defer how does it work

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jon stewart

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Hello All,

The jon is back after years of absence with one question.

How are medical schools with deferring acceptance for a year? For example if you are doing a mph program and you have one more year to finish will they let you defer your acceptance for a year? Or will they just flat out not accept you to begin with? it would be a good thing to know so i can save a some money! Also i know it will likely vary with school.

thoughts/input/ appreciated

thx
 
It wholly depends on the school. Many will let you defer if you give them a legitimate reason for wanting to, but you'll have to take it up with them because everyone handles it differently.
 
You have to get accepted first to defer

True.

And I don't think med schools like to poach people from other programs, so I doubt they would even accept you in the first place.

The earliest you should apply is while you are in the last year of your mph program (to start the fall after you graduate).
 
You should apply for the year in which you expect to be able to begin. If you already know that you won't be able to start in a given year, don't apply for that year. Med schools typically will let you defer for something which is legitimately a surprise. Perhaps you get hit by a car, or are awarded a competitive fellowship. Then it's fine.
 
Hello All,

The jon is back after years of absence with one question.

How are medical schools with deferring acceptance for a year? For example if you are doing a mph program and you have one more year to finish will they let you defer your acceptance for a year? Or will they just flat out not accept you to begin with? it would be a good thing to know so i can save a some money! Also i know it will likely vary with school.

thoughts/input/ appreciated

thx

Why would you even do that?😕
 
Why would you even do that?😕

That was my thought too. That would basically amount to applying before the first year of your mph, in which case, what was the point of doing the mph?

OP, if you're doing an mph, you could apply between years 1 and 2. That way, you're doing all of the interviewing during your second year and could matriculate the semester following graduation from your program. It would be silly to apply earlier, since most schools require you to complete your degree program before matriculation. If you know that there's no way that's going to happen going into the application cycle, admissions committees are going to know as well.
 
They don't want people who are applying with the intention of deferring. Just wait until you have 1 year left in you MPH to apply.
 
Would medical schools allow deferment to work for a year to save up money for living expenses?
 
Would medical schools allow deferment to work for a year to save up money for living expenses?

Typically no. Deferments are meant for unforeseeable or significant life events-think like the birth of a child or the death of a parent. You can get a deferment for things less important than those, such as maybe a year long volunteer position (maybe?) but usually the criteria are that it has to be big and unexpected. In addition, you're not really doing yourself any favors putting off medical school to save money, since the money you save in a year at your current job is probably not going to even touch the year of a lost physician's salary (think opportunity cost-a year of a job with a B.S. gets you maybe $40,000 or $50,000 right now but loses you a year of $200,000 or so later on).

But I'm not an authority on deferment, either. You would really need to submit a request to your school's admissions committee to see what they think about your particular case.

Get accepted to Texas A&M med school. hahahaha

I laughed out loud at that. Literally. Well done sir 👍
 
How long does it take an Aggie to screw in a knee implant?... I smell a new string of comedic material. :meanie:
 
What about if you are newly engaged (after acceptance or right around) and your fiance has another year in a graduate program and you need to relocate to attend medical school?

Does this seem at all like something a school may grant a deferment for?
 
Hello All,

The jon is back after years of absence with one question.

thx

Poignant 3rd person introductions are the key to gaining quality responses. JK, good to have you back.
 
Hey OP,
Like others said, you should apply when you only have one year left on your MPH. But if I recall correctly, most MPH programs last 2 years if you start it before med school, but are only 1 year if you are already a med student ( after M2 or M3 usually). So you might want to consider that.
 
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