taking a break? harmful?

[millersvillemed]

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I just finished my first year as an undergrad, and I'm considering taking a break for maybe a year or two. Basically, I'm just not sure if I want to go into medicine, or what I want to do at all, and would just like some time off and just live for a while (ie. not spend every waking moment in the library).

Could this have any negative impact if I and up applying to med school later on? If I do take some time off, I plan to at least do some work on my EC's, maybe some volunteer work and shadowing, so it definitely won't just be time wasted.

Any thoughts? Good idea? Bad idea?

 

[LadyWolverine]

You are pre-med. You should not be spending every waking moment in the library. If you are, I'd say you are doing something wrong.

There's nothing wrong with exploring other career options. However, to quit college after 1 year is probably not the best idea - unless you are having serious problems (failing, academic probation, family problems, etc).

It is natural to feel this way after your first year of college. It is normal to question your motives, to feel burnt out, and to want to do something else for a while. Actually, I experienced something very similar during the beginning of my second year of college. Your freshman year moves a mile a minute, with new friends, new situations, adjusting to a new routine, harder classes, etc. Sophomore year, when you come back, things tend to "stagnate." You no longer have the novelty of freshman year, and it is easier to feel isolated, become homesick, miss family and old friends, and so on. However, you get through it, and the feelings pass. It's silly to throw in the towel if all you are feeling is a little stress and insecurity over your future goals.

I think it is, in general, a bad idea to quit college this early on. It may seem like just a "break" or a "leave of absence," but many people who leave with the intention of returning never actually come back. I watched a handful of people fall off the path during undergrad. Most of them never returned.

Also, it's a bad idea to quit now, because you have very few marketable skills. Finding a job that adequately pays the bills may prove difficult, especially given today's economic climate.

It's not imposible, though. I watched a close family member of mine quit after her first year of college (due to poor performance). She took several years off to work, took some community college courses, and got her act together. 8 years later, she graduated from a great school as a double-major with honors in both, crushed the GRE, and landed several amazing PhD program offers. It took her a while to get there, but she finally did, and is now very happy.

If you were able to handle freshman year, you'll be able to get through the next 3 years. Take a lighter courseload next semester. Take some courses that are not pre-med. I think that your best bet would be to stay in school. Just stop spending all your time in the library. It's OK to be pre-med and still have a life.

 

[nikkiMD19]

You are pre-med. You should not be spending every waking moment in the library. If you are, I'd say you are doing something wrong.

There's nothing wrong with exploring other career options. However, to quit college after 1 year is probably not the best idea - unless you are having serious problems (failing, academic probation, family problems, etc).

It is natural to feel this way after your first year of college. It is normal to question your motives, to feel burnt out, and to want to do something else for a while. Actually, I experienced something very similar during the beginning of my second year of college. Your freshman year moves a mile a minute, with new friends, new situations, adjusting to a new routine, harder classes, etc. Sophomore year, when you come back, things tend to "stagnate." You no longer have the novelty of freshman year, and it is easier to feel isolated, become homesick, miss family and old friends, and so on. However, you get through it, and the feelings pass. It's silly to throw in the towel if all you are feeling is a little stress and insecurity over your future goals.

I think it is, in general, a bad idea to quit college this early on. It may seem like just a "break" or a "leave of absence," but many people who leave with the intention of returning never actually come back. I watched a handful of people fall off the path during undergrad. Most of them never returned.

Also, it's a bad idea to quit now, because you have very few marketable skills. Finding a job that adequately pays the bills may prove difficult, especially given today's economic climate.

It's not imposible, though. I watched a close family member of mine quit after her first year of college (due to poor performance). She took several years off to work, took some community college courses, and got her act together. 8 years later, she graduated from a great school as a double-major with honors in both, crushed the GRE, and landed several amazing PhD program offers. It took her a while to get there, but she finally did, and is now very happy.

If you were able to handle freshman year, you'll be able to get through the next 3 years. Take a lighter courseload next semester. Take some courses that are not pre-med. I think that your best bet would be to stay in school. Just stop spending all your time in the library. It's OK to be pre-med and still have a life.

