Gap year?

[Leonidas93]

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Im just curious as to how adcoms view gap years. Im less concerned about how they view the actual time off and more concerned about how they view the resultant extra time advantage for bolstering an app. From my current position, I see a gap year as a means to increase my EC hours, put in a more meaningful lab time and garner a potential pub, study longer for the MCAT, and even do a little soul searching. Would it be better to just get in what I can and apply per usual or take a year off and bolster my app? Part of me thinks it would look better to apply in 3 years with less stuff than in 4 with more (assuming constant GPA). Thanks for your time.

 

[PanRoasted]

They don't consider whether you've been efficient with your time off - take as much time as you think you need to have the strongest application. The only drawback is starting your career at a later point in your life.

 

[ph7]

Im just curious as to how adcoms view gap years. Im less concerned about how they view the actual time off and more concerned about how they view the resultant extra time advantage for bolstering an app. From my current position, I see a gap year as a means to increase my EC hours, put in a more meaningful lab time and garner a potential pub, study longer for the MCAT, and even do a little soul searching. Would it be better to just get in what I can and apply per usual or take a year off and bolster my app? Part of me thinks it would look better to apply in 3 years with less stuff than in 4 with more (assuming constant GPA). Thanks for your time.

Depends how your stats look.. If on the lower end then take the year and either retake MCAT and/or raise GPA. They want to see you dedicated to medicine so I would not take a year long vaca but at the same time relax, it might be the last time you do so for the next few years..😀