How hard is it to get a deferment for med school?

[SweetRain]

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I'm applying this cycle and if I get accepted anywhere, I'm planning on deferring my admission for one year. But I was wondering if schools are usually willing to let you do that or if I need a very good reason for deferment.

My family lives abroad and I've lived away from them all of my college years. I really want to spend some time with them since I won't be able to once I start med school and I'm also planning on traveling and WWOOFing most of the time. I guess this isn't a very solid reason for a deferment but I really don't think I'll have time to do this if I don't do this after graduating college. But I also don't want to take a year off before I get in anywhere.

Has anyone had any experience with deferred admission?

 

[flip26]

I'm applying this cycle and if I get accepted anywhere, I'm planning on deferring my admission for one year. But I was wondering if schools are usually willing to let you do that or if I need a very good reason for deferment.

My family lives abroad and I've lived away from them all of my college years. I really want to spend some time with them since I won't be able to once I start med school and I'm also planning on traveling and WWOOFing most of the time. I guess this isn't a very solid reason for a deferment but I really don't think I'll have time to do this if I don't do this after graduating college. But I also don't want to take a year off before I get in anywhere.

Has anyone had any experience with deferred admission?

Deferrals for stuff like Fulbright, etc., are common.

Not for your reason.

 

[krs881]

It really depends on the school as far as I have heard. It doesn't have to be a health related activity (though that helps) but it should be something structured, a plan.

I deferred, but it was to continue my job in infectious disease research (an ongoing study outside of the U.S.). That being said, I might not have wanted to continue in that job (and therefore defer) for an extra year, if it weren't for personal reasons as well, that I couldn't foresee at the time I started the application process.

In your case I can see two options to make your living abroad plans work:

1) Making a plan for what you want to do during that year that would make the likelihood of the school you end up going to approving your deferral (i.e. find a job/internship where your family lives abroad and plan to spend most of your time there and less time travelling). So for example, instead of woofing, get an internship. Or get two internships/structured plans -- one where your family is and one somewhere else you want to go. There are lots of 1 year international service programs for recent college grads that will at least pay room, board and stipend. If you can live with family you will have even more options, since expenses would be less. (Of course, this depends on what country we are talking about -- i'm thinking developing country, I can only imagine this plan would be harder in western europe, for example, if you are not a citizen of the country and don't have a work permit).

2) Put off applying for a year. I did the entire application and interview process living abroad. It is possible, but under the right circumstances (particularly the travel for interviews, which can be prohibitively expensive depending on where you are, and not viable depending on what you are doing that year or your ability to schedule interviews close together). OR just plan on traveling after (and possibly before) interview season. So, you could just be in the states Sept/Oct through Feb (or whenever your first/last interviews are). If you are already getting ready to apply now you will have pretty much everything read for next year... and maybe some exciting new experiences to add to your PS, ECs and to talk about in interviews!

good luck!

 

[ThaliaNox]

It's so school dependent that we cannot really help you. I would say, though, that deferring just to visit your family probably isn't going to cut it. Consider going home for just the summer before med school instead. Three months with family would probably satisfy just about anyone. Heck, I go nuts if I spend more than a week with my mother.

 

[tremulousNeedle]

It's so school dependent that we cannot really help you.

👍

Some don't let you. Some schools want a good reason. Some will allow deferment and don't care what your reason is. It varies by school.

-admissions committee interviewer / senior medical student