Does Gap Year Matter?

[premed660]

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I am graduating in May and will be applying in June so I have a gap year before enrolling in Medical school. How much do my activities during this year matter? And if I do something medically related, how will medical schools be able to see it since I would have already sent in my applications by then? For example, I am planning on doing research for the next year. If I get a publication, how will medical schools see it? Also, how do medical schools view being an MCAT instructor for Kaplan or TPR? Thanks

 

[Goobs]

You can update them in letters through the year. Also at interviews they ask you what you're doing this year and chillaxing isn't an answer you want to give haha 🙁 I think research + tutoring will be fine. Most people I ran across that were in their gap year were doing research or working in a bio/biotech company.

Also if you don't get in anywhere you'll have to say how you improved your application when you reapply.

 

[Tots]

A lot of secondaries will ask you what you plan to do in the upcoming year. In addition almost every interviewer will ask you so make sure you can talk about how you spend your time intelligently(even if your are spending some time relaxing 😛). Research is a good choice because a publication is a great reason to update a school.

 

[Amba]

Keep in mind that I'm just an undergrad, but a gap year for research is a realllllly good opportunity to bolster a residency application, especially if you have an idea what specialty you're interested in and are able to get multiple pubs/abstracts.

 

[skais595]

Keep in mind that I'm just an undergrad, but a gap year for research is a realllllly good opportunity to bolster a residency application, especially if you have an idea what specialty you're interested in and are able to get multiple pubs/abstracts.

Nonono. Let's not worry about residency.

If you want to do research, go for it. But I have to say I have been volunteering, working, and shadowing during my gap year, and now that I'm accepted, I can cut back on those things. Meanwhile my friends who have full time research jobs where they're contracted to stick around for a while are soo tired/overworked. I originally looked for research, but someone suggested to me that by the time I did enough in a lab to potentially be on a publication, it'd be spring and I'd probably already know my plans for the next year. Just a thought!

 

[mwall003]

I am graduating in May and will be applying in June so I have a gap year before enrolling in Medical school. How much do my activities during this year matter? And if I do something medically related, how will medical schools be able to see it since I would have already sent in my applications by then? For example, I am planning on doing research for the next year. If I get a publication, how will medical schools see it? Also, how do medical schools view being an MCAT instructor for Kaplan or TPR? Thanks

Research is a great gap year activity and a publication half way through could help get you an interview or a post-interview acceptance via an update letter to the school. I'm sure they take MCAT instructor into consideration because it reflects well on your MCAT score. There's also a nice teaching component to that as well.