Does a year break between M2/M3 year look bad

[jdoe8307]

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Due to personal problems, I think I'll have to take a year off after my M2 year. Does anyone know if this will look really bad or have a negative effect for the match? If I do this I'm not sure if I'm going to take the USMLE right after M2 year is done or before I begin my M3 year.

Any advice would be helpful. Thank you.

 

[Yope]

You will have to answer for it during residency applications, but if you have a legit reason what's the problem?

 

[JokerMD]

probably not

 

[samuraiR]

I know this may be stupid...but I really wanna take a year break between 2 and 3rd year to get an mba from northwestern's 1 year mba program.

 

[Hopefulone09]

Good luck with that.. The idea of one more year of loans on top of what I already have is enough to make me want to vomit

 

[fahimaz7]

Depends on what you do for sure. I think you would be doing yourself a disservice unless you are doing research, mission work, or another degree.

 

[MeowMix]

depends on the nature of your "problems" and how competitive your desired residency is. I can tell you that years off during med school are red flags that are looked at very carefully in our ranking process (and most other programs, I imagine). You will have to have a good explanation for what happened, why you needed a year off, and a convincing statement that all of that is over now and you will not need a year off during residency. It is a kiss of death to have an unexplained year off on your application.

missing years to go cure cancer are of course different

To the other poster, missing a year to get an MBA seems pointless - how will that make you a better doctor?

 

[SamirAdams]

missing years to go cure cancer are of course different

When you say cure cancer, do you mean treat patients with cancer, or fight cancer yourself?

Would residencies look unfavorably on you/view you as unreliable if you took a year off because you were being treated for lymphoma/leukemia/testicular cancer/etc.?

 

[MeowMix]

if you have to deal with your own cancer or other major illness, everyone understands, and the time off is not a big deal. The same is true if your significant other or family member had a major illness and you took time off to care for them. The same is true if you took time off to have kids. You do still have to convince everyone that you are capable of handling a heavy workload, long hours, and a stressful job after your illness.

I have seen applications where people took a year off med school for an apparently minor illness, with no explanation, and nothing in that intervening year. That is troubling. Why did they take so much time off? What was really going on? Is the problem resolved, or still present? You only get 3 weeks vacation and 1 week sick leave each year of residency, and you can't borrow from one year and use it in another.

my original comment about curing cancer was in the sense of taking a year off to find the universal cure for cancer, end world hunger, eliminate polio, etc.

 

[Furix]

.

 

[DrJosephKim]

If you can find a way to remain productive during that year off, that would be best. Try to find some opportunities to get involved with research, tutoring/teaching, writing, etc. You don't need to invest 40 hrs/week in these endeavors, so look for opportunities that will provide some degree of flexibility.

 

[SexySurgeon82]

There's people with 12 years off in between M2 and M3 year. Reasons could be paying off loans, getting a PhD, sick parents, car accidents, deaths, divorces.... it doesn't matter.... as long as you have a legit reason, residency programs won't care. As long as you don't have any red flags.

 

[batman1983]

Trying to bump this thread again:

I just finished my 2nd yr and USMLE 1,and I was thinking of taking a year off to travel and explore some of my other non science/medicine interests(ie, not research or another degree). My grades are decent(top half of class at a top tier US medical school) and I figure my USMLE score will be pretty good(dont mean to brag, just giving some info on myself). Thus, will I really be shooting myself in the foot for residency programs just for taking a year off to do something else like travel, starting a business, investing, etc?

To be honest, I worked for a couple years before medical school in a pretty stressful job, and afterwards went to medical school directly. Thus, I really havent had a chance to travel and do other things that Im interested in; and I figure that at my age, this is probably the best time for me to do those things(ie, before residency, family, etc).

Thanks

 

[OveractiveBrain]

Trying to bump this thread again:

I just finished my 2nd yr and USMLE 1,and I was thinking of taking a year off to travel and explore some of my other non science/medicine interests(ie, not research or another degree). My grades are decent(top half of class at a top tier US medical school) and I figure my USMLE score will be pretty good(dont mean to brag, just giving some info on myself). Thus, will I really be shooting myself in the foot for residency programs just for taking a year off to do something else like travel, starting a business, investing, etc?

To be honest, I worked for a couple years before medical school in a pretty stressful job, and afterwards went to medical school directly. Thus, I really havent had a chance to travel and do other things that Im interested in; and I figure that at my age, this is probably the best time for me to do those things(ie, before residency, family, etc).

