People who intentionally took 2+ gap years, did you love it?

[Ilikespidey]

I initially went into this process thinking I’m gonna work so hard to get into med school straight through, but then I realized that taking a gap year or years would take a lot off my shoulders and actually be a benefit. Such as:

1. Easier studying for MCAT after taking all pre-reqs
2. Being with family before possibly starting med school in another town
3. Getting more clinical experience to strengthen app and commitment to medicine
4. Making some money by working. Added benefit of having money to pay for app.
5. Getting a breather from school
6. Having an easier time focusing on GPA in undergrad as I don’t need to “cram” all my ECs in before spring of junior year

Sure I might not be a doctor by 26, but I will be someday if I run my own race and do things right. Just wanted to hear people’s thoughts and experience with this. I’m currently considering 1 or 2 gap years.

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[PalaceLover]

My gap years were great, even with COVID-19 in there. More dedicated time to study and hit my target range MCAT, added 4k hours of clinical/research work, obtained an advanced degree, made a small but useful chunk of change, traveled, put at lot of time into hobbies, improved fitness, enjoyed time with family and friends. Most importantly was my personal growth during my gap years; I am so grateful I had the chance to take some time off. As they say, medical school ain't going anywhere! And the competitiveness only seems to increase... good luck

 

[Kameha01]

So I graduated a year early from college so I had the opportunity to have 2 gap years and still start the same time as all my college friends who took 1 gap year. I used the summer after college to study for the MCAT (completely dedicated, no classes or anything). In the fall I became a CNA to start getting clinical experience so I would have enough to apply for the 2022-2023 app cycle. Then starting from early 2022 I just worked and volunteered, all while writing my personal statement, getting my letters of rec, etc. Because of those two years I was more confident going into the cycle for my hours, as well as getting a lot of stories to talk about on my application! It made it a lot easier to talk about in interviews

 

[TCurlz]

I took two gap years unintentionally. I originally applied to go straight through but that was the crazy 2020-2021 cycle when apps spiked and I didn't get in anywhere. I was obviously super bummed at first but it turned out to be pretty good. I really got to focus on building relationships with docs (I scribe at a top hospital in the US) and seeing a bunch of different specialities. I am definitely a more confident person than I was fresh out of undergrad and I think the two years of "adulting" really helped that. The cycle was much less stressful since I wasn't in school I finished my PS and actives by April. So while it wasn't my initial plan I'm really glad I got the break.

 

[Dr. Anonymouss]

I took a gap year to live abroad and I loved it. I can't imagine going straight from undergrad into medical school. You need to unwind and experience life.

 

[WildflowerMcGee]

I took 2 and its been great. Time to get married, live life a little, and yes it made MCAT studying and applying much easier.

 

[Kirby101101]

I took three intending to only take one but didn't have it in me to reapply straight away. I only think I was able to have a successful reapp because of my gap years. Ideally I still would've loved to only take one or two gap years but I have no regrets

 

[Jimmy McGill]

Gonna go against the grain here: I took 2 but 1 would have been enough. Felt the itch to get back to school and do something more than just tick tacking on a keyboard as a indentured servant ("scribe"). On the bright side I have a lot more time to travel before school starts so my answer might change in a few years.

 

[premedlovesbread]

I'm in the first of what will be two gap years even though I had initially hoped to take just one and honestly, I'm so glad I didn't rush into applying before I was ready. I'm working as a PCT full time now and volunteering in hospice care, and both of those experiences have helped me realize that college was a pretty privileged and insulated environment. Now, I have the space to learn about myself and others, to really reflect on why I want to pursue medicine, and (hopefully!) to build a much stronger and more mature application.

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

I took 10 gap years because I thought I was too stupid to be a doctor when I was younger. Honestly, I wouldn't do it any other way for me personally. I wasn't mature and emotionally stable enough for something like this; with a more weathered perspective, I am beyond ready to go at this point. Chomping at the bit to take my MCAT and be done with all the premed prep bs. I'm ready to crush some interviews y'all.

 

[FluffyCat1212]

Took 5 years, and there were some pros and cons.

Pros:

• I really believe that those first couple of years out of college are super formative. It's a scary time, but also a an optimal time for a lot of growth and exploration. I really enjoyed having the flexibility to really use that time to get to know myself and understand what I wanted out of my future career without the pressure of medical school.
• Got to work on some really cool research studies and gained a ton of research/clinical hours.
• I didn't want to be a doctor when I graduated college, so this gave me five years to make sure that I really wanted to be doctor before starting school.
• It allowed me more time to build a stronger medical school application.
• Met some really cool people and formed some great connections. I also feel that the letters of recommendation I used were stronger because these people knew me for a super long time.
• Even while working two jobs and going to school, I still felt like I was able to really enjoy my early-to-mid 20s. I was able to make stupid decisions with minimal consequences. I was able to go out with friends. I made mistakes that I still laugh at to this day.
• Now that I'm in my clinical years, I'm realizing that having extensive experience working with patients before starting med school is a huge asset.
• Because of where I worked, my post-bacc program was completely paid for and I was even able to put some money away for med school.

