Deferals: Who is asking for one? Why?

[paramed2premed]

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This is a bit premature, having no admissions and just one waitlist, but for various reasons (married, money, kids) I would like an extra year to prepare for the next 7-8 years of monastic dedication.

Who else is seeking a one-year deferal? What have the attitudes of schools been? What sort of reasons or justifications have been found to be more valid than others? Anyone been successful?

Unlike many questions in these threads, this sort of information does not seem to be readily available from AMCAS, medical school catalogs, or the Princeton guide, and I am reluctant to ask the admissions staff at any school I have a shot at.

For what its worth, Albany Medical had 5 deferals last year, I'm told.

 

[Mike59]

The best you can do is be honest and hope that whatever school you talk to buys into your request. Some schools make it clear that deferals are granted only under special circumstances.

If you crave a year off so bad, why don't you consider withdrawing your apps (seeing that you're not in anywhere anyway) and waiting until this summer to apply? (That's what I did last year and I got in no problem this year). It's risky, but its a strategy that paid off for me, and I was stronger applicant with the year off and experiences under my belt (I was definitely more relaxed and happy too)

I can see Albany granting more deferals than most schools seeing that they tend to recruit more unusual/slightly older applicants than other schools, the types who would want to take a year off for various professional/personal interests (I would know, I'm a freak and I got in there😉 ) - That may be part of the reason their mean age is 25 (as opposed to 23-24 at other schools)

 

[Shorti3181]

I requested a deferral and was granted one from Case about two months ago. It struck me last year that I was a bit burned out from school and wanted a chance to do a couple things that I had missed out on the opportunity to do during undergrad (i.e. travel). So, I applied to a work abroad program and got accepted for next year. Since I'm going to be across the world, trying to do the application process from New Zealand wasn't really going to work. So, I applied this year, knowing full well that I wanted to defer matriculation for a year. When I applied to schools, I made sure to ask what their policies were about deferrals and went from there. Some schools are very open about letting students defer, so just be honest with the ADCOMS if you end up getting accepted anywhere. Just my $.02. Good Luck!

 

[paramed2premed]

Thanks for the perspective shorti. The application process really wrings you, until whatever sincere and powerful motivations you started out with have become a catechism you recite at interviews. Let us not even discuss the beating you self-esteem takes...

At this point in the year there have got to be others who are applying for a deferal. Anybody shot down and "stuck" going to school in August? (God, I hope that fate is the worst that could befall me!)