When to take a year off

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berrypie

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My husband and I have always wanted to take a year off and travel around the world. I'm currently in my first year of med school and the next few years are going to be ideal for him to travel.

When is the best time to take a year off from med school? I'm thinking either after 3rd year or after 4th year.

Will taking a year off to "travel the world" affect my residency placement? Do residency programs frown upon such frivolities? I've heard from a few ppl that they do, do I wanted to get some opinions.
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1. Between 2nd year, after boards is really the only time that makes much sense. If you try to do it between M3/4 you might be trying to set up away rotations from a different country. Considering that some of them require all sorts of immunization records and forms-in-triplicate I would not want to be trying to do it from Southeast Asia.

2. I think whether or not a residency program views it as "frivolous" will depend on the specialty and program. When you fill out ERAS you do have to explain if there were any breaks in your medical education. There may be PDs who think your trip was an awesome idea but some of the more hardcore specialties might view it as pretty weak.

3. You might consider talking with the Dean at your school or a few key people in specialties you might like. If your institution has residency programs I'm sure you could get a 10-15 minute meeting with a few program directors to talk about it.
 
I agree with AmoryB that after 2nd year is the best time. Getting permission to do so is another matter. It may depend on the spin you give it, and a reason other than traveling for pleasure may make a difference. Can you consider checking out healthcare systems around the world during your travels (just one idea that I'd enjoy doing)? Reading up on the issues in different countries, visiting clinics and hospitals, talking with people would be fun and would give a focus to your travels. Having a reason like this might go over better with the med school deans and be a good explanation when you are interviewing for residency. Of course they will probably ask probing questions that will reveal whether you really did this.

The next best time would be after the M4 year, before residency. Others I know have taken these times for childbearing and for a research year without any problems.
 
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berrypie said:
My husband and I have always wanted to take a year off and travel around the world. I'm currently in my first year of med school and the next few years are going to be ideal for him to travel.

When is the best time to take a year off from med school? I'm thinking either after 3rd year or after 4th year.

Will taking a year off to "travel the world" affect my residency placement? Do residency programs frown upon such frivolities? I've heard from a few ppl that they do, do I wanted to get some opinions.
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While I agree with Amory Blaine that the year after second year is the natural break in the program (separating basic science from clinical years), and so that would be the only logical time to do it, for the benefit of other readers for whom this may still be useful advice, the "best time" to take a year off would be BEFORE YOU APPLY TO MED SCHOOL! Finish college, go travel, and then apply. There is no downside to this, as there is at all other times. This advice apparently doesn't help the OP though, who has missed this boat. Yes, you are going to have to have good reasons for how you spend your time between day one of med school and when you start your residency. Taking a year off for health reasons, childbearing reasons or research are going to be seen very differently than someone who takes time off just to travel. Perhaps you could work in something residency-friendly into your travel -- some international health program, or go do research in a foreign country. But yeah, if you just take off after 4th year to vacation for a year it's not going to be easy to spin positively.
 
Law2Doc said:
While I agree with Amory Blaine that the year after second year is the natural break in the program (separating basic science from clinical years), and so that would be the only logical time to do it, for the benefit of other readers for whom this may still be useful advice, the "best time" to take a year off would be BEFORE YOU APPLY TO MED SCHOOL! Finish college, go travel, and then apply. There is no downside to this, as there is at all other times.
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:thumbup:
 
Wow. Pretty rare to take a year off during life, much less during medical school.
 
Thank you for your helpful replies.

Yes, taking a year off to travel the world may be a once in a lifetime opportunity. The reason that I am considering it now (and not BEFORE starting med school) is because I have recently come into some money. Seeing as I've always dreamed of doing a trip like this, it would be a terrible waste for us to not take advantage of the opportunity.

I do have one honest, perplexing question though-- Why is it so bad to take a year off for pure pleasure in medicine? Does it show lack of commitment to the medical field? Are PDs worried that you will have a greater tendency to take off time during your residency program? I am truly baffled by the idea that I would need to justify my desire to enjoy life and do something outside of medicine for a change. What difference does it make to residency directors whether I take the time off before, during, or after medical school?

Any thoughts??
 
berrypie said:
Thank you for your helpful replies.

Yes, taking a year off to travel the world may be a once in a lifetime opportunity. The reason that I am considering it now (and not BEFORE starting med school) is because I have recently come into some money. Seeing as I've always dreamed of doing a trip like this, it would be a terrible waste for us to not take advantage of the opportunity.

I do have one honest, perplexing question though-- Why is it so bad to take a year off for pure pleasure in medicine? Does it show lack of commitment to the medical field? Are PDs worried that you will have a greater tendency to take off time during your residency program? I am truly baffled by the idea that I would need to justify my desire to enjoy life and do something outside of medicine for a change. What difference does it make to residency directors whether I take the time off before, during, or after medical school?