Thanks

Honestly, if you are going into anything competitive (like other than Family Medicine or Pediatrics where having a good life story matters), and you don't do a research fellowship or a road scholar or something like that, it looks bad. Sure you could do something cool, sure you could make a life-changing event.

That's sort of what they're worried about. Did you take it off because you actually didn't do well on Step? Was it because you had to remediate a class, and to hide it, you got your MPH? Are you going to join their residency, just as you did medical school, and want to take 6 months here, 6 motnhs there, to go travel the world?

How much does it REALLY matter? Probably not all that much. But when you're going head to head against the guy who is you and DID NOT have to take a year off, who looks better?

Bottom line, if it isn't directly related to what you want to do as a career, don't take the time off.

Edit: Im at an Internal Medicine program where we care about who you are, so, your year off would actually be a great idea. I chose my program for philosophy and education, not because i wanted the best spot in the country. I also didn't take any time off and got my top choice...

 

[OpalOnyx]

Frankly I'm a bit appalled at how much of medicine people think is about convincing others that you can do it, explaining yourself, putting a good impression. Honestly OP whatever it is that you do, do what makes you happy. If you are more balanced and able to have a great time during 3rd and 4th year as a result of having some time away, that is certainly your prerogative. And when it comes time for residency, instead of thinking about whether you can please them, you can focus on showing your personality and letting them get to know you. I definitely think it may need some explanation, to get your point of view across. But I certainly dont reccomend basing decisions for YOUR life based on what someone else on a committee "might" think one or more years down the line.

Some will be critical or skeptical perhaps. But I'm sure there are also people who understand and you'll eventually end up where you are a good fit. Better to enjoy yourself where you are appreciated than trying to please others in a setting that isn't as optimal of a fit. Everyone eventually ends up with a residency somewhere I presume, if they go through school and pass and do decent on boards. And if you are in the top half of your class, with a great boards score, I'm sure there are people out there who would appreciate you taking charge of YOUR LIFE and taking some well deserved time to pursue your other interests before clinical years and a demanding residency.

Instead of thinking this person may take 6 months off here and there, I would actually think that this person will be happy to work and devote time to residency now that they have pursued their other interests and fulfilled that aspect of their goals and dreams. I personally like people who are not willing to give up 100% of their lives to medicine. There's more to everyone

 

[OpalOnyx]

Btw, personally I'd be concerned about forgetting things between M2 and M3 if that's when the break happens. I prefer the idea of having continuity and taking a year off to do whatever after M3.

 

[mdeast]

Many students take a year off at some point in their career. Typically done between M2 and M3 or M3 and M4. There are some (particularly those who aren't sure about specialty choice), who also will take a post M4 gap year. As long as you do something productive and related to your career in someway (another degree, research, clinical work, volunteer work, etc.) no one will look down upon it. In many ways, these experiences can often strengthen your application to residency programs.

An MBA is fine. I've heard it can raise a red flag in particularly long, difficult residency programs (i.e. Plastic Surgery, Neurosurgery, etc.) because it becomes a golden parachute you can use to go into consulting, business, etc. while residency program directors want individuals committed to clinical or academic medicine. No doubt you'd need to justify it and explain what you want to use it for.

 

[21385]

Delete

 

[VenusinFurs]

What are these red flags and what is wrong with collecting them? I like the color red and I also like flags.

In short: lol @ jargon terms that are poorly explained

 

[batman1983]

Thanks for the info. So, I talked to my dean and here is some advice she gave me:

1. If you are in good academic standing, you can take a year off or multiple years off to do something else (usually between 2nd and 3rd or 3rd and 4th year). Ppl in my class are taking time off right now to do MBA, PhD, research, etc.

2. My original goal was to take a year off, travel the world, and so forth(essentially "me" time). For less competitive specialties(IM, FM, etc), that wouldn’t necessarily be an issue(esp if you have good grades). However, it would be a "red flag" with competitive specialties(ROAD). At this stage of the game, I still dont even know what I want to do, but at the same time, I dont want tp limit my options.

3. Unfortunately, it seems like for those competitive specialities, if you do take a year time off, you have to justify it by doing something medicine related, ie, making you a better applicant. Examples would be an addition degree(MBA, JD, and etc), or doing a formal research program.

So, based on her advice and the advice of others here, Im in the process of delaying my 3rd year and getting into the linked MBA program with my school. Hopefully, it should work out. Kind of excited about it because I feel it will still give me some flexibility to still do other things and at the same time, the material/coursework may be a little more intellectually stimulating(as compared to the route memorization that has been the 1st two years of medical school).