Is it bad to take 2 gap years instead of 1?

[omegaz]

Recent graduate here, I only wanted to take 1 gap year but classes + research during my last semester were too intense so I didn't get the chance to improve my 28 MCAT to the 30s. So now I have to study for the MCAT during the summer and take it in August, which means it'll be too late to apply this cycle, making me take 2 gap years. Is this frowned upon by admission committees?

PS: My stats are average. 3.6 GPA, average ECs, volunteer, and research experiences. No publications but a couple of posters/presentations. Prestigious undergrad. college.

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[Jojokarade]

If you are shadowing, volunteering, working, then they don't care. The only time gap years become bad are if you don't do anything or you take too many and ADCOM's start to question your ability to go back to school.

I was out of school for almost 4 years before starting medical school. However, during that time, I did research for three years, worked in a restaurant, volunteered, and did a lot of shadowing. When I interviewed, I talked about how my time after school was more important to who I am than any other time.

Bottom line, don't look at gap years as a bad thing unless you plan on doing nothing.

 

[omegaz]

Thanks for the input. Also, your blog was very inspirational and helpful!

 

[Jojokarade]

Thanks for the input. Also, your blog was very inspirational and helpful!

Thank you. I appreciate it.

 

[orangeman25]

I think it also depends on yourself. Some people don't care when they go to medical school; for others, the sooner the better.

One or two years post graduation isn't a big deal though.

 

[tantacles]

Gap years are not bad. The number of years you take off is unimportant. Try to do things that are relevant to medicine during those years; that's all that matters.

 

[Goro]

No

Recent graduate here, I only wanted to take 1 gap year but classes + research during my last semester were too intense so I didn't get the chance to improve my 28 MCAT to the 30s. So now I have to study for the MCAT during the summer and take it in August, which means it'll be too late to apply this cycle, making me take 2 gap years. Is this frowned upon by admission committees?

PS: My stats are average. 3.6 GPA, average ECs, volunteer, and research experiences. No publications but a couple of posters/presentations. Prestigious undergrad. college.

 

[ridethecliche]

Depends.

 

[areserine]

I wanted to only take one, but ended up taking two for employment reasons (they would only take me for two years). It was a huge blessing in disguise for me and I'm glad I did. I have been able to really get into my project at work without worrying about applying and interviews my first year, I had time to settle into life outside of college before apps and all that craziness, and I've been able to meet people and set down some roots here. Taking one gap year is super rushed since that whole year is filled with transitioning to the "real world," learning a job, moving somewhere new, meeting new people etc. Adding in interviewing and applying to med school was way too much for most people that I know who tried to do it. Anecdotally, two/three people I know who did only one year were so busy with trying to cram it in that they ended up applying super late and not getting in the first round.

 

[DrCharlemagne]

I took five; two before my post-bac, three after my post-bac. It was fine for me, but I published, volunteered and developed two new hobbies pretty thoroughly. You can take as much time as you'd like, so long as you have something to show for it when you're done.

 

[stickshifthonda]

I agree with everyone here. I'm doing two years and it is not frowned upon at all. I've finally had the time to focus on me and making sure that I am doing what I need to do to ensure an acceptance- shadowing, volunteering, having a personal life all while working & doing research.

This year I feel like I've grown as a person and it has made me understand real world problems that you simply don't face when you're in college. Stay productive and you'll have tons to talk about in your interviews!

 

[EMME25]

I took four 'gap years,' except they werent so much gap years as they were years in which i tried to figure out what I wanted to do with myself.

Also, I took the MCAT in August, it was fine (I interviewed at my number 1 choice school and was accepted to WashU). I submitted my application before the score was back and it didn't seem to delay the verification by much.

 

[moisne]

I took 3

 

[F.Underwood]

There is no single answer to this question.

It is all about a story. The extra year depends on how it will effect your story!

In most cases, I would say an extra year would help. If you are someone who wants to get your MD so you can hurry and go back and help the people of your hometown, then no, they would probably think: "why doesnt he hurry up and go accomplish his goal!"