Accepted Premeds, What are You Doing with Your 'Wait' Year?

[mafunk]

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So, basically from the time you apply to medical school to the time you actually matriculate is about a year.

What are you going to do for that year while you are waiting to matriculate?

I'm just curious.

 

[JaggerPlate]

Do nothing. Seriously. Work some if you want (make it a mindnumbing and unimportant job), finish up classes if you need to, but spend as much time as you can relaxing, seeing friends, hanging out with your family, etc.

 

[kcin]

So, basically from the time you apply to medical school to the time you actually matriculate is about a year.

What are you going to do for that year while you are waiting to matriculate?

I'm just curious.

Well, you spend half of it flying around and interviewing, so it's really only half a year. However, I am working at the same job I had before I finished undergrad so I can pay all of my loans and other living expenses. When my school gets around to awarding financial aid I'll be able to make some decisions beyond that.

 

[GainesvilleOwl]

Well, you spend half of it flying around and interviewing, so it's really only half a year.

+1.

It sure doesn't feel like a year "off" with applications, secondaries, planning interview trips, interviews and school tours, eagerly checking their websites for admissions decisions, writing update letters to get off a waitlist, etc.

People I met on the interview trail who are out of school are all working somewhere, myself included (two jobs, actually)

 

[Chowda]

Originally I wanted to do nothing but I got bored real fast so I moved to Beijing to study Mandarin and Kung Fu. 👍

I highly recommend doing something you might not be able to do later in life.

 

[emtthink]

Well, I haven't applied yet, but I will be in June, I am taking my MCAT June 16th, my school finishes later than most, then I plan on working full time at my current part time job as an EMT. I hoping to do a little bit of traveling and some hiking and INTERVIEWS

 

[Superman1978]

I ended up taking a blacksmithing class. Way cool. Spent a lot of time climbing as well. I took a couple of classes that seemed interesting but mostly spent time with my family and friends.

 

[fiznat]

I've been working. If you are fortunate enough to be able to get by with no income, you might as well do something fun....

 

[munchymanRX]

Been working as a lab tech for my year off.

Also doing some hiking and a crapload of scuba diving. It ain't so bad...

 

[DrHogFan]

I ended up taking a blacksmithing class. Way cool. Spent a lot of time climbing as well. I took a couple of classes that seemed interesting but mostly spent time with my family and friends.

What level blacksmith are you?

 

[munchymanRX]

What level blacksmith are you?

I bet he's over 9000.

 

[judasreznor]

Working like a dog.

 

[Skippygonenuts]

Do nothing. Seriously. Work some if you want (make it a mindnumbing and unimportant job), finish up classes if you need to, but spend as much time as you can relaxing, seeing friends, hanging out with your family, etc.

Best advice on here!!

Originally I wanted to do nothing but I got bored real fast so I moved to Beijing to study Mandarin and Kung Fu. 👍

haha good luck with the Kung Fu

Been working as a lab tech for my year off.

Same here...blood banker here...good to find some fellow MLS/MT's

 

[heroes31]

I was accepted pretty early in the cycle (Thank Go-d!) So I actually have had a year off. I tried to find a paying medical related job but was unsucsessful. So I spent my time rewatching every episode of 24 on netflix (hence my avatar) and following sports. (Very productive!) I also spent a lot of time with family and friends especially since I will be moving for school and will probably see them less. Overall I found things to do with my time but I really can't wait to start med school now! My advice is try to find an easy stress-free job to occupy your time or go traveling across the world if you can afford it because a year off is a long time.

 

[mafunk]

I think I like the idea of doing something fun before taking the plunge

I'm only applying to three schools (the three in my state), so traveling for interviews probably will not be as intense for me as they are for some of you.

So.... ..
My husband travels all over the world and my youngest is going away to college. I think I'll spend the year

• Traveling around the world with hubby
• Volunteering at medical clinics
• Offering a couple of yoga retreats and teacher training intensives

 

[drctother]

For my year off I did all the application stuff, worked a bit....

and most importantly, I traveled for 3 months. I went to Australia, Laos, and Thailand. Definitely travel if you can, you meet people from all over the world (good and bad people) and I believe it will give you a better perspective going into medicine. Its especially interesting to hear the stories of people from outside North America, their lifestyle, culture, etc

Also its a good way to get the drinking out of your system and the tanning 😛

 

[Jinxgirl]

I am basically doing the same thing as heroes, although i took classes and worked in the lab until the end of december so my time off has been more like 4 months (7 by the time school actually starts). During that time I have been doing a whole big bunch of nothing! I've even tried looking for non-medical jobs but have had no luck. I have some money saved, but am trying to hold on to most of it for rent/books etc before my loans come in - by no means enough to travel or doing anything super fun 🙁. I have therefore spent my time working out, relaxing with my bf/fam/friends, watching tons of shows and movies (whole series of lost for example - ~120 episodes - along with lots of other things). On one hand i am pretty bored, but on the other hand I am kind of enjoying the time off, as it is pretty much the first and last i am going to get for a looonnngg time! I also have a few books lined up to read, but if anyone has any ideas of anything fun/cheap/different I'm definitely open to suggestions! Thanks and good luck to you all! 🙂

 

[Luelinks]

Not to hijack this thread, but say if I graduate college in May 2012, would I be applying for the next fall and start in the fall of 2013? and not Fall 2012?

