Discussing potential time gap on ERAS application in the future

[Lake_Front]

Hi! I'm an incoming DO this summer. I took a few years off between undergrad and medical school and was speaking to some of my friends who have recently applied for residencies and the topic of my gap years came up. I wasn't too sure what I wanted to do after undergrad (graduated in 2017), but kept myself fairly busy over the last 5 years before I begin medical school. However, because of COVID + personal health reasons, there would be quite a large gap in my CV that my friends mentioned I should consider now how to address. Essentially it appears like this: (June 2017- May 2020: scribing/research) (May 2021-May 2022: Volunteering ~250 hours). I have that gap between May 2020 and 2021 that I am very uncertain how to really explain when it comes to my CV. I am unsure of how residency programs would view this gap considering it was before medical school even started.

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[DrStephenStrange]

It hasn't been a big deal for me during interviews so far. Don't worry about it!

 

[Lake_Front]

It hasn't been a big deal for me during interviews so far. Don't worry about it!

Thank you very much! Do you mind if I ask if you included your gap year activities on your CV, or did it just start at the beginning of med school?

 

[Lake_Front]

Do well, avoid red flags (failing boards/classes), get good evaluations and nobody will give a hoot if you took 5 or 20 gap years

Great to know. So it wouldn't matter too much if I didn't do much for a period during a period in my gap year? Or is this something that I can explain on the ERAS app itself.

 

[mwsapphire]

This is relieving to me. I wanted to enjoy one last Ramadan on my own before starting med school, so I quit my gap year job in April to start medschool in August. I got super paranoid about the four months counting as a " large gap." lol

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

Hi! I'm an incoming DO this summer. I took a few years off between undergrad and medical school and was speaking to some of my friends who have recently applied for residencies and the topic of my gap years came up. I wasn't too sure what I wanted to do after undergrad (graduated in 2017), but kept myself fairly busy over the last 5 years before I begin medical school. However, because of COVID + personal health reasons, there would be quite a large gap in my CV that my friends mentioned I should consider now how to address. Essentially it appears like this: (June 2017- May 2020: scribing/research) (May 2021-May 2022: Volunteering ~250 hours). I have that gap between May 2020 and 2021 that I am very uncertain how to really explain when it comes to my CV. I am unsure of how residency programs would view this gap considering it was before medical school even started.

There are residencies that care what you've done pre-medical school? This is news to me. Just say "I had a job and it wasn't the right time for me to go to medical school because of personal responsibilities" or "I wasn't interested in medicine at that time. I went when I was fully committed." That should be the end of it and nobody should care

 

[Darrow O'Lykos]

There are very few things that occur prior to matriculation that will impact your application to residency. Examples would be if you were a varsity athlete in college, competed in the Olympics, or were in the military prior to medical school (regardless if you are staying in the military post training). Rarer still would be if you somehow got your name on a NEJM/Science/Nature pub (i.e.: got involved with research prior to school and landed something like that).

Short of that, practically nothing else matters, including any perceived "gap" time in your history prior to medical school.

 

[Mass Effect]

Hi! I'm an incoming DO this summer. I took a few years off between undergrad and medical school and was speaking to some of my friends who have recently applied for residencies and the topic of my gap years came up. I wasn't too sure what I wanted to do after undergrad (graduated in 2017), but kept myself fairly busy over the last 5 years before I begin medical school. However, because of COVID + personal health reasons, there would be quite a large gap in my CV that my friends mentioned I should consider now how to address. Essentially it appears like this: (June 2017- May 2020: scribing/research) (May 2021-May 2022: Volunteering ~250 hours). I have that gap between May 2020 and 2021 that I am very uncertain how to really explain when it comes to my CV. I am unsure of how residency programs would view this gap considering it was before medical school even started.

Were you in jail? No? You're good.

What did you use that time for anyway? Just playing video games or something?

 

[Lake_Front]

Were you in jail? No? You're good.

What did you use that time for anyway? Just playing video games or something?

It was the beginning of COVID so I ended up losing my research position + having some close family members pass away, so I really just invested time into studying for the MCAT/completing apps with some scattered tutoring/odd jobs to pay the bills lol.

There are residencies that care what you've done pre-medical school? This is news to me. Just say "I had a job and it wasn't the right time for me to go to medical school because of personal responsibilities" or "I wasn't interested in medicine at that time. I went when I was fully committed." That should be the end of it and nobody should care

There are very few things that occur prior to matriculation that will impact your application to residency. Examples would be if you were a varsity athlete in college, competed in the Olympics, or were in the military prior to medical school (regardless if you are staying in the military post training). Rarer still would be if you somehow got your name on a NEJM/Science/Nature pub (i.e.: got involved with research prior to school and landed something like that).

Short of that, practically nothing else matters, including any perceived "gap" time in your history prior to medical school.

Would it be weird to have that gap in my CV though? Or typically, do people only list events for the residency apps that begin in medical school? I do have a couple research publications from during my gap years, so would I just be listing those and not the research position itself under "work experience"?

 

[dial1010usa]

It won't matter as long as it's before starting medical school. If you got accepted in medical school means you were doing something right, right? In the next 4 years focus on passing all the classes, step1/2, level1/2 in order to get into residency. It won't affect because it was after under graduate. Don't sweat because it's not a big deal. Just say due to covid no job which is true because lot of people lost jobs.

 

[Lake_Front]

It won't matter as long as it's before starting medical school. If you got accepted in medical school means you were doing something right, right? In the next 4 years focus on passing all the classes, step1/2, level1/2 in order to get into residency. It won't affect because it was after under graduate. Don't sweat because it's not a big deal. Just say due to covid no job which is true because lot of people lost jobs.

Thank you, will do. I feel like this was definitely something I could discuss at an interview, but wasn't sure if the prolonged gap would cost me a chance at the interview itself.

 

[dial1010usa]

During residency interviews it never came up. It usually your 4 years of med school, step1/2, level1/2, research. Why do you like their program? Those kind of questions. Just relax and enjoy your time before starting med school. All the best!

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

It was the beginning of COVID so I ended up losing my research position + having some close family members pass away, so I really just invested time into studying for the MCAT/completing apps with some scattered tutoring/odd jobs to pay the bills lol.


Would it be weird to have that gap in my CV though? Or typically, do people only list events for the residency apps that begin in medical school? I do have a couple research publications from during my gap years, so would I just be listing those and not the research position itself under "work experience"?

Just tell them you only listed medically relevant education and experiences. You were doing something else during these gaps