Deciding whether to take a year off

[bobaholic05]

I realize that it has been very common to take a year off after graduation. I am thinking of doing so, not because I am burned out from school, but because I would like to make my application stronger by having an extra year of clinical experience and research, time to spend on my classes, and more time for my interviews.

Or should I just go straight through? And the extra year wouldn't matter much too much?

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[Valadi]

If you have a good chance of getting in now, then do it. If you want to beef up your CV for residency (which will ultimately matter more) then you can take a year off during medical school, and this does help a lot if you get pubs out.

 

[OCDOCDOCD]

I've been taking a year (more like two) off to beef up my CV. I think it's really going to pay off very well. Don't try to rush out of undergrad if you don't think your app is strong enough to get you into the schools you want. As long as you do something productive out of college adcoms won't care that you took a year off. I actually hear they even prefer it since an older applicant is likely to be more mature. Taking time off also means you get to have ALL your college grades to show the adcom instead of everything but your last year. It also means you can take the MCAT at your leisure, focus full time on ECs without having to worry about classes, and things like that. Another bonus is that you get a break from school from awhile, and TBH the gap you take is going to be the last time in your life that you get a (relatively) easy going schedule. Wanted to go backpacking across Europe? Now's the time. Wanted to learn a second language? Now's the time.

The only downside is that you're essentially pausing your life while you do this, but I'd say it's worth it.

 

[Valadi]

I've been taking a year (more like two) off to beef up my CV. I think it's really going to pay off very well. Don't try to rush out of undergrad if you don't think your app is strong enough to get you into the schools you want. As long as you do something productive out of college adcoms won't care that you took a year off. I actually hear they even prefer it since an older applicant is likely to be more mature. Taking time off also means you get to have ALL your college grades to show the adcom instead of everything but your last year. It also means you can take the MCAT at your leisure, focus full time on ECs without having to worry about classes, and things like that. Another bonus is that you get a break from school from awhile, and TBH the gap you take is going to be the last time in your life that you get a (relatively) easy going schedule. Wanted to go backpacking across Europe? Now's the time. Wanted to learn a second language? Now's the time.

The only downside is that you're essentially pausing your life while you do this, but I'd say it's worth it.

It will also cost you X years of physician salary. For 2 years you could be losing 400k if you're a doctor in most specialties. Potentially 1-2 mil if you're a surgical subspecialist. That's a hard pill to swallow. Several hundred thousand dollars can buy you a live-in language tutor and a flight to Europe every weekend for years.

 

[09ine]

It will also cost you X years of physician salary. For 2 years you could be losing 400k if you're a doctor in most specialties. Potentially 1-2 mil if you're a surgical subspecialist. That's a hard pill to swallow. Several hundred thousand dollars can buy you a live-in language tutor and a flight to Europe every weekend for years.

Yeah but there's a point where money gets excessive and you forget to live. I wouldn't be against taking a year off because that would be my last time to relax before my life turns over. Plus it definitely would help to round off any sharp edges in my application.

 

[Nebby]

It will also cost you X years of physician salary. For 2 years you could be losing 400k if you're a doctor in most specialties. Potentially 1-2 mil if you're a surgical subspecialist. That's a hard pill to swallow. Several hundred thousand dollars can buy you a live-in language tutor and a flight to Europe every weekend for years.

Some people don't base their decisions in life according to the amount of money they make. The first response had very logical and valid points. I think it's perfectly acceptable and, in many ways, beneficial to take a break, to try new things, and to live a little.

 

[Valadi]

Some people don't base their decisions in life according to the amount of money they make. The first response had very logical and valid points. I think it's perfectly acceptable and, in many ways, beneficial to take a break, to try new things, and to live a little.

I don't disagree. I just think it's worth pointing out to people. For the record, I did take a gap year and generally recommend them. Opportunity cost is something that advisors included had me consider and I think should be considered.

Money is certainly nowhere near the be all end all (and I'm going into academia, where prospects are much more modest). However, gap years also mean delayed payment of student loans, and less liquid finances available if you are starting a family.

Financials notwithstanding, you're also working a job you have less control over (ie, residency/med school) later in life. Especially for those considering having kids, it poses a bigger strain than if they were an attending. This may not be an issue for some people - especially for one year - but for others getting an extra year with their kids as an attending rather than a resident is favorable.

I think my previous post came off as avaricious, when that was not the point. Hopefully this clears up what I was trying to put forward. Will an extra 400k be what you're looking for in old age? Probably not. It does make a world of difference if you're trying to buy a house/support a family in your 30's, though.

