically have two more years to strengthen my application, right?

My GPA is not that great and neither are my shadowing or volunteer hours.

I could really use another year, or even two years, to help raise my GPA, gain more clinical exposure, and become more mature and ready for a career in medicine.

I am currently a junior and I won't be taking the MCAT in 2015. If you think I should take it, let me know. Maybe this time next year, when my GPA should be higher, I'll take it.

Is there any downside to this? I know I have to convince my parents that a gap year doesn't mean I'm being too lazy or slow with my application, but otherwise, do you have any input on this?

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[Goro]

You lose a year of clinician salary, but if you can't get into med school, the point is moot. That's why people take a gap year...to improve their apps.

 

[Lccjblu]

Taking a gap year isn't bad unless you do something monumentally stupid during that Time (eg get a DUI or worse).

Otherwise, take your McAT when you feel ready. I took mine between soph and junior year, then took a year off to do research.

A gap year isn't such a bad idea. As u astutely pointed out, many people take it nowadays. The key is to make the most of your time. Address aspects of your application that are weak. If it's your GPA, do a masters. If you don't have much research, get a job as a research tech and make it your goal to submit something to a journal or a conference. Make the most of your time off.

For now, do all you can to boost your GPA. Shadow or volunteer 4 hours a week. use this spring semester to start on research, then go full time this summer and churn out some results.

 

[ridethecliche]

The worst thing that can happen is that you can do all the things you listed and still not get in.