In need of some guidance

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I’m currently a third-year medical student and am taking 8 weeks of administrative leave that can be converted to personal leave (prefer not to disclose details, but my primary focus is the timeline for meeting application requirements). I am interested and would like to keep my door open for anesthesiology and am trying to weigh my options moving forward:

• Should I take a semester leave (or even 1 year personal leave) instead of just returning after the 8 weeks?
• Will my timeline be affected significantly enough to cause trouble during the fall semester of my 4th year, as I would be spending "buffer time" doing third year rotations on top of particularly regarding securing letters of recommendation, studying and taking step 2, interview invites, sending my application in on time?
• Given that I will only have 4 out of 12 weeks of "buffer time" during my 4th year, I probably need away rotations, or should I return immediately vs. taking a semester/year leave?

Would appreciate any insight or advice from those familiar with the fourth-year timeline and residency applications.

 

[21CABG]

From seeing the people in my class above me in similar situations id say its a coin flip. (USMD 4th yr)

If I'm assuming ur USMD, P/F with no repeats in any classes and no red flags and u passed step1 first try i think as long as the rest of ur app is clean w a good step2 you could probably get away w it. Its still considered a "red flag" but its explainable especially if u have a valid reason

 

[operaman]

Biggest factor will be the underlying reasons for the leave and whether you are 100% sure you can successfully complete the year if you come back in 8 weeks. If that’s not a guarantee then take all the time you need to ensure you graduate. Obviously no doors remain open with the degree completed.

Overall, I would lean toward taking the year if that’s on the table. You can redo third year on a regular schedule and be set to take a run at applications and away on a regular timetable.

How much of a red flag will depend on how the original 8w are reflected on your transcript. If nothing bad then pretty easy to spin things into a “research” year or something equally innocuous. Even if it’s something bad like a rotation failure, taking a year and using it to both produce some research as well as prepare for the next year could be helpful. Some dedicated step 2 and shelf prep could only help your rotation performance and eventual board scores.

 

[Hollow Knight]

Similar to what operaman is saying they just recently changed the ERAS question abut time off to be a little more forgiving about illness, etc. Professionalism or academic reasons are still red flags, but yeah maybe you can spin it as something else.

It's not the giant problem it used to be when med students had a death in the family or needed surgery or something.