 

[OCDOCDOCD]

It will also cost you X years of physician salary. For 2 years you could be losing 400k if you're a doctor in most specialties. Potentially 1-2 mil if you're a surgical subspecialist. That's a hard pill to swallow. Several hundred thousand dollars can buy you a live-in language tutor and a flight to Europe every weekend for years.

Yes, but if taking a year or two off is going to make a significant difference in where (or even if) you go to school, it'll likely be worth it. Furthermore, $400k is a bit much for most specialties. The only specialty I've seen that makes that much as an average salary is anesthesiology. More typically the pay is around $150k-250k. $1 mil (much less $2 mil) is something you're only going to come by if you have a very successful plastic surgery private practice in Beverly Hills.

It's also worth noting that if lost income is of great concern to you then you made an extremely foolish decision going into medicine. Let's assume you have what it takes to become the kind of surgeon that makes $1 million/year. Had you put that same effort and intelligence toward a career in, say, investment banking you'd be making that $1 million/year a hell of a lot sooner, and as a plus you would've started working with a very respectable salary right out of college instead of spending another 4 years going into very deep debt followed by another 5-10 years making a salary that just barely keeps you out of poverty.

Anyway, at least in my case I'm going for an MD/PhD with the intent of becoming an academic researcher who practices medicine on the side a little bit, so my lost earnings are pretty low. What concerns me more is that by the time I enroll I'll probably be 26 or 27, and thus be in my late 30s or early 40s by the time my career really gets started.

 

[bobaholic05]

I've been taking a year (more like two) off to beef up my CV. I think it's really going to pay off very well. Don't try to rush out of undergrad if you don't think your app is strong enough to get you into the schools you want. As long as you do something productive out of college adcoms won't care that you took a year off. I actually hear they even prefer it since an older applicant is likely to be more mature. Taking time off also means you get to have ALL your college grades to show the adcom instead of everything but your last year. It also means you can take the MCAT at your leisure, focus full time on ECs without having to worry about classes, and things like that. Another bonus is that you get a break from school from awhile, and TBH the gap you take is going to be the last time in your life that you get a (relatively) easy going schedule. Wanted to go backpacking across Europe? Now's the time. Wanted to learn a second language? Now's the time.

The only downside is that you're essentially pausing your life while you do this, but I'd say it's worth it.

Thank you so much for the advice.

Will there be really a huge pause? I will be applying after I graduate?

 

[1289]

Thank you so much for the advice.

Will there be really a huge pause? I will be applying after I graduate?

I hoped to go straight through to med school but ended up not getting in so I'm about to start my year off. I know you might not feel burnt out right now, I didn't this time last year, but after the stress of applying + being on wait lists + another year of undergrad I feel like a break is the best thing for me and it's honestly a little bit of a relief that I have it now. It's not the end of the world. a year off is a great chance to do things you won't be able to do as much for the next 4 years

 

[SnowyRox]

Thank you so much for the advice.

Will there be really a huge pause? I will be applying after I graduate?

... you can apply whenever you want to. If you want to only take one gap year, you will submit your application the June of your senior year. This means that most of your "beefing up" should occur during senior year.

 

[bobaholic05]

... you can apply whenever you want to. If you want to only take one gap year, you will submit your application the June of your senior year. This means that most of your "beefing up" should occur during senior year.

I'll be taking the MCAT in 2013. Do you think it will last until my application cycle in 2015?

 

[schmo]

I'll be taking the MCAT in 2013. Do you think it will last until my application cycle in 2015?

MCAT scores are good for 3 years, so yes

 

[bobaholic05]

MCAT scores are good for 3 years, so yes

Someone told me 2 years. Does it differ by school?

 

[majahops]

When you ask questions like this, it's very helpful when you post your stats (GPA, MCAT, etc) to help us advise you as appropriately as possible.

 

[Nebby]

I don't disagree. I just think it's worth pointing out to people. For the record, I did take a gap year and generally recommend them. Opportunity cost is something that advisors included had me consider and I think should be considered.

Money is certainly nowhere near the be all end all (and I'm going into academia, where prospects are much more modest). However, gap years also mean delayed payment of student loans, and less liquid finances available if you are starting a family.

Financials notwithstanding, you're also working a job you have less control over (ie, residency/med school) later in life. Especially for those considering having kids, it poses a bigger strain than if they were an attending. This may not be an issue for some people - especially for one year - but for others getting an extra year with their kids as an attending rather than a resident is favorable.

I think my previous post came off as avaricious, when that was not the point. Hopefully this clears up what I was trying to put forward. Will an extra 400k be what you're looking for in old age? Probably not. It does make a world of difference if you're trying to buy a house/support a family in your 30's, though.

I appreciate this answer a little more Certainly some points to consider. Thank you