Shifting my Gap Year Plans due to Pandemic

[Ultimakey]

Just like everybody else, the virus screwed over my future plans too. I had been planning on departing with the Peace Corps the Summer right after I graduated (June 2021), but with Corona, a global program like Peace Corps probably won't be shipping off volunteers until an effective vaccine is mass produced. The timeline I had been planning for years was:

1. Graduate in 2021 (when I'm 21 years old) and depart for Peace Corps.
2. Return when I'm 23 and spend the rest of the year (until May) studying for the MCAT.
3. Apply the year after and hope to get into Med School (I'd be 25 if I'd get in first cycle).

With the uncertainty around when Peace Corps is going to relaunch (mainly thanks to the inaction of certain people in DC), I'm not sure if I should just wait it out or move on with my life and choose an alternative. Assuming things settle down by late 2021, Peace Corps could begin sending volunteers in the Summer of 2022. I'm considering a few different options:

Option 1: Apply for Teach for America (and hopefully get accepted) and just follow the same timeline I would have had for Peace Corps.

Option 2: Wait it out a year after graduating to see if the Peace Corps begins operations again in early-mid 2022. I could try to work in a clinical setting during this time (since I have fairly low clinical hours (also thanks to Corona!!)).

Option 3: Apply for Americorps and spend a year with the program. If things settle down and Peace Corps reopens in early-mid 2022, I could apply and join. If Peace Corps does not reopen by then, I'd consider doing another year of Americorps (if I thought the first year went well enough).

The only "downsides" would just be the extra year I'd be out of school for the second two options.

I'm mainly looking for advice since this whole situation has me incredibly distraught... I've been planning my post-graduation plans for over two years now and now I feel like it all came crashing down. Is anyone in a similar situation with any gap year programs that you were planning on applying to (Peace Corps, Fullbright, etc)?

tl;dr: Peace Corps is on-hold, but other gap year programs on the mainland are open. Should I wait it out for Peace Corps to reopen or move on with my life?

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[GreenDuck12]

Peace corps, Teach for America, and Americorps are each very distinct and come with their own unique set of opportunities and challenges. I did TFA before deciding to go back to school to go to med school. I would recommend connecting with folks in each of the three service orgs to find out what it is like.

 

[Ultimakey]

Peace corps, Teach for America, and Americorps are each very distinct and come with their own unique set of opportunities and challenges. I did TFA before deciding to go back to school to go to med school. I would recommend connecting with folks in each of the three service orgs to find out what it is like.

I completely understand that. I honestly know so little about Americorps, but know quite a bit about TFA/PC. I have hundreds of hours of teaching experience in lesser privileged areas and also work with an educational equity advocacy group, so I'm not just trying to go to the "second-best thing". Thanks for your insight.

 

[GreenDuck12]

That’s awesome that you have that experience in your background. Which options are you most interested in?

 

[Ultimakey]

That’s awesome that you have that experience in your background. Which options are you most interested in?

I'm not sure... I feel like I'm starting to have symptoms of depression because of the magnitude of the situation (for myself).

Option 2 might be the biggest gamble of my life- it could either go well where I spend a couple of months buffing up my clinical hours and continuing my volunteering with the orgs I've been with, then applying and leaving for Peace Corps- or it can be a mess where I use the year for strictly volunteering, Peace Corps doesn't reopen, and then I'd probably try to join TFA since I really want to do a structured program; in this case, I'd be out of school for 5 years and might feel like I "wasted" the first year when I could have just went straight into TFA if I wasn't as optimistic about PC reopening.

I really like the idea of TFA, but what was holding me back was the thought of me taking a spot from a person who was more committed to being a teacher/devoting their life strictly to education. This is what made me lean more toward PC (I was planning on being in the education sector in PC).

In my head, I'm juggling dozens of options right now, which is driving me crazy. I'm wondering whether I could study for the MCAT over the course of my first gap year and take it before starting any of the programs (TFA or PC) and then apply during those programs. This makes me feel like I'm taking away from the experiences of the programs, so I'm not sure if I would do this. I could also just study for the MCAT during the programs and take the exam as soon as I'm finished with the programs, then immediately apply so that I could avoid a fifth gap year.

Sorry for the rambling... but as you can see, I'm a mess right now and feel like my brain is going to explode. I don't have any set plan or preferences at the moment... everything is a gamble and up-in-the-air.

 

[GreenDuck12]

That’s completely fair, a lot of things are in flux. Your interest in service is unique and will be noted when your application is reviewed. One thing that you wrote stood out:

I really like the idea of TFA, but what was holding me back was the thought of me taking a spot from a person who was more committed to being a teacher/devoting their life strictly to education. This is what made me lean more toward PC (I was planning on being in the education sector in PC).

TFA’s mission isn’t to prepare and train educators for life but professionals who are passionate about pursuing equitable opportunities through education for all students. They want to train future leaders in education, law, medicine, government, and business who will take what they learned and experienced to help change the landscape for students. They would not see your being interested in medicine as a deterrent but more as an asset. That being said, I understand not wanting to pursue it for the reasons you outlined above. You’ve got great options, though not necessarily your preferred option, and plenty of time to figure things out.

 

[Ultimakey]

Thank you so much for the advice! I think I mainly made this post to vent my frustrations to someone who might understand. I appreciate you giving me your time and am definitely going to look more into TFA. Would I be able to pm you if I have questions regarding the program?

 

[GreenDuck12]

Sure