Taking "too" long to decide?

[ramseszerg]

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If I take one or two years off before starting professional school again, because after years of introspection and thinking, I'm STILL not sure what I want to do, and in the meantime I work as a paid research assistant but not work towards a masters or a post-bac because my marks are not low enough for that, would adcoms look down on that? Like I am not dedicated to the specific path, whether it be medicine or dentistry, or like I took too long to decide and that's a bad sign because it means you don't know yourself or are immature?

 

[causalinference]

No, admissions committees wouldn't look down on that at all. I'm doing the exact same thing. Just be prepared to explain what you did during the time away from school. Working as a research assistant for a couple years before professional school is very respectable. Moreover, taking additional time to decide what you want to do shows maturity and commitment.

 

[mvenus929]

They won't look down on it. In fact, some schools like to see that you take some time off from school for a variety of reasons....

1) It makes you less likely to experience burnout.
2) It allows you to get some 'real world' experience before starting medical school. Life outside school is most definitely not the same as being in school, and a lot of students don't really realize that.
3) Personal growth. They'd much rather take someone who knows who they are and what they want vs. someone who just has a faint idea of what they want.

 

[haiboss]

My suggestion is whether it is business or study or anything else. Do analyze for a very long time. And dont think about the Pros and cons for so many times.

If you do so you will not start the work.

At the same time, strting anything blindly without analyzing will also lead to failure.

If I take one or two years off before starting professional school again, because after years of introspection and thinking, I'm STILL not sure what I want to do, and in the meantime I work as a paid research assistant but not work towards a masters or a post-bac because my marks are not low enough for that, would adcoms look down on that? Like I am not dedicated to the specific path, whether it be medicine or dentistry, or like I took too long to decide and that's a bad sign because it means you don't know yourself or are immature?