I work for a federally funded program called Title I. This program provides part-time and full-time job opps. You should have a similar program in your state but each county can use the funds differently. In my county it just happens that it is used towards supplementary teaching for children who are not part of the traditional educational track.
What I did was when I applied for the job, I told them straight out that I will be gone periodically throughout the year for interviews. So they knew this when they hired me. As long as I was able to attend the monthly inservices, the rest of the schedule was VERY flexible. I think it all depends on the clear communication with the supervisors before you actually start a job.
Also, what I did was (and at the time I thought this may have hurt my applications but I guess it really didn't) I waited until I got a bunch of interviews and then scheduled them in the same two week period. So all of the out-of-state interviews I got over with in one block of time. It saved me a TON of money AND it allowed me to continue my work uninterrupted for the rest of the year.
The way to do this is to turn in all your applications VERY early that way you will receive a number interviews early on. So by postponing my interviews from September to November I was still considered to be interviewing early in the process.
And as to the nature of my job: it was actually a large part of many of my interviews. Because I work with incredibly disadvantaged children no one ever criticized it. However at one interview I was asked why I would want to go into Medicine if I love teaching so much. As it turns out (to my advantage) the word "doctor" means "teacher" in Latin. So I worked with that.
Anyway, good luck and have a wonderful year off! I have certainly LOVED it!!! It was the best thing I ever did for myself. I not only became refreshed for med school but I also met the most incredible kids ever! They are amazing and I will never forget them.
