Do you regre taking a gap year?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
O

Ohoh2912

Full Member
5+ Year Member
Joined
May 19, 2018
Messages
13
Reaction score
2
I am considering a gap year instead of applying this cycle. If anyone has experience with gap years, please share your opinions! I'm considering gap year so I can improve DAT and rest before dental school but I'm worried that gap year would be waste of time
Members don't see this ad.
 
A gap year made me more mature and enjoy life without homework. I learned that half of the upcoming dental students in my school had taken a gap year. It's not a waste of time if you used it well (improve DAT, volunteer, shadow, new work experience, maybe even research if that is interest).
 
I enjoyed my gap year. Worked full time while living at home, so I saved up enough money to pay for almost my whole first semester of dental school which is nice. If you do take a gap year save up as much money as you can. I didn't realize how expensive dental school was with a ~7% interest rate until I started saving up money of my own. Had I not taken my gap year, I may have gone to an expensive ivy league school over my state school which would have been a major mistake. However, I would have much rather gone to dental school a year earlier. I really feel behind most of my friends and hated having my life on hold for a whole year.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
You should give it a shot and apply if your grades are not too bad. I’ve seen a lot of peoples with low stats got in. Who knows if you will get accept next year and that mean you might have waisted 2 years which equal to 2 years of dentist income.
I did take a gap year too (not by choice). I don’t regret it since I’ve growth and enjoyed my life. But still, i wish I got in asap to get it over with lol!
 
I did NOT take a gap year and don't regret it. You're already in the routine of studying, homework, etc. Just push through
 
Ohoh2912 said:
I am considering a gap year instead of applying this cycle. If anyone has experience with gap years, please share your opinions! I'm considering gap year so I can improve DAT and rest before dental school but I'm worried that gap year would be waste of time
Click to expand...


If you take a gap year, do something meaningful and different. I had a student who worked for a dental startup in Austin and another one interned for a company in SF (innovative dental robotics company I believe).

Make sure you have enough things to say about that gap year. Otherwise, it won't be worth the time. A lot of people take out time to work as a dental assistant; It's a fine way to spend a year; but it's become quite generic and many applicants we see work as a dental assistant.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I took 4 "gap years", and don't regret it. I took that much time after undergrad because when I graduated, I wasn't 100% sure dental school was something I wanted, and I figured I shouldn't commit to something until I felt certain.

I worked several years in a different industry, saved up a lot of money, got more clinical and dental exposure, travelled, and became an overall more mature, independent and self-assured person. By the time I went back after my time away, I felt a lot more confident that this was the right path.

Getting back into "school-mode" wasn't hard for me, and I don't feel my age hinders my academic or social ability. I say if you have interesting things that you'd like to use a year to pursue (or you just need a rest), go for it. Dental school will be here, and I think you'll get more out of it if you're able to enter with the right mindset.
 
Apply and if you do not get in you have yourself a gap year. Honestly, I was able to accomplish a lot with my gap years.... (3). I made the most out of it but I know once I graduate I will have to work harder to catch up. I would not have taken a gap year if I got accepted, but 1 yr of growing up and spending time with family is nice to have.
 
Really enjoyed my gap year. But everyone has made good points. Just depends on the individual. I had no problem getting back into school mode. I also wanted/ needed to use my senior year to help build my application.
 
Everyone’s situation is different. I took a gap year and traveled/backpacked Europe for a few months.

Also played a lot of DOTA and World of Warcraft.

Not everyone has parents to fund them... so I understand it’s based on your finances. If you have the opportunity and do get into dental school then I would make the most of it and travel. After I GOT into dental school in December- I really went traveling.

You will be working hard for the next 4 years.
 
I've loved my gap year! I worked as a boarding school science teacher and was able to brush up on the basic sciences, while saving some money for school. Having come straight from a masters program, it was nice to be able to spend time with friends and family and travel before dental school.
 
It depends on what you want to use a gap year(s) for. If you just want a vacation it may not look good when applying to dental schools, but if you use the time for something meaningful then yes it's worth it. As long as you do something productive a gap year can be a great experience to learn something new, make and save money, get more education if necessary.
 
I was hesitant at first to take a gap year, and I'm glad I did. I wasn't sure if I was ready to apply my junior year of college, and by applying at the end of my senior year allowed me to get LORs from professors that I developed stronger relations with as well as a whole extra year to make sure that I wanted to go into dentistry. I had friends at the time who were applying to medical and dental schools and ultimately didn't get interviews because their minds weren't focused on the application. Depending on your undergrad, the application process can take a long time especially dealing with the pre-health office. During my gap year, I was still active in school as I took Biochem and Micro as well as then began teaching at a charter school and set up a tutoring business on the side. I was able to spend extra time with my family and unwind after undergrad. Most people at my school have taken at least one gap year in my class, and honestly no one knows how old each person actually is. I couldn't imagine dental school without a gap year, and I think it really rounded out my education allowing me to focus more in dental school and not burnout so quickly. Everyone will tell you their own accounts, but it's important to ask yourself why you're taking a gap year and if it's right for you. I didn't have trouble explaining myself during interviews and most Adcoms were understanding of gap years as it's quite the norm.
 
I took one and it was good and bad at the same time. I had to take one more class and my DAT, so I was kinda forced into it. But, it was really nice to be with my family for a year and have a bit of fun before 4 hard years. I'm also much younger than the average incoming D1 so I think some maturation was nice as well.
 
If I had to do it all again, I would not take a gap year because even though I worked in a dental office, volunteered and basically had no stress for a whole year, thinking that I would be a D2 already makes me regret it a little. In my case I didn't want to rush applying in 2017 since I hadn't taken the DAT, and didn't have recommendation letters or shadowing hrs. But maybe if I would have rushed everything I would still have gotten in. Who knows. As everyone else said, taking a gap year has its pros and cons depending on the person.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

B
  • Question Question
WAMC Debating Taking a Gap Year or Not
Replies
6
Views
1K
Bey145
B
C
Gap Year: Temporary Job Suggestions
Replies
2
Views
816
AnxiousMia
A
E
Productive Ways to Spend Gap Year?
Replies
2
Views
878
Mr.Smile12
Mr.Smile12
T
  • Locked
WAMC? Trying to avoid gap year
Replies
9
Views
1K
thedentaljourney
T
D
one year commitment
Replies
3
Views
430
macsak
M
Top