How big of a deal is taking a gap year?

[artvandelay786]

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How big of a deal is a gap year from someone who has taken one or knows someone who has taken one?

I am considering it but I do not know what I will do in that year. With my degree I doubt I will be able to find a high paying job and I do not have any internships or work experience really.

Also, I will be starting dental school at 23 (almost twenty four) which means I will lose one year of potential income.

Would this be awkward that I would be 1-2 years older than most of the people in my dental school class? I know there are some people who go back to school later but for the majority of students, what is their age as a first year?

I am probably overthinking this but I would like to hear some thoughts on this. I have looked at the other threads but they have not addressed my last couple of concerns.

 

[sjv]

The average age of an entering dental student is around 24 (median closer to 23) with some schools higher and some lower. That should be the least of your worries...

 

[Dentalguy8621]

How big of a deal is a gap year from someone who has taken one or knows someone who has taken one?

I am considering it but I do not know what I will do in that year. With my degree I doubt I will be able to find a high paying job and I do not have any internships or work experience really.

Also, I will be starting dental school at 23 (almost twenty four) which means I will lose one year of potential income.

Would this be awkward that I would be 1-2 years older than most of the people in my dental school class? I know there are some people who go back to school later but for the majority of students, what is their age as a first year?

I am probably overthinking this but I would like to hear some thoughts on this. I have looked at the other threads but they have not addressed my last couple of concerns.

I'm in a GAP year and won't be applying until next year. So almost 2 years out of school. It's not a big deal at all. I don't really see how it could be a big deal. Some people don't want to rush into professional school/grad school. I took some time to really figure out what I wanted to do. If I would have rushed my plans then I would be in Pharmacy school now probably regretting the decision. I found what I really wanted to do with my life with some time off (Dentistry). All in all, just find a job and enjoy your early twenties! I'm saving money from working and taking a trip somewhere since I have never been on an airplane let alone out of Florida lol.

I can't see anyone that would really care about your concern with age. That's such a non issue.

Hope your year goes well!

 

[Bottle]

I kinda took gap year (well, more like 9-months gap) between highschool and college. I didn't plan to do the gap year thing, but I was forced to do so, and it turned out great. I didn't work. I just slept through my days and had really deep thoughts with myself. This gap period made me realize I fit into medicine, which is something I always hated for no reasons at all. I fixed a lot of things in myself, and answered a lot of those annoying questions such as "what do I want to do?" or "do I want to get married/ have kids/ if so when/ if not, why?"

Take the gap year if you think you can use it effectively.

 

[YYC]

Not that big of a deal. Knowing what you are getting yourself into is more important. In other words, what you are doing during your gap year(s). I am in my gap year now and it is serving me quite pleasantly. I am able to do more of the things I wanted to do (traveling, learning new skills, etc) and not the things that I must do (studying, working full time, etc). There should be some stuff that you want to do while you are still in your twenties. You can still do them in your thirties, forties or when you are older... But guess what, doing those things now or many years later will never be the same. Give some thought about it.

 

[Troyvdg]

Took two gap years. Are some of my classmates 21? Yes. But there are just as many around 24. You won't be able to tell the difference.

 

[y3nd0]

I've been accepted to dental school and am in my gap year now. I've been in school non stop since my junior year of high school (summer breaks were no real vacation), so I wanted to take a year off just for myself. I'm essentially unemployed and am just sitting at home and chillaxin', but I've realized that, so far, I've been using this gap year for self improvement. I've begun working out again and am in the best shape of my life (granted I will turn 23 soon), developed healthier eating habits that I can stick with even while in dental school, traveled to a country that I've always wanted to go to, I've begun improving my foreign language skills by self studying, and I'm even taking that language class at a community college.

It's been a great year so far, in retrospect. Take the gap year and do something for yourself. Enjoy it because dental school will be no picnic. Don't stress out about your age because as many others said, 24 is the average.

 

[hitmans45]

I took two years and it was the best decision. After I graduated I worked part time and studied for the DAT full time. Got my LORs in order and had everything ready well ahead of time. Now that I'm accepted I have been working part time and being a full time bum. Lounging around, road trips, hanging out with friends and marathoning tv shows. Heaven on earth. And my class is filled with 24 year olds. The whole process was much less stressful because of my time off. It's something to really consider. God speed pre-dent!

 

[ILLchief]

I think gap year(s) is the best thing for someone. It allows for you to mature as a person and professionally. You can travel, work, get more experience,etc. Also let's you get out whatever "partying" you have left. I'll be 24 when I start this Fall (essentially 2 years out of undergrad) and it's been a blessing in disguise for me. I'm so ready to start and destroy dental school!

But it's about what you do during your gap year! Make the most out of it

 

[iceman55]

How big of a deal is a gap year from someone who has taken one or knows someone who has taken one?

I am considering it but I do not know what I will do in that year. With my degree I doubt I will be able to find a high paying job and I do not have any internships or work experience really.

Also, I will be starting dental school at 23 (almost twenty four) which means I will lose one year of potential income.

Would this be awkward that I would be 1-2 years older than most of the people in my dental school class? I know there are some people who go back to school later but for the majority of students, what is their age as a first year?

I am probably overthinking this but I would like to hear some thoughts on this. I have looked at the other threads but they have not addressed my last couple of concerns.

Yes, it will be awkward. you will be old as dirt.

Just look for a job, forget about dental school. That time has passed.

