Taking two gaps years to apply

[serendipity14]

Hi everyone! I’m not sure if there was a post like this around already, I couldn’t find one, but I wanted insight on anyone who has/is planning on taking two gap years from undergrad to applying to vet school. If you are/did, why and do you regret it? Thank you in advance


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[battie]

I had two gap years cause I was waitlisted at K-State and never pulled off the waitlist. I had made the decision to only apply three times before moving on with life. My first gap year, I spent taking extra classes to improve my GPA and worked at two vet clinics and a doggie daycare. My second gap year, I worked as a residence director for my undergrad because I was starting to think of alternative careers and it was a really good job opportunity.

My first gap year was very meh as both vet clinics showed me more of what I *wouldn't* want in a clinic to work in. My second gap year was amazing and I'm so glad I went for the job opportunity (though at the time there was some personal issues that I had to work through).

 

[DVMoftheFuture]

Depending on how you define a gap year, I took two gap years. I graduated from undergrad and knew I didn't have sufficient experience to get in. So rather than cramming my final pre-requisites into the summer and applying for vet school, I took 2 years and got a Master's in veterinary science. I added large animal experience I hadn't previously had, picked up 900 more hours of animal experience and 450 veterinary research hours, and got a great recommender in the process. I do not regret it at all. I really enjoyed myself for those two years, and I think I grew a lot as a person as well. I honestly think that, for me personally, taking gap years was better than going straight from undergrad into vet school.

 

[Minnerbelle]

I intentionally did 2 gap years because the research lab I took a job at required a 2 year commitment. It was worth it for me because I got 4 publications out of it, received a strong letter from a world renowned endocrinologist, not to mention the high level of research that I was able to partake in. This lab had a great record of sending their techs off to competitive med, vet, and grad schools. Interviewers were all very impressed.

The 2 year commitment meant that they invested heavily in my training, allowed me to take on quite a bit of responsibility, and my PI knew me and my work well by the time it was time to write my LOR. If it were only 1 year, the LOR would have been due just a few months into my job.

 

[amsweeney]

I intentionally did 2 gap years because the research lab I took a job at required a 2 year commitment. It was worth it for me because I got 4 publications out of it, received a strong letter from a world renowned endocrinologist, not to mention the high level of research that I was able to partake in. This lab had a great record of sending their techs off to competitive med, vet, and grad schools. Interviewers were all very impressed.

The 2 year commitment meant that they invested heavily in my training, allowed me to take on quite a bit of responsibility, and my PI knew me and my work well by the time it was time to write my LOR. If it were only 1 year, the LOR would have been due just a few months into my job.

This is the same experience I have in a research lab. High expectations as a technician but worth it for what you're able to do and learn. And 2 of our undergrads are now going to Yale Med and Stanford Med. They are serious resume builders if you are interested in research. Not to mention, publications look great.

I am 5 years post-grad, heading to Purdue in the fall, and did some soul searching after figuring out I did NOT want my Phd. I think these 5 years were imperative for my mental health. Don't rush. There is plenty of time. It is also great for saving money and getting some real world experience.

 

[LabLuv004]

I had a 2 year gap because when I graduated I didn't feel I had enough vet hours to apply and get in. I found a job as a vet tech and started paying down my debt from undergrad. I am so happy I took the gap. It not only gave me the hours I needed, but it also gave me a realistic experience of doing the job day in and day out for years.

Even though going back into lectures is painful, once I started clinical teaching and rotations I was so far ahead practical skill-wise. While my rotation group gets stressed about getting IV catheters in and learning proper restraint techniques, I am completely comfortable and can focus on other things I want to learn. It also got me used to long hours on my feet and dealing with clients. The soft skills are so under-appreciated in vet school until the first time that you're expected to call or explain something to a client. The ability to communicate with all sorts of clients and build soft skills has made my life in rotations so far much better.

 

[blueheeler]

I took 2 gap years (one intentional and one unintentional). I am a first-generation college student, so I pretty much wandered through undergrad. Two of my siblings were in college at the same time as myself, but they both withdrew due to their poor academic performance. I felt an immense pressure to be "successful," especially since my parents sacrificed so much to come to America. By the time I should've applied (summer between junior and senior year), I was emotionally and physically exhausted. I couldn't stomach the thought of four more years of school, so I didn't even bother applying. When I finally applied, I got waitlisted at a school that I realized I didn't want to attend. I took that as a sign from the universe to take another year off.

These two gap years have worked wonders on my mental health, and I have not regretted my decision to take time away from school. I currently feel much more energized, relaxed, and refreshed. I pursued new hobbies. I meet wonderful, amazing people at the veterinary practice I worked at, and I'd like to think I gained a more realistic expectation of the profession. For anyone out there struggling with their mental health or burn-out, I highly recommend taking a gap year.

 

[Lisagk]

I had three gap years.

The first year, I didn't think I had enough experiences hours / the grades to get accepted and therefore my self confidence in general was pretty low. I spent that time starting to retake classes I did poorly on during my undergrad while working full/part time in research/clinic.

I applied my second year with low hopes of getting in and not much to my surprised got rejected all around. Spent that year taking even more classes while working full/part time at two jobs while volunteering.

I reapplied my third year and was accepted to two schools and waitlisted at two others. I'm immensely grateful.

The gap years helped me have fun with my life without revolving around school (honestly the break was well needed). It was a time I could learn to be a human/adult no longer within the realms of school. It was great to not be a student for a bit and enjoy my early 20s. My personality has also changed a lot and I'm definitely a mentally/emotionally more mature person now because of it. I went from incredibly shy and not very social to extroverted and social.

Take your gap years. There's no real rush to go to school (though I understand there are other life circumstances that put a timeline on it). School will always be there for you to apply to whenever you are ready.

(Not going to lie, when I first took my gap years, I felt horrible because I felt like I was falling behind and wasting my life, but it's only after much reflection and looking back that I'm happy that I had those gap years to develop as a human being. )

 

[PetVet23]

I didn't intentionally take 2 gap years, I graduated early and finally got an acceptance on my 3rd application (told myself from the beginning I would give it 3 years before moving on). Looking back now, it's exactly what I needed.

While I was horrified at first because it wasn't what I had planned, it ended up being a great time for personal growth and for me to gain more real-life experience. I became a lot more comfortable in who I am, and it gave me the confidence that I needed to show all of my interviewers that vet med is where I'm meant to be. It was definitely a lesson for me to not rush timing and that what's meant to be will happen.

Year 1: worked part-time as a veterinary assistant and took a couple classes so that I could apply to a few more programs

Year 2: mainly just worked as a vet assistant, started looking into Master's programs just in case (got an offer from SGU before I needed to really start filling out any applications)

 

[serendipity14]

Thank you guys, I’ve decided to take this extra year off as I just graduated. I was going to apply this cycle but with everything going on this year I think the extra year off is necessary. Thanks again for the advice!


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