Gap year while switching specialties

[Midnightmite123]

Hi all,

Looking for some reassurance and advice. Matched but leaving my specialty to a medical issue. What can I do during my gap year other than research?

 

[flowers]

I'm assuming you graduated medical school and have not yet started a residency or internship. If you have completed at least a PGY-1 year, then there would be more options.

Options other than research
1) Advocacy - work with a non-profit or political organization. You could write policy briefs and add expertise.
2) volunteer - international medical missions may allow you to gain an international perspective
3) write - there is a LONG history of physician writers from poet William Carlos Williams, to Atul Gwande and Abraham Varghese. Non-fiction, fiction, romance (the Bridgerton series writer dropped out of med school), memoir - so many options.
4) teach - I really see you as being a co-instructor rather than a primary instructor, but the subjects are endless art in medicine, biology, genetics. I think this would only work at a small liberal arts college that isn't uber selective, but still has a pre-med program.

Sorry that your plans have had to change, but you've got this!