Taking time off and doing nothing : looks bad?

[akimhaneul]

So after graduating from college, I did a research internship for 2 years. After that and until now, there is about 1.5 year gap. After finishing the internship, I took care of my mother because she was diagnosed with cancer and went through chemotherapy for several months. Other than that I really didn't do much and I can't add anything to my application.

I will be starting my new job this month.

I'm concerned that schools would think I'm lazy. Has anyone went through something like this?

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[ReapPremed]

I had an 8-month gap after graduation because I could not find a job, and lining up volunteering took time. Some secondaries do ask about gaps in post-graduate history: I just briefly said I was job hunting. During my last (unsuccessful) cycle none of my interviewers asked about it.

What's done is done. It does not matter if it looks bad or not. All you can do is work out how to shine the best light on that time, and show you're ready to work and learn again.

I think you may have learned more than you think from this experience. Being a caregiver at a young age is hard. Be prepared to discuss what you learned from the experience. Would you cope with tragedy like that differently in the future? Has this perspective changed your goals or interests in medicine?

Moving forward you might want to line up some recent volunteering and clinical experiences too.

Hope your mom's okay.

 

[PreMedMissteps]

After finishing the internship, I took care of my mother because she was diagnosed with cancer and went through chemotherapy for several months.

Why is that considered to be "doing nothing"? If you truly were taking care of her, taking her to dr appts, taking her to chemo treatments, helping with her daily care, meals, laundry, and house care, I wouldn't say that you were doing nothing.

If taking care of your mom was not that time-demanding, what else were you doing? Just watching TV and playing video games?

 

[ymedex]

So after graduating from college, I did a research internship for 2 years. After that and until now, there is about 1.5 year gap. After finishing the internship, I took care of my mother because she was diagnosed with cancer and went through chemotherapy for several months. Other than that I really didn't do much and I can't add anything to my application.

I will be starting my new job this month.

I'm concerned that schools would think I'm lazy. Has anyone went through something like this?

If your application is strong, I doubt you will have a problem. Ministering to a terminally ill parent is not doing nothing, and if expressed well, something that adcomms definitely will find noteworthy, reasonable, and above reproach.

 

[rmalia]

So after graduating from college, I did a research internship for 2 years. After that and until now, there is about 1.5 year gap. After finishing the internship, I took care of my mother because she was diagnosed with cancer and went through chemotherapy for several months. Other than that I really didn't do much and I can't add anything to my application.

I will be starting my new job this month.

I'm concerned that schools would think I'm lazy. Has anyone went through something like this?

A friend of mine had a somewhat similar circumstance and was accepted at several schools. It is important, though, and as previously stated, that your application be strong in all other areas.

 

[Turkishking]

So after graduating from college, I did a research internship for 2 years. After that and until now, there is about 1.5 year gap. After finishing the internship, I took care of my mother because she was diagnosed with cancer and went through chemotherapy for several months. Other than that I really didn't do much and I can't add anything to my application.

I will be starting my new job this month.

I'm concerned that schools would think I'm lazy. Has anyone went through something like this?

I'm sure its fine.