T20 Schools Deferment Policy

[mreyno18]

I’m kind of in a dilemma. I’m a student athlete, so I can’t really take a gap year in the middle of my four years of college. However at the same time I feel really called to take a year off and do a one-year global health focused Christian missions program in Australia through a large missions ministry called YWAM. Therefore, my only choice is to go after I graduate. I would be going from early July 2022 to late June 2023. However, I also don’t want to take more than 1 year off. So this would only work if I apply after my junior year (Summer 2021) and do the interview process fall of my senior year (Fall 2021) and then defer for a year. I am a model applicant (gpa, double science major, many hours of club leadership/tutoring/TAing, lots of volunteering (clinical and non), medical internship, lots of shadowing, lots of research experience/presentations, NCAA athlete, etc.) so I’m aiming high! I’m aiming to go to a T20 medical school.

So my question is a two parter:
1. What are the deferment policies of T20 schools?
2. Would they count this as an acceptable gap year for deferment?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[drbatsandwich]

I’d assume it goes on a school by school basis, but a simple google search tells me HMS “approves requests for deferral on a case-by-case basis. Accepted students who would like to apply for deferral must submit a request stating their reason for requesting deferral and their proposed plans for the duration of the deferral.”

I guess the worst case scenario would be they say no and you get to go to medical school lol

 

[deleted480308]

I’m kind of in a dilemma. I’m a student athlete, so I can’t really take a gap year in the middle of my four years of college. However at the same time I feel really called to take a year off and do a one-year global health focused Christian missions program in Australia through a large missions ministry called YWAM. Therefore, my only choice is to go after I graduate. I would be going from early July 2022 to late June 2023. However, I also don’t want to take more than 1 year off. So this would only work if I apply after my junior year (Summer 2021) and do the interview process fall of my senior year (Fall 2021) and then defer for a year. I am a model applicant (gpa, double science major, many hours of club leadership/tutoring/TAing, lots of volunteering (clinical and non), medical internship, lots of shadowing, lots of research experience/presentations, NCAA athlete, etc.) so I’m aiming high! I’m aiming to go to a T20 medical school.

So my question is a two parter:
1. What are the deferment policies of T20 schools?
2. Would they count this as an acceptable gap year for deferment?

I know ywam and had a number of friends do that. None of them are doctors, at some point you just have to pick which things are more important in terms of your time and you won’t be able to apply well during a ywam year

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

I think it's case by case basis. I know two who got it 4 years back and both to get work experience (one is a T10 school and other is T20-30).

 

[KnightDoc]

I think it's case by case basis. I know two who got it 4 years back and both to get work experience (one is a T10 school and other is T20-30).

Yes, always case by case. The problem is, you don't don't which case you are until after the fact. If you are risk averse, you avoid it by applying when you get back, when you get to use it as an application enhancement, at the cost of extra gap years. Otherwise, you run the risk of not being able to go, or losing your med school seat. No guarantees, and no way to ask and know for sure ahead of time. Case by case.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

I cant decide if this means case closed or you cant have your case and pack it too or some such statement. I’ll get off your case now

OP's case or KinghtDoc's case?

 

[Goro]

I cant decide if this means case closed or you cant have your case and pack it too or some such statement. I’ll get off your case now

Just stop casing the joint. It's a slam dunk case anyway. I say that just in case you didn't get it.

 

[theKingLT]

I’m kind of in a dilemma. I’m a student athlete, so I can’t really take a gap year in the middle of my four years of college. However at the same time I feel really called to take a year off and do a one-year global health focused Christian missions program in Australia through a large missions ministry called YWAM. Therefore, my only choice is to go after I graduate. I would be going from early July 2022 to late June 2023. However, I also don’t want to take more than 1 year off. So this would only work if I apply after my junior year (Summer 2021) and do the interview process fall of my senior year (Fall 2021) and then defer for a year. I am a model applicant (gpa, double science major, many hours of club leadership/tutoring/TAing, lots of volunteering (clinical and non), medical internship, lots of shadowing, lots of research experience/presentations, NCAA athlete, etc.) so I’m aiming high! I’m aiming to go to a T20 medical school.

So my question is a two parter:
1. What are the deferment policies of T20 schools?
2. Would they count this as an acceptable gap year for deferment?

I was in a very similar situation last year. IIRC I ended up asking 6 or so T20 schools for a 2 year deferral and one said no, while the rest approved and I kept all scholarships. Only schools I was considering at that point were those that had offered full-rides, so it's possible the schools that I had already rejected wouldn't have been so kind given they hadn't offered as much scholarship money. The reason was for an international masters program and research scholarship. I did not plan on the deferral prior to applying, and only pursued it because I received an NCAA scholarship for it, but nothing prestigious like what gonnif mentioned (fulbright, rhodes, etc.). Long story short, yes it's possible, but if this is something you know you want to pursue and you know you can pursue, you should apply afterwards, not waste the school's time applying now while they're focusing on filling next year's class. Your application will only be stronger for it. However, if this is something that you require a scholarship or selection process where you may not be accepted, then I would recommend applying to med school and the YWAM thing concurrently and request a deferral at the end of the cycle if accepted to both. Understand that this may mean having to choose between going to med school and doing the YWAM thing if your deferral is rejected, and that choosing YWAM without an ensured deferral would likely mean no medical school in your future.

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

Agreed with TheKingLT. Apply to both, ask for the deferral, if they say you can't do it, go to medical school.