Gap year in the middle of undergrad?

[emg83]

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Hi,

I just finished my freshman year and did quite well (3.96 GPA). I'm majoring in neuroscience and philosophy and minoring in Chinese and chemistry. I have a research position in a hospital, and have joined a few clubs.

I'm certain that I want to join the Peace Corps after I graduate undergrad, before I start med school. However, I'm also interested in doing some short-term volunteering abroad in various countries before I graduate and possibly taking a gap year after my sophomore or junior year to do so. Is taking a year off during undergrad looked down upon by med schools? If I take a year off, will it be difficult to get involved again in my current activities, such as research and extracurriculars?

Also, I'm currently receiving an unsubsidized stafford loan. Am I correct in my understanding that I will have to start paying this back if I am no longer a full-time student? How does that work?

Thanks!

 

[Mavs88]

I do believe you will start having to make payments for any and all government loans 6 months out from school. It's great that you have this altruistic side to you...but why don't you just volunteer overseas every summer? You're going to be on a hiatus anyway at some point with the peace corps. It just doesn't seem that logical to skip an entire year in the middle of undergrad.

 

[emg83]

I do believe you will start having to make payments for any and all government loans 6 months out from school. It's great that you have this altruistic side to you...but why don't you just volunteer overseas every summer? You're going to be on a hiatus anyway at some point with the peace corps. It just doesn't seem that logical to skip an entire year in the middle of undergrad.

I don't want to just do it during the summer because, in order to complete my degree on time, I have to take some summer classes for at least next summer, and maybe the summer after that. So if I took the summers off, I would just be going to school for another year. Plus, I want to be able to travel to multiple countries (maybe doing one month of service each), and the Peace Corps keeps its volunteers in one place for 2+ years.

The loans aren't that much of an issue. I am mostly just worried that med schools will find it suspicious or odd that I took a year off.

 

[deleted577188]

If you're trying to look exceptional to med schools, there are things you can do domestically to look good.

I wouldn't do it.