Deferring Matriculation for a Year

[noodlelover2233]

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Has anyone here deferred matriculation for a year after being accepted to med school? I might want time to recover from medical issues, and a year would also give me time to pursue other goals before having to study 24/7.

 

[beachside]

I haven't personally, but I don't see anything wrong with it. If you feel that it's the right course of action for you, then do it.

 

[TheLionheart]

If you're asking if it's possible, then yes, it is. You'll just have to contact said school and see if they're willing to work with you.

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

I believe @jeghaber deferred matriculation for a year. I'm sure others have done it as well.

 

[QuantumFlame]

I am currently in my deferred year, and it was a very straightforward process. Good luck!

 

[Elefun]

I am currently in my deferred year, and it was a very straightforward process. Good luck!

Can you comment more on this? I'm looking to possibly defer as well, but not to pursue anything academically. I've been looking at a ~6-8 month teaching opportunity abroad for the past year and would love to be able to do it. Also looking to do a good amount of traveling, but I've heard many schools will not allow you to defer for a year simply for travel.

 

[QuantumFlame]

Sure. So I started sounding out the administration around this time last year, getting their opinion, and then met with the Director of Admissions during second look. I am doing research during my year off, and it was a very simple process. I sent an email to the Dean of admissions, and I got a signed letter guaranteeing my spot next year and the deferral of any financial aid. Can't speak to how other med schools handle it, but for me it was a rather informal process. I can't really comment on non-academic/research reasons to defer, but I've definitely heard of it happening to multiple people. I would talk to the administrators at your school and sound them out.

 

[Elefun]

Sure. So I started sounding out the administration around this time last year, getting their opinion, and then met with the Director of Admissions during second look. I am doing research during my year off, and it was a very simple process. I sent an email to the Dean of admissions, and I got a signed letter guaranteeing my spot next year and the deferral of any financial aid. Can't speak to how other med schools handle it, but for me it was a rather informal process. I can't really comment on non-academic/research reasons to defer, but I've definitely heard of it happening to multiple people. I would talk to the administrators at your school and sound them out.

Thanks a lot. I really appreciate the response.

 

[drbillybob]

Has anyone here deferred matriculation for a year after being accepted to med school? I might want time to recover from medical issues, and a year would also give me time to pursue other goals before having to study 24/7.

I deferred my matriculation for 1 year after I was accepted last application cycle. I simply approached the Dean during the Revisit weekend and asked him about the possibility of deferral given my reasons XYZ. At least at my school, the process after that is very straightforward.

A few of the adcom/faculty posters here are quite critical of unconventional reasons to defer matriculation. However, if you are able to articulate well the objectives of your deferred year and show how it will contribute positively to your career as a physician, you will likely have a good shot.

 

[xffan624]

Has anyone here deferred matriculation for a year after being accepted to med school? I might want time to recover from medical issues, and a year would also give me time to pursue other goals before having to study 24/7.

Each school is variable on how willing they are to allow deferrals. Find out what scenarios your school allows deferrals in. Some are very strict and some are very loose.

 

[ThisCouldBeYou]

I've been accepted and considering a deferral. Do med schools expect / require an explanation for a deferral? What if the reason is non-academic and non-science / research?

 

[jeghaber]

I believe @jeghaber deferred matriculation for a year. I'm sure others have done it as well.

I am indeed in my deferral year now 🙂 Best decision I've made -- if you're seriously considering one and don't have concrete reasons not to take an extra year, I highly recommend it. This is one of the last chances to have a truly "responsibility-free" year for a rather long time, so if you have things you'd like to do that require larger chunks is time, is a fantastic opportunity.

I've been doing a mix of productive and non-productive things and feel spectacularly rejuvenated and ready to get back into the swing of things. Compared to how I felt this time last year, it's a world of difference.

In terms of the process itself, at my school, I just had to send a one page letter outlining my plans for the year and why I thought it would be beneficial for me. It was pretty straight forward. Since then I've had to send back a signed form in late fall saying I was indeed planning on re-matriculating (the options were re-matriculate or request another year) and recently submitted a blank AMCAS deferral application to make things official.

Feel free to PM me about the details or if you have any questions 🙂

Edit: as others have mentioned, each school had different standards for what they'll allow a deferral. My school was pretty lenient; others state on their websites that it had to be something more significant (eg. Rhodes or some other time-sensitive grant). I'm sure admissions will be willing to give you an idea re: how strict they generally are if you shoot them an email.

 

[noodlelover2233]

Thanks for the responses everyone!

