A Year Off

[JimEdmondsSucks]

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I'm think about taking a year off between undergrad and med school. I don't want to do this and just sit around and drink beer for a year, so I'm wondering if there are any interesting/fun/worthwhile things that others have done or are planning to do in a year off. Any suggestions, whether they would add to my application or not, are welcome.

 

[Anastasis]

I went and volunteered for a year in the UK. It was a blast. I really recommend living in Europe if you can, gives you a whole new prospective on life.

 

[laboholic]

if you are doin research... dedicate a year and try to get published! Everyone's doin it!

 

[HCW212]

@ the name.

 

[Flopotomist]

Go to Mexico and study Spanish. (something I have always wanted to do - but no time.)

 

[VPDcurt]

I'm think about taking a year off between undergrad and med school. I don't want to do this and just sit around and drink beer for a year, so I'm wondering if there are any interesting/fun/worthwhile things that others have done or are planning to do in a year off. Any suggestions, whether they would add to my application or not, are welcome.

Is your real name Jim Edmonds? If it is, then I agree.

 

[63768]

i'm taking a year off. doing orthopedics research and assisting in surgery. it's a 50hr week job but it's fun as hell. once i get into med school (crossing fingers), i'll be traveling.

 

[Thundrstorm]

If you like research, the NIH postbacc program is cool. That's waht I'm doing this year, and it's going great so far.

 

[psychMajor]

whats happens when you finish your undergraduate...and you are not a student at the university anymore..

..can u still do research with a prof.??

 

[medstu2006]

If you like research, the NIH postbacc program is cool. That's waht I'm doing this year, and it's going great so far.

Could you please give me some info on the NIH post bacc?

 

[DarkFark]

Is your real name Jim Edmonds? If it is, then I agree.

Maybe he's a Cubs fan.

 

[Thundrstorm]

Could you please give me some info on the NIH post bacc?

It's a program designed for recent college grads who are applying or who plan to apply to med or grad school in the imminent future. It's a year-long committment that can be extended to two years. The purpose is to give you experience conducting research, and I've heard that you can get a placement even if your prior research experience is limited. You fill out the online application and get 3 rec letters that can be submitted online, and your application goes into a database that different labs can search. So, there's no official acceptance or rejection... you just wait to be contacted by labs (and you can e-mail labs that interest you and see if they have an opening). You should submit your app a few months before you want to start. Some people submit in December/January and are way ahead of the game. I submitted in May when I realized graduation was 5 days away and I had no job. I ended up starting in September.. but I would've had more choices of labs if I'd been in the first wave of applications. You learn alot of lab skills and get to do an independent project... obviously a lot depends on the lab you end up in, but you have the opportunity to meet with various PIs and make a decision. While you're at NIH, they have seminar series and workshops... like recently we had a med school interview workshop and got some pointers from deans at MD, GW, and some other schools. The salary is $23,000. You have to pay taxes, and you can also get health insurance through NIH that your institute pays for. NIH also has a technical IRTA program and NIH Academy, which you can read about on the website


Go to http://www.training.nih.gov/student/Pre-IRTA/previewpostbac.asp?AppType=Postbac for details.

 

[medstu2006]

It's a program designed for recent college grads who are applying or who plan to apply to med or grad school in the imminent future. It's a year-long committment that can be extended to two years. The purpose is to give you experience conducting research, and I've heard that you can get a placement even if your prior research experience is limited. You fill out the online application and get 3 rec letters that can be submitted online, and your application goes into a database that different labs can search. So, there's no official acceptance or rejection... you just wait to be contacted by labs (and you can e-mail labs that interest you and see if they have an opening). You should submit your app a few months before you want to start. Some people submit in December/January and are way ahead of the game. I submitted in May when I realized graduation was 5 days away and I had no job. I ended up starting in September.. but I would've had more choices of labs if I'd been in the first wave of applications. You learn alot of lab skills and get to do an independent project... obviously a lot depends on the lab you end up in, but you have the opportunity to meet with various PIs and make a decision. While you're at NIH, they have seminar series and workshops... like recently we had a med school interview workshop and got some pointers from deans at MD, GW, and some other schools. The salary is $23,000. You have to pay taxes, and you can also get health insurance through NIH that your institute pays for. NIH also has a technical IRTA program and NIH Academy, which you can read about on the website


Go to http://www.training.nih.gov/student/Pre-IRTA/previewpostbac.asp?AppType=Postbac for details.

