staying home during gap year?

[coolkid311]

is it okay to stay at home during my gap year and just volunteer part time and work a minimum wage job full time? I want to save money and stay in touch with family but I am wondering this might look bad on my medical school apps. What do you think?

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[WedgeDawg]

As long as you are doing something you're fine

 

[beeboops]

I really don't see why it would look bad so long as you're doing something as WedgeDawg said. I think adcoms understand that life is tough for a recent college graduate and wouldn't frown upon you moving back home during your gap year.

 

[ramifications]

is it okay to stay at home during my gap year and just volunteer part time and work a minimum wage job full time? I want to save money and stay in touch with family but I am wondering this might look bad on my medical school apps. What do you think?

as long as you are using your time wisely (as I'm told) and not spending your time doing stuff for free after obtaining a BS, I think you have no reason to feel ashamed. Everyone is their own path- I believe it's unfair to judge unless that person seriously lacks responsibility.

 

[Dro133]

A friend of mine spent his gap year doing minimal volunteering and playing the stock market. He matriculated at Hopkins. N = 1, but this demonstrates that if you have a well-rounded application, staying home for a year shouldn't hurt.

 

[NotASerialKiller]

Why would they care where you live? It's more (only?) about what you're doing. Work, volunteering, clinical experience... the usual suspects. I doubt living situation would ever enter the equation.

 

[sharkbyte]

Where you are for your gap year doesn't really matter that much. Do something productive and you'll be fine.

 

[RedPhys]

is it okay to stay at home during my gap year and just volunteer part time and work a minimum wage job full time? I want to save money and stay in touch with family but I am wondering this might look bad on my medical school apps. What do you think?

This is exactly what I did . I got a volunteering position at a hospital (some volunteering, some free labor collecting data as well).

It actually ended up contributing a lot to my interviews, but I never got explicitly asked "So what are you doing ?" or anything like that during my interviews. Just be doing something, as previous posters have mentioned.

 

[GrapesofRath]

The biggest thing is being able to eloquently say what you are doing during your gap year when asked about it. Do that and answer how these experiences during your gap year are of benefit to you personally and for your career down the road and it shouldn't be an issue.

Now, if you aren't applying this cycle and are taking 2 gap years I don't know if this is the best plan. But if you've already submitted your app and it is a strong one you'll be fine. A single gap year option exists for a) to improve your app during your senior year of college b) get a year off before medical school. They don't exist to improve your application while actually applying.

 

[ShadyLane]

It's my gap year right now and I'm living at home! It's great. I save money on housing, get to spend time with my family (esp. younger siblings), have a decent paying medically-related job, do clinical volunteering, and have time to pursue other interests as well.

 

[IlDestriero]

Presumably you have a degree in something, so I would try to use that to secure a better than barista wage.
It's also the start of plan B if things don't go your way the first time.

 

[avgn]

Living at home isn't a great way to live up to your username, but for all other purposes it is just fine

 

[Throwaway692015]

Hmmmmm this one is tough for me to answer. I lived on my own and paid my own rent and expenses and I really feel I grew a lot as an individual through this. I mean I'm happy right now and building my career up, although medical school is still goal #1 in my career. Applying this year hoping for the best 🙂 !

That being said I'm jealous of my friends living at home who are saving up money working full time. But my friends that working part time seem like their just waiting to get into medical school, and the ones that didn't get in their first cycle seemed more beat up from it than those working full time.

If you don't have a job offer for full time though don't worry, a part time job plus volunteering will keep you busy enough 🙂

I think if you live at home, work full time. Plus you'll be looking at anywhere from 20,000 to 40,000 plus saved up going in to medical school which is awesome and will make your live so much more comfortable in school and after (less debt potentially)

 

[avgn]

I think if you live at home, work full time. Plus you'll be looking at anywhere from 20,000 to 40,000 plus saved up going in to medical school which is awesome and will make your live so much more comfortable in school and after (less debt potentially)

You'll just have a hard time picking up girls, unless they're all ok with using their place (50/50 chance). The ones who actually want to score would be ok with it, though, so it shouldn't be any problem 😉

 

[Fajardo04]

During my year off after undergrad, I lived at the beach, worked as a car mechanic, & sold stuff on ebay to get by. I also played a lot of video games. It was the third best year of my life so far, after 4th year med school and 1st year in private practice. During interviews, many people (especially older folks) seemed impressed with my ability to navigate the interwebs of ebay, and almost all asked me a ton of questions about car stuff. A gap year creates lots of talking points, so be sure to use that to your advantage by preparing for the expected interview questions beforehand.

 

[avgn]

During my year off after undergrad, I lived at the beach, worked as a car mechanic, & sold stuff on ebay to get by. I also played a lot of video games. It was the third best year of my life so far, after 4th year med school and 1st year in private practice. During interviews, many people (especially older folks) seemed impressed with my ability to navigate the interwebs of ebay, and almost all asked me a ton of questions about car stuff. A gap year creates lots of talking points, so be sure to use that to your advantage by preparing for the expected interview questions beforehand.

I guess back then, having a good working knowledge of eBay was pretty avant garde huh haha

 

[Fajardo04]

It was shortly after the turn of the century, back in the early days of ebay. If only it was that easy to impress people now...

 

[avgn]

It was shortly after the turn of the century, back in the early days of ebay. If only it was that easy to impress people now...

Maybe now it would be knowing the ins and outs of Uber