ANy Advising during Gap Year?

[vic90]

---

Members don't see this ad.

If I take a gap year, when exactly do I start applying to med school? If I have questions during the app process, do I go back to my college premed advisors to ask questions/get references? or are you basically on your own?

sorry I don't know much about this..

 

[sedaniel]

If I take a gap year, when exactly do I start applying to med school? If I have questions during the app process, do I go back to my college premed advisors to ask questions/get references? or are you basically on your own?

sorry I don't know much about this..

You can start applying two summers before you plan to matriculate. So for example, right now (June/July 2010) people are applying for entrance into the Fall 2011 class.

Advising depends on your college, so talk to your counselors or advising department at your university. At University of Michigan, we can meet with advisors for up to a year and a half or something like that after graduating, for example.

 

[Mbeas]

You can start applying two summers before you plan to matriculate. So for example, right now (June/July 2010) people are applying for entrance into the Fall 2011 class.

precisely.

 

[mvenus929]

Advising depends on your college, so talk to your counselors or advising department at your university. At University of Michigan, we can meet with advisors for up to a year and a half or something like that after graduating, for example.

There's always SDN... my advisers were terrible, so without SDN, I would've been lost.

 

[venacontracta]

If you really want to have a formal advising relationship during your gap year, just work to establish a good rapport with the advisers at your institution before you leave. That way, regardless of what the official policy may or may not be, they won't mind helping you out for the period of time when you may not have as strong of an official connection to the institution.

That being said, I really don't understand the value of advisers. I'm guessing that's just because I haven't had a great personal experience with them. I got burned by my college counselor at my high school and won't trust people whose sole or primary job responsibility is advising ever again. The medical school application process is too important to take any one person's word for anything significant regardless of their position. SDN and the internet in general makes it so easy to do your own research. Advisers can contribute their input and can also contribute valuable advice specific to your institution, but really, they're not that important.

The only exception to this - the only really really important function of premed advising offices is to compile your committee letter of reference.

 

[vic90]

any tips on how to start early in "compiling your committee letter of reference. " - just maintain good relationships with science profs?

If you really want to have a formal advising relationship during your gap year, just work to establish a good rapport with the advisers at your institution before you leave. That way, regardless of what the official policy may or may not be, they won't mind helping you out for the period of time when you may not have as strong of an official connection to the institution.

That being said, I really don't understand the value of advisers. I'm guessing that's just because I haven't had a great personal experience with them. I got burned by my college counselor at my high school and won't trust people whose sole or primary job responsibility is advising ever again. The medical school application process is too important to take any one person's word for anything significant regardless of their position. SDN and the internet in general makes it so easy to do your own research. Advisers can contribute their input and can also contribute valuable advice specific to your institution, but really, they're not that important.

The only exception to this - the only really really important function of premed advising offices is to compile your committee letter of reference.