Gap Year During Med School to Hike AT

[TrailMed]

Hi all,
I'm entering my second year at a top 15 med school. I am curious what any students, residents, attendings, etc. think about the idea of taking a gap year between 3rd and 4th to hike the Appalachian Trail. My school has a 1.5 year pre-clinical curriculum so we finish clinical rotations in January of our 3rd year followed by ~6 months of research before residency applications.

My idea was to take a year off in between 3rd and 4th and use the beginning of that year to continue research until ~February, then use the second half to hike the AT which has been a life goal of mine. When I get back to finish 4th year I'll have hiked the trail but still managed to get a full year of research work done. I figure I won't have another opportunity to do this again in my life timing wise. Career/residency suicide? An easy yes? What are your thoughts?

In case anyone is cynical I have extensive backpacking experience and don't take the idea of hiking it lightly.

Edit: Update for those who consider it relevant - I already have 6 authorships from research during undergrad and my gap year including 1 in a journal with an impact factor >30 and 3 in journals with impact factors greater than >10. I should also have a seventh by the time I finish clinical rotations.

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[ProfMD]

I wouldn't do it. Most people who take time off do so for research. It's hard to know what different residencies will think about this use of your time - some may applaud you for it and think it's cool, but to me it's not worth the risk of losing out on other residency opportunities.

 

[Psai]

How did you get into nyu with those decision making skills?

 

[TrailMed]

How did you get into nyu with those decision making skills?

Nice. Remind me, where'd you go to school?

 

[TrailMed]

I wouldn't do it. Most people who take time off do so for research. It's hard to know what different residencies will think about this use of your time - some may applaud you for it and think it's cool, but to me it's not worth the risk of losing out on other residency opportunities.

Thanks for the feedback, that's an excellent aspect to consider that I'll bring up with my school's administration to get their input on.

 

[Giovanotto]

How did you get into nyu with those decision making skills?

Nice. Remind me, where'd you go to school?

 

[Lafakads]

I'd think it would be fine. Assuming you are fine stats for whatever you are applying for. Not many people can say they hiked the AT, and I think it would be an amazing thing to talk about on interviews/life.

 

[tnedoots]

I am curious what any students, residents, attendings, etc. think about the idea of taking a gap year between 3rd and 4th to hike the Appalachian Trail.

If you figure out how to do this, let me know.

 

[Azete]

Hi all,
I'm entering my second year at a top 15 med school. I am curious what any students, residents, attendings, etc. think about the idea of taking a gap year between 3rd and 4th to hike the Appalachian Trail. My school has a 1.5 year pre-clinical curriculum so we finish clinical rotations in January of our 3rd year followed by ~6 months of research before residency applications.

My idea was to take a year off in between 3rd and 4th and use the beginning of that year to continue research until ~February, then use the second half to hike the AT which has been a life goal of mine. When I get back to finish 4th year I'll have hiked the trail but still managed to get a full year of research work done. I figure I won't have another opportunity to do this again in my life timing wise. Career/residency suicide? An easy yes? What are your thoughts?

In case anyone is cynical I have extensive backpacking experience and don't take the idea of hiking it lightly.

Edit: Update for those who consider it relevant - I already have 6 authorships from research during undergrad and my gap year including 1 in a journal with an impact factor >30 and 3 in journals with impact factors greater than >10. I should also have a seventh by the time I finish clinical rotations.

Maybe a dumb question, but if you already have extensive research (which I assume is relevant to the field you're interested in), why not use those school mandated ~6 months of research to hike? We have a similar schedule and it's allotted for "research" but there are no real requirements and many of our students end up doing more audition rotations and/or taking time off.

 

[Psai]

Brah you the one asking for feedback. Why u mad?

 

[lymphocyte]

Hi all,
I'm entering my second year at a top 15 med school. I am curious what any students, residents, attendings, etc. think about the idea of taking a gap year between 3rd and 4th to hike the Appalachian Trail. My school has a 1.5 year pre-clinical curriculum so we finish clinical rotations in January of our 3rd year followed by ~6 months of research before residency applications.

My idea was to take a year off in between 3rd and 4th and use the beginning of that year to continue research until ~February, then use the second half to hike the AT which has been a life goal of mine. When I get back to finish 4th year I'll have hiked the trail but still managed to get a full year of research work done. I figure I won't have another opportunity to do this again in my life timing wise. Career/residency suicide? An easy yes? What are your thoughts?

In case anyone is cynical I have extensive backpacking experience and don't take the idea of hiking it lightly.

Edit: Update for those who consider it relevant - I already have 6 authorships from research during undergrad and my gap year including 1 in a journal with an impact factor >30 and 3 in journals with impact factors greater than >10. I should also have a seventh by the time I finish clinical rotations.

See how you go with Step 1, clinicals, and what specialty you decide. Ask your mentors specifically about your dream programmes. Check back here when you have more data to offer (and ask your home PDs too). It's tempting to want to plan everything in advance, but many things could go wrong (or very right) in the next 3 years.