Cons:

• Even though my school tends to like older students, I still feel a little geriatric sometimes when compared to the rest of my class. Although age isn't a super huge deal once you get to med school, there still seem to be some things I have to deal with that my younger classmates don't- which can be a little isolating.
• Sometimes you just feel behind. Whether it's watching all of your friends who went straight through finish their residencies while you're sitting in pharm lecture, or seeing your closest friends get married and have children and buy houses...it's just a weird feeling and I just can't quite describe it.
• When you hit your clinical years, you are immediately thrown into a the hospital hierarchy, and sometimes those bossing you around will be significantly younger than you. It's usually not a big deal, but there were times when I have had to swallow my pride.
• Missing out on 5 years of an attending's salary.

I'm sure that taking only 1-2 gap years will look different, and everybody is on their own timeline. Regardless, I hope that these are helpful!

 

[Sure25]

I will be taking 6 years by the time I enter. I graduated at 22 in 2019. I spent 2 years as teaching assistant at cc and than 1 year in pharma. I am now 26 and taking the mcat in May. I am planning to apply in 2024-2025 application cycle. I want to spend the 2 years doing research.

It depends on your goals I want to make sure I come in with some pub so that during residency and medical school research time I will be ready and not be behind.

Only thing I regret is not doing research after college to get some pubs or experiance. As long as your productive but remember with so many years its easy to lose track of your career goals.

 

[Dantes]

Took 5 years, and there were some pros and cons.

Pros:

• I really believe that those first couple of years out of college are super formative. It's a scary time, but also a an optimal time for a lot of growth and exploration. I really enjoyed having the flexibility to really use that time to get to know myself and understand what I wanted out of my future career without the pressure of medical school.
• Got to work on some really cool research studies and gained a ton of research/clinical hours.
• I didn't want to be a doctor when I graduated college, so this gave me five years to make sure that I really wanted to be doctor before starting school.
• It allowed me more time to build a stronger medical school application.
• Met some really cool people and formed some great connections. I also feel that the letters of recommendation I used were stronger because these people knew me for a super long time.
• Even while working two jobs and going to school, I still felt like I was able to really enjoy my early-to-mid 20s. I was able to make stupid decisions with minimal consequences. I was able to go out with friends. I made mistakes that I still laugh at to this day.
• Now that I'm in my clinical years, I'm realizing that having extensive experience working with patients before starting med school is a huge asset.
• Because of where I worked, my post-bacc program was completely paid for and I was even able to put some money away for med school.

Cons:

• Even though my school tends to like older students, I still feel a little geriatric sometimes when compared to the rest of my class. Although age isn't a super huge deal once you get to med school, there still seem to be some things I have to deal with that my younger classmates don't- which can be a little isolating.
• Sometimes you just feel behind. Whether it's watching all of your friends who went straight through finish their residencies while you're sitting in pharm lecture, or seeing your closest friends get married and have children and buy houses...it's just a weird feeling and I just can't quite describe it.
• When you hit your clinical years, you are immediately thrown into a the hospital hierarchy, and sometimes those bossing you around will be significantly younger than you. It's usually not a big deal, but there were times when I have had to swallow my pride.
• Missing out on 5 years of an attending's salary.

I'm sure that taking only 1-2 gap years will look different, and everybody is on their own timeline. Regardless, I hope that these are helpful!

I'm with you. I think 1-2 gap years can be valuable. I regret taking more.

 

[Fluidity of Movement]

Life beat me down didn't really have much choice in my "gap years".

I think traditional students should be banned from applying, except in special circumstances. I'm open to changing my mind, but the suicide rates are not helping anyone's argument. I forget the exact statistics, but people with at least one Gap year are getting closer towards the majority.

But is it really a gap year if you're just grinding your app the whole time?

Take some time off, everyone <3

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

Life beat me down didn't really have much choice in my "gap years".

I think traditional students should be banned from applying, except in special circumstances. I'm open to changing my mind, but the suicide rates are not helping anyone's argument.

Idk about banned, but I think it should be actively discouraged. I'm sorry, but the vast majority of people are not mentally prepared to sign up for $250k+ of loans and actually know what that means, let alone all the other stress and pressure of engaging in the work, when they've never worked a real job to actually support themselves before.

Those first few years out of college were such huge growth for me and my friends from college; I can't imagine not having those experiences and the grit I've gained from them going into a meat grinder like this. It's no wonder that people who've never experienced anything but school and some extracurricular activities they can quit without real consequences have mental health issues when they realize the gamut of human suffering they're going into. I realize that the whole process is meant to expose you to it beforehand so you're informed, but 100 hours at the soup kitchen doesn't really do it imo.

 

[tal0137]

I have been out of school since 2020. I graduated with my bachelors at 19, and completed an accelerated masters program by the time I turned 20. I did not intend to take almost three full gap years, but looking back I would not trade it for anything. I have had the opportunity to spend my early 20's traveling, working, and making memories with family and friends. I have worked as a PCT for the past few years, and have been exposed to the realities of working in large hospital systems. I have really figured out the type of person I want to be, and have overcome major personal obstacles on my own time. I feel far more confident about my decision to go to medical school, and know that I will be able to handle the mental and emotional stress that comes with it. I have gotten to experience a little bit of life before shutting myself away for the next several years to really focus on my education. I was accepted to several medical schools this cycle, and do not feel my gap years hindered the application process in any way.

My family was initially very against taking any gap years. They were certain I would not return to school if I did not go straight from graduate school to medical school. I heard from other friends who did not take gap years that I was going to have a harder time with the material since it was not fresh. Everybody has their own journey, and I am sure there will be learning curve figuring out how to study again. However, I did what was best for me, and you should do what you feel is best for you.