Gap year before college?

[dtinox]

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Hi everyone, I was gonna be a freshman next year in undergrad, but due to the COVID situation I'm not sure if I should defer enrollment for a year or not. I've spent a lot of time lurking on this subreddit over the past few months so I think I have a decent understanding of the requirements for medschool, and the biggest thing I'm worried about is not doing so well in my classes because I'm definitely not a online learner (my GPA has tanked just these past few weeks) and also not being able to do research.



My plan if I do defer was to do research with the lab I'm working with right now and do some shadowing if possible (though depending on how long COVID lasts, shadowing may become a big issue). On the other hand, I'm worried that medschools will look down on me since I'm not sure how impactful the research I'll be doing will be (I'm operating at a high school level, after all, though I'm not doing scutwork for sure). I was wondering what y'all think would be a better option?

 

[GearedUp]

I could barely tie my shoes as a college freshman. I cannot emphasize enough how non-damning freshman year is in general.

 

[dtinox]

I could barely tie my shoes as a college freshman. I cannot emphasize enough how non-damning freshman year is in general.

Sorry, I meant deferring enrollment to do stuff and then beginning freshman year

 

[Rachapkis]

Medical schools will not ding you for deferring admission to college for a year. If you do well in college, undertake the necessary ECs, and post a competitive MCAT score, you will be fine.

 

[deleted889094]

I didn't do jack my freshman year. Don't worry about it. Honestly, I'd advise freshmen prioritize getting used to college, finding their friends, and doing well in school. EC's can wait a semester or two - especially if you take a gap year before applying.

 

[dtinox]

Ok cool, thank you all!

 

[deleted1005514]

I could barely tie my shoes as a college freshman. I cannot emphasize enough how non-damning freshman year is in general.

This is true, but within reason. OP, don’t go out and do something crazy freshman year or during your gap year that will get you arrested, get a DUI, or get charged with possession. It could end up very damning indeed.

 

[ElloMellowYellow]

Gap year or years, after college when you can get a job and pay for all the things you want to experience before you start your career in medicine.

 

[dtinox]

Thank you all for the advice! I was planning on taking a gap year after college already, so this is reassuring. I think I was mostly worried that I won't be able to learn and do volunteering as well should COVID continue into fall semester

 

[LastSecondScramble]

I'd like to toss my two cents in if I may. As a senior about to graduate, I look back at my freshman year with great fondness (however, this may be rose-tinted glasses and my weakness for nostalgia). I thoroughly enjoyed the dorm experience, and the chance to meet new peers who had also been thrown into a new situation just like me. My residential assistant matriculated a few years ago and has been an incredible resource for me. The chance to learn the campus, what kinds of studying/learning works best for you, and how to best utilize professor office hours are all going to be things you will miss if you take an online freshman year. Learning all these things your sophomore year alongside your schoolwork and any extracurriculars (ECs) you are interested in is going to be a mouthful. On the topic of ECs, you will also be unable to join any interesting clubs freshman year and so you may harm your chances of leadership down the road. I started my college life as an engineer (big rip) and found a tech org with amazing people. I stuck around with the club and eventually moved up to being the treasurer, not only because I had been a familiar face to the other executives, but because I had the chance to network and show that I cared about the organization. If you were planning to volunteer at a hospital with leadership positions, having the chance to volunteer in-person from the get go may also be a leg up, as I know my local hospital preferred to pick up rising sophomores/juniors who had been with the program for a few years as executives.

I know others agree that freshman year isn't make or break, but you yourself have admitted you aren't the best at online courses. Why set yourself up for an uphill GPA and EC battle. If you want to defer a year, you can make some money and start volunteering/research that can be continued into college, and then go into freshman year with some experiences already sorted out. You also won't miss out on the quintessential college experiences like dorm life, dining halls, and finding new friends.

 

[deleted889094]

I'd like to toss my two cents in if I may. As a senior about to graduate, I look back at my freshman year with great fondness (however, this may be rose-tinted glasses and my weakness for nostalgia). I thoroughly enjoyed the dorm experience, and the chance to meet new peers who had also been thrown into a new situation just like me. My residential assistant matriculated a few years ago and has been an incredible resource for me. The chance to learn the campus, what kinds of studying/learning works best for you, and how to best utilize professor office hours are all going to be things you will miss if you take an online freshman year. Learning all these things your sophomore year alongside your schoolwork and any extracurriculars (ECs) you are interested in is going to be a mouthful. On the topic of ECs, you will also be unable to join any interesting clubs freshman year and so you may harm your chances of leadership down the road. I started my college life as an engineer (big rip) and found a tech org with amazing people. I stuck around with the club and eventually moved up to being the treasurer, not only because I had been a familiar face to the other executives, but because I had the chance to network and show that I cared about the organization. If you were planning to volunteer at a hospital with leadership positions, having the chance to volunteer in-person from the get go may also be a leg up, as I know my local hospital preferred to pick up rising sophomores/juniors who had been with the program for a few years as executives.

I know others agree that freshman year isn't make or break, but you yourself have admitted you aren't the best at online courses. Why set yourself up for an uphill GPA and EC battle. If you want to defer a year, you can make some money and start volunteering/research that can be continued into college, and then go into freshman year with some experiences already sorted out. You also won't miss out on the quintessential college experiences like dorm life, dining halls, and finding new friends.

The big difficulty here is that you have far more resources for EC's as a college student than a gap year highschool grad.

 

[LastSecondScramble]

The big difficulty here is that you have far more resources for EC's as a college student than a gap year highschool grad.

I agree, but I imagine these resources will be severely limited if they are online only. Sure they may be able to sign up for clubs, but they won't really be able to participate in any of the activities. Some hospitals take high school and college volunteers, so it may be worth seeking those opportunities out so they can have a nice amount of clinical volunteering already under their belt.

 

[deleted889094]

I agree, but I imagine these resources will be severely limited if they are online only. Sure they may be able to sign up for clubs, but they won't really be able to participate in any of the activities. Some hospitals take high school and college volunteers, so it may be worth seeking those opportunities out so they can have a nice amount of clinical volunteering already under their belt.

OP should probably not try any in-person clinical volunteering, but I get your point. However, if everything is shut down, EC's really won't be happening much.