But yes, best case scenario... Top 15 school, with a solid Step 1, good clinical evacuations, multiple strong publications, and you'll have demonstrated the commitment and fortitude to hike the AT trail while getting research done at the same? And it's a life goal? Maybe the programme that doesn't take you isn't the programme for you anyways. Good luck OP.

 

[TrailMed]

I


Maybe a dumb question, but if you already have extensive research (which I assume is relevant to the field you're interested in), why not use those school mandated ~6 months of research to hike? We have a similar schedule and it's allotted for "research" but there are no real requirements and many of our students end up doing more audition rotations and/or taking time off.

Thanks for the input, that's not a dumb question at all and it's an avenue I will consider now that you mentioned it. Although many schools have a similar curriculum, I'm unsure of the requirements at each individual school and would be surprised if they didn't vary to some degree. However from what I have gathered from my school specifically, they have been adamant that we do something scholastic/academic during this dedicated time. I suppose I could find a way to do something scholastic with the trek, but the purpose of the trek would be to enjoy the hike and immersion in nature so I'm hesitant to pursue combining the trek and academia. The reason for the gap year-hack would be that I could complete all aspects of my curriculum, plus extra research while still doing the hike. Not so much substitution of the hike for something else.

 

[TrailMed]

See how you go with Step 1, clinicals, and what specialty you decide. Ask your mentors specifically about your dream programmes. Check back here when you have more data to offer (and ask your home PDs too). It's tempting to want to plan everything in advance, but so many things could go wrong (or very right) in the next 3 years.

But yes, best case scenario... Top 15 school, with a solid Step 1, good clinical evacuations, multiple strong publications, and the you'll have had the commitment and fortitude to hike the AT trail while getting research done? A life goal? Maybe the programme the doesn't take you isn't the programme for you. Good luck OP.

That's great advice. Specifically the point that I should wait to see how Step1 and clinicals go for me, I appreciate the feedback.

 

[AlmostAnMD]

In the hierarchy of "ways to use optional gap time", taking a year off to go hiking ranks just under "robbing banks."

 

[Psai]

In the hierarchy of "ways to use optional gap time", taking a year off to go hiking ranks just under "robbing banks."

What medical school did you go to again?

 

[AlmostAnMD]

Hollywood upstairs medical college, why?

 

[Psai]

Hollywood upstairs medical college, why?

Cause op went to a top 15 med school (btw it's top 15)

 

[Slack3r]

What specialty? I'd see some of the "thinking" specialties being more into this than the surgical ones.

And fwiw, I'm not sure anyone would know that you ****ed around for 6 mos of the year and a half of research time as long as you're productive during the prior year of dedicated research.

 

[TrailMed]

What specialty? I'd see some of the "thinking" specialties being more into this than the surgical ones.

And fwiw, I'm not sure anyone would know that you ****ed around for 6 mos of the year and a half of research time as long as you're productive during the prior year of dedicated research.

I'm leaning towards either medicine with a procedural subspecialty like GI or Cardio which would mean IM residency, or Urology . That's a good point about the time being my thing.

 

[sliceofbread136]

You'll probably get 2-3 months off end of 4th year, why not do it then?

 

[TrailMed]

You'll probably get 2-3 months off end of 4th year, why not do it then?

I think the fastest I could do it in would be 4 months, that would be averaging a little over 18 miles a day but I like the idea of seeing what my 4th year looks like.

 

[michaelrack]

Hopefully hiking the Appalachian trail will hurt your career less than his

 

[sliceofbread136]

I think the fastest I could do it in would be 4 months, that would be averaging a little over 18 miles a day but I like the idea of seeing what my 4th year looks like.

It'll be a tight squeeze for sure, but worth checking if it is doable.

If not, I say just do your original plan. Sure it could possibly make you somewhat less competitive but you only have one life and you sound otherwise like you are doing pretty well

 

[Señor S]

And fwiw, I'm not sure anyone would know that you ****ed around for 6 mos of the year and a half of research time as long as you're productive during the prior year of dedicated research.

This is what I was thinking. If you were willing to bend the truth a little how would they ever know?

But if not then I wouldn't do it. Bad optics; you look like a flake.

 

[ProfMD]

What specialty? I'd see some of the "thinking" specialties being more into this than the surgical ones.

And fwiw, I'm not sure anyone would know that you ****ed around for 6 mos of the year and a half of research time as long as you're productive during the prior year of dedicated research.

This is what I was thinking. If you were willing to bend the truth a little how would they ever know?

But if not then I wouldn't do it. Bad optics; you look like a flake.

Interviewer: "I see you took a year off during med school. What did you do?"
TrailMed: "I hiked the Appalachian Trail."

I guess he could lie - but I would strongly recommend against lying to the interviewers. When you are found out, you will probably be blackballed.

 

[Slack3r]

Interviewer: "I see you took a year off during med school. What did you do?"
TrailMed: "I hiked the Appalachian Trail."

I guess he could lie - but I would strongly recommend against lying to the interviewers. When you are found out, you will probably be blackballed.