I completely agree... great post LadyWolverine!! 👍

 

[millersvillemed]

wow, thats like a word for word replay of what my parents said. its nice to hear it from someone else though, cuz hearing it from parents just makes you want to revolt even more.

every waking moment is an exaggeration, but i did spend a lot of time in the library during the school year.

 

[LadyWolverine]

wow, thats like a word for word replay of what my parents said. its nice to hear it from someone else though, cuz hearing it from parents just makes you want to revolt even more.

It's actually very funny that you said this. When I was going through my "I want to quit and go home" phase during sophomore year, I called my mom one day, depressed and crying ("I'm stressed, school is too hard, I miss high school, I miss my long-distance boyfriend, I miss my old friends, I miss my family, blah blah blah...). She basically told me, "I love you, but tough. I went through the same thing, and I stuck it out. You'll just have to do the same."

I moped for about a week, and then I discovered Fall Rush. I never called home crying again.

 

[dienekes88]

Well, I'm going to put myself on the opposite side. I wasn't calling home crying saying I missed home/high school/anything. I just didn't give a **** about college, and I had only thought about medical school in passing. I developed a mild drinking problem and almost quit sports, which up until then had been a major part of my life.

I called my parents and told them I was taking a leave of absence after my first semester, and they told me I was a crazy idiot. It took a while for me to convince them, but they finally agreed. I didn't qualify for financial aid, so they were paying for college. I flat out told them that my being in college with my current aimlessness and apathy was a waste money. I was pretty lucky that my parents gave me a lot of financial support, but they did let me know that they still thought I was wasting my life away. Sweet.

After 8 months, I went back to school with a little more energy. I gave medicine a second thought and took the prereqs, but I was actually thinking about teaching high school, consulting, and becoming a professional triathlete.

When one of my interviewers asked me about my leave of absence, I essentially told him, "I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life, and I wanted to explore some options."

If you take a leave of absence, put a very specific time limit on it. Also, set up a couple specific tasks and goals. Don't just leave school and get a job. You mentioned volunteer work and shadowing for EC's. That would be cool, but maybe you should do something that would otherwise take too much time away from school? You could work on some big project or something, e.g. start a volunteer program at the local hospital.

 

[neuro1617]

When one of my interviewers asked me about my leave of absence, I essentially told him, "I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life, and I wanted to explore some options."

If you take a leave of absence, put a very specific time limit on it. Also, set up a couple specific tasks and goals. Don't just leave school and get a job. You mentioned volunteer work and shadowing for EC's. That would be cool, but maybe you should do something that would otherwise take too much time away from school? You could work on some big project or something, e.g. start a volunteer program at the local hospital.

I think this is good advice. Have a set time limit because I've known a few people that dropped out of college only to not go back. Spend your time wisely because adcoms do not want to see that you took a year or two just for "vacation". They'll be asking you what you did during the extra year(s).

Maybe take a little time after being done with school for awhile and see if it's really what you want to do-most people after a year of studying in school are looking for some time to relax & are feeling burnt out. However, if you are still just considering med school, this may be the best time to explore what you want. You don't want to realize this isn't what you want when you're already in med school/residency after putting all the work & money into it. It's a legitimate reason to have taken time off from school in my opinion.

 

[redlight]

yea, as others have metnioned, dont leave school unless you have specific goals to accomplish and a specific time limit for yourself. taking a year of to do research or explore something significant is probably acceptable, maybe even looked upon favorably. many med schools encourage students who decide to take a year of for research or additional degrees or something significant that adds the their resume or their self-growth/well-roundedness, w/e. if you think you really need this time off and you can be very focused and productive, go for it.

 

[brianmartin]

I think you should take a year off if you like...and I also don't think you have to do anything medically related. Do something for your own personal development and make the time worth it.

 

[LikeClockWork]

I just want to echo the above poster that recommended a set time limit. I have many a high school friend whose "semester off" has lasted 2 or 3 years. You don't want to get stuck in a procrastination cycle like that.