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Not to hijack this thread, but say if I graduate college in May 2012, would I be applying for the next fall and start in the fall of 2013? and not Fall 2012?

Depends... if you apply in summer of 2011 then you'll be able to start medical school in fall of 2012. Likewise if you apply in summer of 2012 you'll start in the fall of 2013.

 

[swimchick]

I'm still working, been at my job as a lab slave since 2008. Trying to pay down my undergrad loans as much as possible while saving money for med school.

For fun, I've been watching a disgusting amount of TV shows on DVD...finished the entire Buffy the Vampire Slayer series (working on Angel now) and 11 seasons of The Simpsons...I'd like to get my hands on The X-Files 😀 I've also been visiting out of state family and friends as well as spending time with my sister because I think I might actually miss her when I move!

 

[MRSAful Fate]

I've been working as a monitor tech/unit clerk full time, but I keep getting cancelled due to a low census. I'm spending my time mountain biking, hitting the gym, helping my fiance with her grad school stuff, reading, and plenty of just being lazy.

 

[kuanileqa]

Waking up at the crack of 2pm, pouring beer in my cereal, and laying around all day in my PJ's.

 

[munchymanRX]

I'm still working, been at my job as a lab slave since 2008. Trying to pay down my undergrad loans as much as possible while saving money for med school.

For fun, I've been watching a disgusting amount of TV shows on DVD...finished the entire Buffy the Vampire Slayer series (working on Angel now) and 11 seasons of The Simpsons...I'd like to get my hands on The X-Files 😀 I've also been visiting out of state family and friends as well as spending time with my sister because I think I might actually miss her when I move!

GET NETFLIX. It's totallllly worth it and has all the x files seasons, in addition to buffy =P

 

[drctother]

Waking up at the crack of 2pm, pouring beer in my cereal, and laying around all day in my PJ's.

Livin the dream or wat? 👍

I personally prefer kaluha in milk with cereal but hey, its all the same

 

[drctother]

GET NETFLIX. It's totallllly worth it and has all the x files seasons, in addition to buffy =P

How much is Netflix in the US anyway? I want to get it when I move down since I hear nothing but good things

haha never got into X files, although most episodes were filmed around my city

 

[MLT2MT2DO]

Same here...blood banker here...good to find some fellow MLS/MT's

Wow, quite a few of us from C/O 2015 on here. Chem/Hemo supervisor here, alot of downtime once all the paperwork is done for the day.

I'm done in a month though and taking the following 2.5 months to veg/game/spend with the wife/move across the country.

 

[munchymanRX]

How much is Netflix in the US anyway? I want to get it when I move down since I hear nothing but good things

haha never got into X files, although most episodes were filmed around my city

it's USD7.50/mo for just the streaming plan, 8.50/mo for streaming+ 1 DVD rental at a time and 9.50 for 2 rentals at a time+streaming.


I just have the streaming plan, and it's actually really great. Best I think for TV, the movie selection leaves something to be desired most of the time.

 

[MLT2MT2DO]

it's USD7.50/mo for just the streaming plan, 8.50/mo for streaming+ 1 DVD rental at a time and 9.50 for 2 rentals at a time+streaming.


I just have the streaming plan, and it's actually really great. Best I think for TV, the movie selection leaves something to be desired most of the time.

Can't check now because I'm at work but I'm pretty sure the wife and I pay 14.99/mo for 2 plus streaming.

 

[drctother]

Do you guys have TiVo? Do you think its worth getting over netflix?

 

[swimchick]

it's USD7.50/mo for just the streaming plan, 8.50/mo for streaming+ 1 DVD rental at a time and 9.50 for 2 rentals at a time+streaming.


I just have the streaming plan, and it's actually really great. Best I think for TV, the movie selection leaves something to be desired most of the time.

Can't check now because I'm at work but I'm pretty sure the wife and I pay 14.99/mo for 2 plus streaming.

That's still a better deal (and less DVDs to store) than buying the seasons as I go...I'll have to look in to it!

 

[Aaln]

get a job, get paid, use that money to do all the things i wanted to do during undergrad but couldn't.

also, exercise, read and learn about things that i've been meaning to do for a while.

 

[angryazn88]

im basically doing the things i love which include sleeping, sports, reading, and spending time with family and friends!!