Thanks for the info. Is it really competitive?

 

[Thundrstorm]

Thanks for the info. Is it really competitive?

That's hard to say since there's no selection committee or anything... it just depends on whether a particular lab is interested in you. I would suggest applying fairly early (maybe Feb/March?) and having a back-up plan in case you don't hear back by mid-summer.

 

[Doc.Holliday]

well i still have 2 years before this might happen, and it hopefully wont (but i might take a year off on my own accord)... but i have 2 main options

to continue with my research full time -or- enroll in an intense language program, like the falcon language program at cornel or something in a non asian language, i really love languages, and have already been studying french, spanish, and german. so i could alternatively do shorter intense language programs (falcon is a full school year) in those languages to increase my proficiency. i think it would be quite helpful in admissions... "what did you do on your time off since you graduated?" .. "hmmm... became fluent in 3 languages and did a bit of research too."

 

[Anastasis]

Lanuage school would be interesting; it would be beneficial to your application too if you were planning on practicing in an underserved area and you could speak that language. (I volunteer at a clinic where most of the patients speak Spanish and I know the language barrier hinders my interactions with them).

The only language study I did in the UK was learning how to order a Guiness and how to say "Give me a kiss" in Irish.

 

[-Goose-]

What about EMT bootcamp to boost your clinical experience?

This one's a little expensive than others, but you get the idea...

http://www.unitekcollege.com/emt/individual_page.php

 

[71263]

Is your real name Jim Edmonds? If it is, then I agree.

Just like Michael Bolton

 

[Hoooba]

I went and volunteered for a year in the UK. It was a blast. I really recommend living in Europe if you can, gives you a whole new prospective on life.

Can you give a link or more info on volunteer opportunities in the UK or Europe? thanks a lot

 

[swifteagle43]

who is jim edmunds?

 

[bbas]

who is jim edmunds?

Don't watch much baseball do you? 😀 He's the center fielder for the St.Louis Cardinals.

 

[doctorFred]

I'm think about taking a year off between undergrad and med school. I don't want to do this and just sit around and drink beer for a year, so I'm wondering if there are any interesting/fun/worthwhile things that others have done or are planning to do in a year off. Any suggestions, whether they would add to my application or not, are welcome.

i'm spending a year at home, working part time as an EMT and EMT instructor. i do a bit more sitting around than i would like.. but i've been visiting a lot of different friends, reading some good books, and getting ready for my interviews.

 

[Anastasis]

Can you give a link or more info on volunteer opportunities in the UK or Europe? thanks a lot

Here is the program I went to Europe with (Belfast, Northern Ireland was my program). There are tons of great sites there - I almost went to Thailand but decided on Belfast at the last minute. Nothing resembling clinical work in Europe - I hear tales of working with an AIDS clinic in Kenya but I didn't know anyone personally who did that. There's a Lutheran program too that's basically the same thing (You'll have to google for that one). You don't have to be Presbyterian to do this, but most people are.

There another program here that the PCUSA partners with for some of the UK sites. I think that one will accept applications directly without having to go through the PCUSA.

This was the most amazing experience, though I will admit that Belfast can be scary at times. Hope this helps.

 

[-Goose-]

Here's a unique twist to the post-bacc idea:

http://www.abgbrew.com/

I wonder if that will count as a science course on AMCAS?

Seriously, how cool would that be?

 

[-Goose-]

check out that match-list at the bottom of the page!

 

[JimEdmondsSucks]

Thanks for the great suggestions, keep 'em coming. And yes I'm a Cubs fan and yes Jim Edmonds sucks.

 

[tastyfood]

That's hard to say since there's no selection committee or anything... it just depends on whether a particular lab is interested in you. I would suggest applying fairly early (maybe Feb/March?) and having a back-up plan in case you don't hear back by mid-summer.

how do you manage with that salary? i heard living expenses near the maryland area are expensive....how long are you taking off? 1 year or are you required to stay for longer? if it is 1 year, how do you manage to pay for travel and other application-related expenses...thanks for all the info so far...

 

[kalenakai]

you could always travel, find love, do research, and work in the hospital. oh wait, that's why i did in my year off 🙂