 

[PML]

I am indeed in my deferral year now 🙂 Best decision I've made -- if you're seriously considering one and don't have concrete reasons not to take an extra year, I highly recommend it. This is one of the last chances to have a truly "responsibility-free" year for a rather long time, so if you have things you'd like to do that require larger chunks is time, is a fantastic opportunity.

I've been doing a mix of productive and non-productive things and feel spectacularly rejuvenated and ready to get back into the swing of things. Compared to how I felt this time last year, it's a world of difference.

In terms of the process itself, at my school, I just had to send a one page letter outlining my plans for the year and why I thought it would be beneficial for me. It was pretty straight forward. Since then I've had to send back a signed form in late fall saying I was indeed planning on re-matriculating (the options were re-matriculate or request another year) and recently submitted a blank AMCAS deferral application to make things official.

Feel free to PM me about the details or if you have any questions 🙂

Edit: as others have mentioned, each school had different standards for what they'll allow a deferral. My school was pretty lenient; others state on their websites that it had to be something more significant (eg. Rhodes or some other time-sensitive grant). I'm sure admissions will be willing to give you an idea re: how strict they generally are if you shoot them an email.

@jeghaber
How long did it take them to get back with you on deferral request? Did you send deferral email as soon as you heard back from the school ?

 

[jeghaber]

@jeghaber
How long did it take them to get back with you on deferral request? Did you send deferral email as soon as you heard back from the school ?

I replied on the other thread already but I'll mention it here again 🙂 I requested my deferral after second look weekends and after I had decided on my school. It took about two weeks from request to approval for me, but I imagine this is varies from place to place. Good luck!

 

[PML]

@@jeghaber
Is it all automatic or you have to go through AMCAS (empty application?)

 

[zxcvzxcv]

@@jeghaber
Is it all automatic or you have to go through AMCAS (empty application?)

I'm currently on a deferred year as well. It is not automatic. you need to submit a new AMCAS application complete with reference letters (i.e. not a blank application). I'm not sure to what degree you need to fill out the personal statement, etc. but I included one. Once your deferral is granted, the school notifies AMCAS, who notes this on your account. Then, when you are choosing your medical school in the AMCAS application, you choose deferred admission for your school program.

 

[jeghaber]

@@jeghaber
Is it all automatic or you have to go through AMCAS (empty application?)

I'm currently on a deferred year as well. It is not automatic. you need to submit a new AMCAS application complete with reference letters (i.e. not a blank application). I'm not sure to what degree you need to fill out the personal statement, etc. but I included one. Once your deferral is granted, the school notifies AMCAS, who notes this on your account. Then, when you are choosing your medical school in the AMCAS application, you choose deferred admission for your school program.

Maybe this differs by school, but this was not the case for me. AMCAS automatically carried over the biographical information, course info, and my PS from last year; the only sections that were blank were the activities and the recommendation letters. I didn't feel like filling my ECs and requesting my committee letter packet again, so I sent a quick email to admissions and was told that I did not need to fill in these sections. So for me, re-submitting my AMCAS consisted of logging in, double-checking my info, updating my mailing address, and pressing send. As a nice bonus, from what I can remember, there was also no fee! I did, however, have to re-send my transcripts AMCAS.

@zxcvzxcv, was your AMCAS not pre-populated with your application from last year? I wonder why we had such different procedures.

 

[GottaGetThatMD]

Just be aware that with some schools, they will guarantee you a spot the next year, but they will not guarantee that you will be offered the same scholarships and financial aid. Make sure to understand your specific school's policy regarding finances.

 

[zxcvzxcv]

@zxcvzxcv, was your AMCAS not pre-populated with your application from last year? I wonder why we had such different procedures.

Yeah, some stuff was pre-populated, as you said. I can't remember if my PS was pre-populated or not. I definitely wrote a new one, but that may just have been because I got in off the waitlist and was in the process of making a completely new application. HOWEVER, I was told that I did need to re-submit my reference letters, so that part must differ by school.

 

[jeghaber]

Just to sum up here:

1) every school is different but most expect a detailed and acceptable reason for a deferral request. Some have strict policies on pursing outstanding academic opportunities and nothing else. Do not assume it is automatic by any means

2) Some schools will hold a spot, a few will make you go thru the entire process again as a competitive candidate. The kicker with that is, if you get a deferral for a school, even those few that make you compete again, you can ONLY apply to that school in the next cycle AMCAS under . My impression is they have this policy to keep deferrals down.

3) you do have to resubmit an AMCAS under the deferral student type

Not sure if your summary is based on this thread or your own experience, but at least based on what's been said here, I'm not sure #2 is accurate. As far as I know when a school approves a deferral, they are in fact guaranteeing a spot for you in the next (or next next) class. Do you have experience to the contrary?