1.5 years*

And you could say: "I was productive in research during my research year, then spent a few months achieving a lifelong goal of mine to hike the Appalachian trail. Blah blah personal growth blah blah."

It's IM. They love that kind of ****.

 

[Azete]

Interviewer: "I see you took a year off during med school. What did you do?"
TrailMed: "I hiked the Appalachian Trail."

I guess he could lie - but I would strongly recommend against lying to the interviewers. When you are found out, you will probably be blackballed.

Just like any other profession, there are a wide variety of residency cultures and certainly more than a handful that would think this was awesome.

Maybe not the "high yield" use of time, but I don't think every program would view this negatively.

 

[ProfMD]

Just like any other profession, there are a wide variety of residency cultures and certainly more than a handful that would think this was awesome.

Maybe not the "high yield" use of time, but I don't think every program would view this negatively.

I agree (see my first post).

However, point of this post was that no program likes lies and half-truths during an interview.

 

[TrailMed]

I agree (see my first post).

However, point of this post was that no program likes lies and half-truths during an interview.

Yeah, if I go through with it I wouldn't feel comfortable covering it up. As @lymphocyte said, if a program viewed the idea of me completing a life goal negatively then I'm not sure I would want to attend the program from a personality stand point.

Thanks again for the input so far everyone!

 

[InvestingDoc]

My room mate in medical school took time off to help grow her business and pursue some interest personally similar to what you want to do. she applied to OB/GYN and did not match. She did have a love it or hate it type of personality which I'm sure was a factor.

Taking time off from medical school is usually not a wise decision. There are plenty of other applicants who did not take time off that the residency doesn't have to take a risk on.

 

[MaxPlancker]

I'm prettttty darn sure that taking ~4 months to hike the AT and then filling the rest with research would be a great gap year. You are right in that you probably won't have the opportunity again until you retire. It would be such a cool topic for interviews too! I 110% support you doing this. With your credentials, you will match to a good IM program assuming good step, etc and if a program drops you for a 4 month lifelong dream, then it's not the program for you.

 

[thatwouldbeanarchy]

Edit: Update for those who consider it relevant - I already have 6 authorships from research during undergrad and my gap year including 1 in a journal with an impact factor >30 and 3 in journals with impact factors greater than >10. I should also have a seventh by the time I finish clinical rotations.

I don't mean this as a dig at all; I'm genuinely curious. Do PDs pay much attention to research done during undergrad?

 

[mymembernames]

Plenty of students at top med schools take a year off to do research to make themselves more competitive applicants.

 

[TrailMed]

I don't mean this as a dig at all; I'm genuinely curious. Do PDs pay much attention to research done during undergrad?

That's a great question I've been wondering since I started school 😉

I thought at minimum a numerated CV across years might show continuity of productivity. It's always good when you can show you've been productive for a number of years...i hope

 

[Slack3r]

That's a great question I've been wondering since I started school 😉

I thought at minimum a numerated CV across years might show continuity of productivity. It's always good when you can show you've been productive for a number of years...i hope

As long as they're publications (with you as an author) that you can list on ERAS, it doesn't matter when they were performed. That said, undergrad research doesn't give you a pass to slack off in Med school as far as research goes. Continued evidence of research productivity (undergrad, preclinical, gap year) is never a bad thing.

 

[Slack3r]

Plenty of students at top med schools take a year off to do research to make themselves more competitive applicants.

What's your point?

 

[Stagg737]

So OP is considering taking an extra year off to do research and hike, totaling 1.5 years/18 months. If OP takes 4-5 months to hike, that still leaves 13-14 months of research out of 18. When you look at it from that perspective, is taking the 4 months to complete a life-long goal really that much of a hit to his application? (Assuming he's productive during his research time and gets some decent pubs out of it, of course.)

 

[Azete]

So OP is considering taking an extra year off to do research and hike, totaling 1.5 years/18 months. If OP takes 4-5 months to hike, that still leaves 13-14 months of research out of 18. When you look at it from that perspective, is taking the 4 months to complete a life-long goal really that much of a hit to his application? (Assuming he's productive during his research time and gets some decent pubs out of it, of course.)

Only on SDN.

 

[Donald Juan]

I say go for it. It sounds awesome, and sounds like you are already on track with research. Definitely make sure the gap year is still productive...you don't want it to sound to your school or to residency programs that the gap year was primarily for hiking (even though it might be to you). It needs to be primarily research (or whatever else you decide between now and then) and the hiking was secondary.

 

[Goro]

I could see this being feasible and a good use of time. I worry that merely using the time to hike would end up hurting the OP. Best to save hiking once you're an attending. One of my colleagues goes mountain climbing all over the world. I learned about the "Hillary Step" on Everest from him.

So OP is considering taking an extra year off to do research and hike, totaling 1.5 years/18 months. If OP takes 4-5 months to hike, that still leaves 13-14 months of research out of 18. When you look at it from that perspective, is taking the 4 months to complete a life-long goal really that much of a hit to his application? (Assuming he's productive during his research time and gets some decent pubs out of it, of course.)