Taking a gap year after junior year due to mild depression?

[N7CS]

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Hi all,
I'm just starting off my junior second semester as a pre-med (undergrad).
I'm an international student studying in the US while my family and home are back in South Korea.
I've finished most of the requirements for med school, my grades are on point, etc.
I am planning to apply the beginning of my senior year.

There's just one problem. Last semester, I suffered from a pretty bad depression.
Now that I have taken some rest back home during winter break, I feel much better,
but I know that I still have mild depression and fear that this would get worse during this semester
due to academic stress, loneliness, homesickness, etc.

Hence, I want to take a gap year after this semester to get some rest and some treatment back home,
where my family and friends are to support me, and do some other activities that I am interested in.

There are a few issues that I am worried about:
1. I'm not sure if applying to med school right after coming back from a gap year is a good idea.
Is this a bad idea or even possible?
2. According to my friends, my counselor isn't supportive of taking a gap year.
I didn't really talk to him yet, and I feel that I should tell him about depression if I want to ask for a gap year,
but it's just such a personal problem that I do not feel comfortable talking to him about it.
3. If I am asked why I took a gap year during an interview, should I be honest and talk to them about depression?
Would this be viewed negatively in any way?

 

[NickNaylor]

The concern that I have is how are you going to address this going forward? It sounds like you're going through what is, frankly, little more than the experience of a typical college student. What are you going to do once you get in medical school, where the environment is less kind and the stress is an order of magnitude higher? Until you can answer that question and have a plan moving forward, I would put off applying. It's almost certainly going to be asked why you took time off during school. You're not forced to answer or you can be vague, but without some kind of clear reason and reassurance that the issue is addressed, schools aren't going to look on that favorably. You are essentially taking a vacation year, more or less. Self-care is important - don't get me wrong - but understand that many schools will likely look at this in a skeptical way and, more importantly, be worried about your ability to make it through the medical curriculum.

 

[DokterMom]

Can you address your depression in the U.S. while still attending school? This ties in with @NickNaylor 's observation above. US Medical school is an order of magnitude more difficult than US college, and being able to handle things away from home and while succeeding academically will be a necessity.

 

[Bethany555]

I agree with the above. If you take a year off without a clear reason, it may raise red flags. As an international student, getting into a US medical school is going to be extremely difficult (probably impossible with any red flags).

As an possible alternative, some of my friends in college studied abroad for a semester/year. If you want to be closer to home and your school allows it, you can try studying abroad in Seoul National University (or some other school nearby in Korea, Japan, China, etc).

I also know people that took a year off after their sophomore or junior year to pursue sports, music, research abroad, language studies, teaching, etc. If you spin it right, I think any of those could definitely strengthen your application. However, it wasn't just some random activities for a year; they were either playing professional sports, touring internationally, or had prestigious fellowships to do teaching/language studies/research.

 

[redpanda]

From what I understand from people who have experienced depression, it is helpful and therapeutic to have some structure (aka something to do) while you're working on recovery. It probably doesn't come in the form of a full course load if that is making your symptoms worse, but maybe it is a light courseload and doing something you enjoy in your spare time while getting treatment.

 

[toastytoastie]

I took a year after my senior year basically because of this reason. I had a significant trauma in junior year that really rippled through everything. It worked out really well, and I would strongly recommend waiting to apply until you are the best you! Put yourself first, and while you should listen to the advice given to you by mentors/advisors, ultimately YOU need to put their thoughts in concert with your own, and decide what course of action is best.

 

[MrChance2]

Maybe take a lighter course load so you have time to go out and play sports or have some beers with friends or make new friends etc.. It sounds like you might just be burning out a little bit. If you have a good GPA and MCAT I don't think taking a year off will hurt you terribly but I'm guessing a few weeks/months in you might wish you were back finishing school.