 

[Imrizzle]

I'm 24 and applying this summer. Graduated undergrad in 2012. I am in my "gap years" working at the National Institutes of Health, really helped me to realize what I really wanted to do and break out of the bubble I was in college.
Many people don't go straight into professional school after graduation from college, so no need to worry. You are well within the norm of people who enter dental/medical school anyway, shouldn't even be thinking about this.

 

[Faux]

nice to see people who have taken more than a year off. Makes me feel less bad.

 

[ChrisM07]

I had a year and a half off after graduating undergrad (not really by choice since I graduated in a January) and am in the middle of another year (I applied and was accepted to dental school in this year after finishing my master's. Again, gap year not totally by not by choice). After having the first gap year-and-a-half though I realized that it was a good way for me to sort to take a little break, re-group, and focus my thoughts on to where to apply to a master's program. I took my DAT for the first time and took two community college courses to stay in the "class mode". It also gave me a chance to visit with friends and family who I didn't see much after being so focused on finishing my undergrad. I made a plan though on what I was going to do during the gap time since I was not yet in dental school. I looked for ways to improve my application. Although at the time, I was bummed that I wasn't going straight into dental school, it was needed and gave me something else to write about in my application.

This current gap year though, my application was complete and I was in "limbo" waiting to hear back, I didn't find a job until a few months ago and this meant that the first half was spent sleeping in and catching up with TV, and yet again, with friends and family since I was in school 2012-2013. Overall, I am happy with this. And I will be older than most when starting school. Whatever though. These two and a half years of gap were pretty decent experiences.

So, short story? Not a big deal.

 

[jmcunnin]

I took 3 years after undergrad, then went back to get my MBA. I'm now 27 and about to start prereqs for dental school. Wouldn't change a thing..

 

[artvandelay786]

Thanks for the responses guys. What kind of jobs did you guys work, if I may ask? My degree is not super marketable and I will probably get a boring job

 

[Imrizzle]

@artvandelay786 I worked at the NIH as a post-bacc research assistant. I have met people with many different types of degrees here from undergrad, so if you maybe want to explore the IRTA program here, I would recommend it.

 

[jmcunnin]

I worked in human resources for several years. Gave up a great job so I could take some time to myself to decide what I really wanted to do in life. Don't worry too much about your age. I will never let anyone tell me I'm too old to do something I want to do with my life. If anything, it would motivate me more.

 

[Miley Cyrus.]

It is a good thing to take a gap year and can be amazing if you utilize your gap year correctly (for example learning a language would be good or getting ripped would be good). I don't think anyone should go directly from undergrad to dental school. Doesn't give you much time to broaden your horizons, make sure dent is really for you etc. Real world experience before D-school is always a bonus.

 

[pinop]

I am 4 months into a planned year and nine months gap year, and so far it is one of the best decisions I have made so far. For me, the gap year is a time to do some EC activities that I didn't have enough time for during undergrad, and to work part-time so that I can save up to go traveling the summer before I start D-school. I think the best part of my gap year is that it is real chill while getting everything done - preparing for apps, getting LOR on track, etc; no looming exam or homework that I have to worry about.

Nonetheless, I think it is real easy to fall into the mindset that you have so much time, that you can lounge around and do nothing. While you do have a lot of time to burn, I think it's also important to keep productive and do things that are angled to your future benefit. For example, the gap-year is a great year to start self-improvement projects, set long-term goals, and get physically fit. It's also a great time to find personal hobbies - sometimes you'll feel like you have all the time in the world and will feel bored. This is a great time to find something that you enjoy!

 

[Samsara21]

Took a two year gap year post graduation. Half a year was spent volunteering, playing video games, and fumbling through a med school application that I wasn't passionate about. After that I moved to a new city, met new people, was blessed with a great paying full time job in clinical research and had a sudden realization that I should become a dentist. Studied for the DAT, prepared my app and bam moving on to dental school. Gap years were essential for me. I learned and grew more than you care to listen. Though I wish I would have matured sooner, life happens at different paces. At 25 I feel lucky to be on what I know to be the RIGHT track towards what I want out of my career.

 

[ToothbrushBuddy]

I am in a gap year right now and it was nice to have enough time to do my interviews without worrying about school. However, I honestly wish I had applied last year, I could only find unsatisfying low-paying jobs and am bored out mind. That being said, I also did a gap year between my sophomore and junior years of college to do the AmeriCorps program City Year and that was the best experience of my life so far. So I recommend that if you do a gap year, do AmeriCorps or Teach for America or something.

 

[jigabodo]

Not a big deal if you are doing something productive during your year off. It helped me recharge tremendously. Good luck!

 

[Imrizzle]

Took a two year gap year post graduation. Half a year was spent volunteering, playing video games, and fumbling through a med school application that I wasn't passionate about. After that I moved to a new city, met new people, was blessed with a great paying full time job in clinical research and had a sudden realization that I should become a dentist. Studied for the DAT, prepared my app and bam moving on to dental school. Gap years were essential for me. I learned and grew more than you care to listen. Though I wish I would have matured sooner, life happens at different paces. At 25 I feel lucky to be on what I know to be the RIGHT track towards what I want out of my career.

You sound just like me, I was fumbling around with the MCAT and medschool apps for like 8 months, wasn't passionate enough for it. Worked in the real world for a while longer, and found out what I'd like in a career. Good luck in dental school!