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deferring med school
Started by Ubu
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some schools will allow it and some don't. look at the MSAR to find out which will.
one of my friends applied and got in and deferred med school for 2 years, though that was due to 'family problems'. Most schools will want you to be doing something productive with the year that will further your medical career and will be an opportunity that will not re-arise (provided its not something like a family crisis that is causing the deferral).
one of my friends applied and got in and deferred med school for 2 years, though that was due to 'family problems'. Most schools will want you to be doing something productive with the year that will further your medical career and will be an opportunity that will not re-arise (provided its not something like a family crisis that is causing the deferral).
Ubu,
I deferred last year. After I received my acceptance, I had to write a letter with a deferral request, which was reviewed and approved by the admissions committee. That meant an automatic acceptance into the next year's entering class, but they requested that I do not apply to any other schools during the intervening year. I deferred to complete a research project, but the boy wonder is right: as long as you do something enriching during the year off, i don't think they care.
In this application cycle, I had to resubmit a 2003 AMCAS app and the secondary app. These are just a formality--they want the current paperwork. No letters of rec, no interview. Also everything, including the AMCAS, was free of charge--the school covers the fees. They ask for a letter which states your intent to matriculate at the school and describes your activities for the intervening year. Everything has to be in by September 1. As long as you meet the deadline, they hold a spot for you and send you an acceptance letter on Oct 15 of the next application cycle. Hope this helps.
Pinguin
I deferred last year. After I received my acceptance, I had to write a letter with a deferral request, which was reviewed and approved by the admissions committee. That meant an automatic acceptance into the next year's entering class, but they requested that I do not apply to any other schools during the intervening year. I deferred to complete a research project, but the boy wonder is right: as long as you do something enriching during the year off, i don't think they care.
In this application cycle, I had to resubmit a 2003 AMCAS app and the secondary app. These are just a formality--they want the current paperwork. No letters of rec, no interview. Also everything, including the AMCAS, was free of charge--the school covers the fees. They ask for a letter which states your intent to matriculate at the school and describes your activities for the intervening year. Everything has to be in by September 1. As long as you meet the deadline, they hold a spot for you and send you an acceptance letter on Oct 15 of the next application cycle. Hope this helps.
Pinguin
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I was also thinking of deferring for a year because I may need more time to get my finances in order. I'd continue working as a research assistant, and with that extra time I should be able to buy a car, which is a necessity at the med schools I applied to.
Is that a valid reason? THey say you can't use your student loans to buy a car. I have no where else to get the funds, and it's unlikely that I could get a car with zero down.
I don't know...what do you guys think?
Is that a valid reason? THey say you can't use your student loans to buy a car. I have no where else to get the funds, and it's unlikely that I could get a car with zero down.
I don't know...what do you guys think?
Is it possible to get in, but then take a year off to establish residency in that state (if it's out of state)? I applied to Michigan State and paying 36k versus 9k seems reason enough to do this if I can. Any thoughts, suggestions?
-=Eric
-=Eric
not really...for most schools, they take your residency as being what you listed on AMCAS when you applied, so moving there and defering wouldn't change your residency status. And, if you want to gain residency in a state before applying, most want you to have lived there for at least 2 years. Their way of preventing people from just moving to get cheaper tuition. A few schools will let you petition for a residency change, but it depends on the school as to whether or not they'll give it to you. Some are more anal than others...
So should I assume that most people who apply to med school do not know in advance that they will be deferring? Can I apply knowing that I will defer? If so, do I put this on the application (ie do I let them know about my decision) or do I just play dumb and then file paperwork to defer after the fact? How does the admission committee view this?
Ubu, just play dumb and file the deferment request when the time comes. Why would you let them know that you are applying for entrance to Fall 2003, but intend to defer until Fall 2004? Cross the deferment bridge when you get your acceptance.
I applied last year, and didn't get accepted until August 14th - only 10 days before orientation started. Since I had already made plans to do something else (i.e. research at NIH), I decided to defer until next fall. Since the deferment deadline had already passed in June, I wasn't sure they were going to grant my request. I spoke with the dean of student affairs over the telephone, and he granted my request as we spoke (this was followed up by the approriate paperwork, of course).
Anyway, like I said, just play dumb and request your deferment after they send you your acceptance package. Make sure you mind the deadlines.
I applied last year, and didn't get accepted until August 14th - only 10 days before orientation started. Since I had already made plans to do something else (i.e. research at NIH), I decided to defer until next fall. Since the deferment deadline had already passed in June, I wasn't sure they were going to grant my request. I spoke with the dean of student affairs over the telephone, and he granted my request as we spoke (this was followed up by the approriate paperwork, of course).
Anyway, like I said, just play dumb and request your deferment after they send you your acceptance package. Make sure you mind the deadlines.
I have some secondhand experience here. My college roomate got accepted and deferred to work a year in finance.
I was actually somewhat surprised that they let him, because his reason was that he had an opportunity in another field, and it was just an experience that would expose him to life outside medicine.
But they let him defer. He really didn't have any experience in the field, his only work during school was biomedical research, so it was just something that he wanted to do for the sake of doing it, and they were cool with that.
I was actually somewhat surprised that they let him, because his reason was that he had an opportunity in another field, and it was just an experience that would expose him to life outside medicine.
But they let him defer. He really didn't have any experience in the field, his only work during school was biomedical research, so it was just something that he wanted to do for the sake of doing it, and they were cool with that.
While it may seem easy to get a deferment, I think for the most part it is not. Most schools will only let you defer if you are going to be doing social service projects (i.e. peace corps, americorps) or biomedical research during your time off. Requests for a deferment in order to make money, or to go explore fields unrelated to medicine would, in my opinion, be flatly denied. Besides, asking for a deferment to explore a field unrelated to medicine (i.e. working on wall street) might jeopardize one's acceptance. Medical admissions committee's might question one's committment and dedication to medicine, which could result in a rescinded acceptance. I'd be very cautious with these types of requests.
I have a personal friend who was deferred a year because....
OOPS....
she got pregnant spring of the year before entrance to med school (while she was interviewing at various schools, no less - OK not DURING the interviews, but during that time span, ahh heck, you understand!)
Her reason was simple for her deferral: She didn't want to be birthing in the middle of midterms.
OOPS....
she got pregnant spring of the year before entrance to med school (while she was interviewing at various schools, no less - OK not DURING the interviews, but during that time span, ahh heck, you understand!)
Her reason was simple for her deferral: She didn't want to be birthing in the middle of midterms.
Ok, well, how 'bout this? My girlfriend, who I plan to marry sometime soon (we aren't engaged or anything) is from Michigan. I know there are rules about "principle reason for being in the state"--which she has returned to work during the summer. So, would I assume her residency?
I'm just curious because this actually happened to my parents. My father's family use to live on the border of Minnesota and Iowa, in Iowa, but then moved across the border to Minnesota. My father was a resident of Iowa for undergraduate, but would have had to pay out-of state to attend U of Iowa medical school, but my mother was an Iowa resident, so they ended up changing the date of their wedding (sooner), so he could assume her residency and pay a lot less $$$
I'm just curious because this actually happened to my parents. My father's family use to live on the border of Minnesota and Iowa, in Iowa, but then moved across the border to Minnesota. My father was a resident of Iowa for undergraduate, but would have had to pay out-of state to attend U of Iowa medical school, but my mother was an Iowa resident, so they ended up changing the date of their wedding (sooner), so he could assume her residency and pay a lot less $$$
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