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Should I Take a Gap Year?
Maybe. In 2023, 73.2 percent of matriculating medical students had taken a gap year or more before medical school, according to the AAMC 2023 Matriculating Student Questionnaire. Fun fact: The average age of a 2025 Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania matriculant was 23—ranging between 21 and 28.
So, why might you want to take some time between undergrad and med school? You can use a gap year to beef up your transcript with a post-bacc or master's degree. Or you might take a break from academics to immerse yourself in a clinical or research experience.
If you're light on clinical or research experience, we highly recommend a gap year. Longer-term clinical and research roles will teach you things a short stint cannot. And, if you work full-time in a clinical or research environment, that will further enhance your candidacy.
Maybe you want to put away more money before attending medical school. Never a bad idea. Whatever work you do—it doesn’t have to be medical, you could be a bond trader or consultant—should challenge you in the areas of leadership, critical and creative thinking, and problem-solving. This is a transferable skill set to medical school and residency. What a gap year cannot be: A year of nothing but MCAT prep and vacation. Schools need to know you can handle multiple priorities and that you value learning and helping others.
Applying to medical school? We're here for you. Check out Apply Point's offerings.
Maybe. In 2023, 73.2 percent of matriculating medical students had taken a gap year or more before medical school, according to the AAMC 2023 Matriculating Student Questionnaire. Fun fact: The average age of a 2025 Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania matriculant was 23—ranging between 21 and 28.
So, why might you want to take some time between undergrad and med school? You can use a gap year to beef up your transcript with a post-bacc or master's degree. Or you might take a break from academics to immerse yourself in a clinical or research experience.
If you're light on clinical or research experience, we highly recommend a gap year. Longer-term clinical and research roles will teach you things a short stint cannot. And, if you work full-time in a clinical or research environment, that will further enhance your candidacy.
Maybe you want to put away more money before attending medical school. Never a bad idea. Whatever work you do—it doesn’t have to be medical, you could be a bond trader or consultant—should challenge you in the areas of leadership, critical and creative thinking, and problem-solving. This is a transferable skill set to medical school and residency. What a gap year cannot be: A year of nothing but MCAT prep and vacation. Schools need to know you can handle multiple priorities and that you value learning and helping others.
Applying to medical school? We're here for you. Check out Apply Point's offerings.
