Does it matter what job you work in during your gap year or does it have to be something that shows your dedication to medicine?
gap year job
- Thread starter adam17
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Continue your volunteer commitments. That should be enough.
Not everyone can get a health care related job.
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What do a physician and mcdonalds employee have in common? They both work in a customer service field. I'm being serious. You can work any customer service job or any job (healthcare related or not) for that matter and it will all be the same in the end, IMO. Take whatever jobs that you like that make you money. It's doesn't matter in the end. Your job is a moot point in comparison to GPA, MCAT, LORs, and personal statement. But if you can get a job that is healthcare related then go for it. Especially if you don't have much healthcare volunteer experience.
Ideally it would be great to get something related to medicine but in the grand scheme of things it really won't matter as long as you've done something worthwhile. It might be a good idea to look at overseas volunteering or paid work options; you can gain useful experience in any number of fields including medicine or just go and see a bit of the world! This article might help you to plan http://www.realgap.co.uk/gap-travel-advice/planning-gap-year
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Being abroad during interviews would be pretty tough, especially if you're unpaid in which case those plane tickets back to the States could add up really fast...
I have had friends who were abroad intermittently, but being away for the whole year is just not a good idea.
This is something I've looked into a lot recently, since I decided to take a gap year a couple of months ago. The consensus from everyone I've asked is that it is highly recommended that you keep some connection to medicine, but you don't have to spend the entirety of your gap year doing so. If your goal is to make money for med school, that's a perfectly valid justification and shows you are being practical about the costs. Take whatever job pays you the best while leaving you enough flexibility for the application process. You can volunteer a few hours on the weekend to stay in healthcare. If you look through older topics on this board, you'll see stories of people doing everything from bartending to research to volunteering.
If you do want something healthcare related, look into Americorps' Health Corps program. It doesn't pay the best, but you stay in the health field and get something you can talk a lot about at interviews. And if you've built up a good med school resume, you shouldn't have too much trouble getting a spot. At least for me, that's the current plan (still have a year of undergrad left).
If you do want something healthcare related, look into Americorps' Health Corps program. It doesn't pay the best, but you stay in the health field and get something you can talk a lot about at interviews. And if you've built up a good med school resume, you shouldn't have too much trouble getting a spot. At least for me, that's the current plan (still have a year of undergrad left).
