Justifiable Reasons for a Gap Year?

[stannislaus]

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Hi all,

I'm currently a 3rd year and planning on graduating on time next year.
I was supposed to apply to medical school this coming summer, but because I failed to find time to study for my mcat, I've postponed my exam to September (originally intended to take it in April). I love research and I am very interested in applying to MSTP programs.

Unfortunately, this means I'll be taking a gap year.
But perhaps the word "unfortunately" is unnecessary - could anyone help me find some upsides to taking a gap year? What are some 'legitimate' (from an admissions perspective) reasons for taking a gap year? What opportunities should I pursue during my gap year to strengthen my application and enhance my undergraduate experience? What's the best way to use my new application timeline to strengthen my application?

Thank you!

 

[aSagacious]

Yes, I think delaying your MCAT until you are adequately prepared is a justifiable reason to delay your application.

If you're interested in applying MSTP you might consider pursuing a full-time research position during your gap year.

While I did not apply MSTP, I just finished exactly what I described above (graduated and did research during gap year) and turned out fine.

 

[TheMightySmiter]

I don't think you even need a justifiable reason. It's enough to say that you wanted to wait a year. Most schools now see gap years as a positive, or at least neutral, if you do something productive with it.

 

[Barcu]

Taking a gap year is increasing commonly. As long as you do something productive during your gap year, it can't do anything but help you.

Some schools even prefer you've taken time off, and they accept lots of applicants who have taken time off.

 

[phltz]

Hi all,

I'm currently a 3rd year and planning on graduating on time next year.
I was supposed to apply to medical school this coming summer, but because I failed to find time to study for my mcat, I've postponed my exam to September (originally intended to take it in April). I love research and I am very interested in applying to MSTP programs.

Unfortunately, this means I'll be taking a gap year.
But perhaps the word "unfortunately" is unnecessary - could anyone help me find some upsides to taking a gap year? What are some 'legitimate' (from an admissions perspective) reasons for taking a gap year? What opportunities should I pursue during my gap year to strengthen my application and enhance my undergraduate experience? What's the best way to use my new application timeline to strengthen my application?

Thank you!

You don't need a justification. Lots of people take gap years to do nothing of great importance. Adcoms won't demand to know why. If you're aiming for MSTP programs, you'll be well advised to find a research job. It would be worth trying to find a professor with a lab at your school that you can start working with now, and who you might hope to stick with for your gap year (or, if you already are working with someone, discussing with them if they might be able to pick you up as a researcher for the year after you graduate). This gives you the best chance of having something meaningful to show for your effort (like a publication).

Most of what you do in your gap year will come too late to help your application. You'll probably graduate in May or June, and you should be aiming to submit your primary application in June or July. So anything that you start after graduation will likely come too late to really amount to much by then. Although if you do anything really cool, it can be worth including an update letter.

 

[Slack3r]

Taking a gap year is increasing commonly. As long as you do something productive during your gap year, it can't do anything but help you.

Some schools even prefer you've taken time off, and they accept lots of applicants who have taken time off.

This.

I interviewed at a number of schools, and nearly every interview was mostly people who had already graduated.

 

[Tots]

I decided to take a gap year so that I could adequately study for the MCAT, better prepare for the application season and ensure that medicine was the career I wanted. It was worth it, I would not have been as ready last year.
This next year I will be doing research part time and working part time. Remember that what you do during your gap year won't be in the activities section on your application but you probably will get asked about it at interviews(from what I have heard.) It can also be update letter fodder. If you postpone your application for a year make sure to keep doing great work your senior year, because that will be on your application.

 

[catzzz88]

Gap years are seen favorably, they give you an upper hand. What does a gap year do? Increases maturity, work experience, opportunities for better LORs, research, life experiences... the list goes on.

Apply for research positions NOW. Retrospectively speaking and advising you, I would suggest that you postpone the MCAT to March of next year to give you even more time to study. Start a job immediately after graduation senior year, take an MCAT class in the summer, and then study by yourself for several months before taking it. Study after work.

Gap years are great. Just don't have a time period of more than a month or so where you aren't doing anything. Med schools ask about time spend doing nothing for more than a few months.

GOOD LUCK!

Best,
C

 

[Tots]

Apply for research positions NOW. Retrospectively speaking and advising you, I would suggest that you postpone the MCAT to March of next year to give you even more time to study. Start a job immediately after graduation senior year, take an MCAT class in the summer, and then study by yourself for several months before taking it. Study after work.

I disagree with this. I think that studying >3 months has diminishing returns. If you took the class in the summer by March you forget everything you learned/did over the summer. Especially if you had other things going on like a full time job and other ECs. MCAT sucks, don't drag it out.

Also he is a third year and still has another year of school. Studying for the MCAT during the summer between 3rd - 4th is a fantastic idea in my opinion and worked very well for me.

 

[capn jazz]

you can mature, you can improve and expand your application (more and varied clinical or volunteering experiences), you can gain life experience, you can save some money...

in my opinion, NOT taking a gap year is crazy.

 

[BluegrassDancin]

I'd like to add in free time and having fun as a justifiable reason for at least one gap year. I think that the experiences I had, including hobbies I was able to pursue during my three years off between college and med school, made for a much more interesting and well-rounded application. Not to mention having time to hang out with my friends, travel on weekends, go see live music any night of the week, and play outside. If you're interested in research, I'm pretty sure a full-time research position has a significant positive impact- no one asked in any of my interviews about my undergraduate research, even though I dedicated a lot of time to it.

 

[NeuralNetwork]

Gap year activities always came up in every interview I was at. What I chose to do with my gap year was pursue jobs I was interested in, and get back in touch with a lot of things I haven't been able to do (including spending a lot more time with the hobbies I had always been in touch with). Because of this, I found that talking about my gap year provided for a great opportunity to discuss things about myself that were perhaps more personal and interesting than the typical aspects of my application. So my advice would be the following:

- If you have a well rounded application with the typical cookie cutters (research/clinical experience/shadowing), then don't look to add more of that same old stuff...do something you really want to do and just enjoy yourself.

- If you are missing a huge area to your application (like null clinical involvement), then seek to fill that gap but still try to get more involved in things you truly want to do as opposed to resume fillers


As everyone else said above, it is way more common to take that gap year now, and that is becoming the "traditional applicant" over time. So don't expect admissions committees to grill you on why you decide to take a year off..they are far more likely interested in seeing what you did with that time as a way to learn more about you.

 

[varsityblue]

Some ideas: research abroad, domestic research at a prominent lab, TFA, Peace Corps, Health Corps, Marshall, Truman, Rhodes, Mitchell, health-related work abroad, completing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in a non-medically related discipline, working on a political campaign, earning a quickie one year master's degree, and the like. Just make sure you don't list something like "chilling on a beach" or "partying in the French Riviera" as your primary activities and you'll be fine.

 

[crazyasian]

I did a gap year and I want to say that I really am glad I did it this way. Its less stressful when you don't have alot of classes and homework to worry about, plus you can spend more time finishing off a research project and take some classes that you have always wanted to. I don't feel like it hurt me, but be prepared to tell them what you have been doing. You cant just sit on your hands during your gap year,