Any thoughts??
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You are expected to account for all your time from college on, and once you zone in on a medical career, it is looked at positively if you stay on the scent like a bloodhound with great passion and intensity and never veer off course. It's simply looked at as not being totally committed to the path to take off and go on vacation for a year midstream. You either get that kind of stuff out of your system beforehand, or it's something you do later on in life once you have settled into a career. It's part of the reason that folks are going to med school later and later -- folks take a year or more to do other things after college because that's the time you can do it without consequence. Not to mention that you can forget an awful lot of medicine in a year, and so no matter when you take a year off, it is not without consequences. Either you show up to clerkships too far removed from the basic science years and miss every pimp question, or you show up to residency having forgotten too much of what you learned in med school and make the school look bad when you don't remember how to do the basic clinical stuff.

As far as recently coming into money -- invest it. It will be a much bigger sum of money in a few years when you can actually take your vacation. It's not going to be a wasted opportunity, just a delayed one. And you may find you have a better use for it then (ie a downpayment on a house) rather than squander it on world travel.
 
Law2Doc said:
Not to mention that you can forget an awful lot of medicine in a year, and so no matter when you take a year off, it is not without consequences.
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Yet somehow it's no problem for anyone to take a year out for research bench work that is completely unrelated to medicine. In my case, I've been encouraged to put another year on my PhD (in biophysics, almost completely unrelated to medicine) several times.

I still have not yet heard a good reason for why you shouldn't take a year out other than some nebulous stuff like what you said. I know it was tounge in cheek, but you're absolutely right. YOU'RE IN MEDICINE NOW! STAY FOCUSED! HAI!

As far as recently coming into money -- invest it. It will be a much bigger sum of money in a few years when you can actually take your vacation. It's not going to be a wasted opportunity, just a delayed one.
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That's funny, I've had my vacation money invested for several years and then the dollar tanked and for world travel it's devalued on the order of 30%. I would agree about waiting to take the time off... Except I'll be 37 when I'm done fellowship. Nope, no time off here, just your run of the mill MD/PhD... Of course by the time I'm done I'll be clearing $200k easy, and this $20k will look like peanuts. So why not use it?

Though in my case my father was dying when he was 35 and I just had a Rads attending die suddenly and unexpectedly at the ripe old age of 35, so the whole "defer your dreams" bit is increasingly lost on me.
 
Neuronix said:
Though in my case my father was dying when he was 35 and I just had a Rads attending die suddenly and unexpectedly at the ripe old age of 35, so the whole "defer your dreams" bit is increasingly lost on me.
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Well you have to go by actuarial odds -- evidence based medicine here. In the US the average person is going to live to 75. So you invest based on that average, not on being unfortunate. Sorry about your father.
 
berrypie said:
My husband and I have always wanted to take a year off and travel around the world. I'm currently in my first year of med school and the next few years are going to be ideal for him to travel.

When is the best time to take a year off from med school? I'm thinking either after 3rd year or after 4th year.

Will taking a year off to "travel the world" affect my residency placement? Do residency programs frown upon such frivolities? I've heard from a few ppl that they do, do I wanted to get some opinions.
Click to expand...

I would strongly advise against taking a year off from medical school for "travel". This sets up red flags for residency program directors. If you must take a year off, try to obtain a graduate degree during that year off. These days, this can be done on-line and likely would not interfere with your travel plans.

If you do elect to do graduate study (and travel) you should do this after you complete third year and not after 4th year as again, residency program directors want to see you entering residency after some clinical work.

MD-Ph.D candidates will often do their graduate study after completing second year and before starting third year but they generally will do some clinical work while they are working in the lab.

Otherwise, do your traveling after you complete residency and before you start working.
 
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Neuronix said:
I would agree about waiting to take the time off... Except I'll be 37 when I'm done fellowship. Nope, no time off here, just your run of the mill MD/PhD.
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So will I. :( And I don't have a PhD, nor did I take any time off.
 
year off for travel is touchy - it may well look badly if you want to do something competitive (ie ortho, plastics, oto, etc.).

hardcore fields what hardcore people, not liberal yuppies with heads filled with flowers and eyes glowing for experiencing the hidden angels of the himalayas where pigs fly and roses sing

however if u want to do family practice and dont care where you go, then it won't hurt you at all; there's a spot for almost everyone as long as you apply far and wide.

taking a year off for research is ok. program directors thinks that means ur dedicated/have the capacity for research, and can bring some of ur research to their institution when u do residency there. they can squeeze a good few pubs out of you. travel? what good is travel to them? you don't know more medicine than others (you may have forgotten a good bit at that) you dont have more research experience, you just have a "improved self-image/understanding for the world" which comes out to about 0 cents in the program director's mind.

good luck in whatever you choose to do
 
I like how you deleted your original thread after you got responses that you did not want to hear.
 
If you're interested in moderately to very competitive residencies, I think this is a bad idea for the reasons stated. Right or wrong, it will paint you as a dilettante. Is it enough to keep you from matching? Maybe, maybe not.

However, if you're leaning toward more noncompetitive paths, I'd say take the opportunity.
 
Are you planning on applying to US residencies? As an IMG, you've gotta make sure your app is in order to give yourself the best shot possible.
 
berrypie said:
My husband and I have always wanted to take a year off and travel around the world. I'm currently in my first year of med school and the next few years are going to be ideal for him to travel.

When is the best time to take a year off from med school? I'm thinking either after 3rd year or after 4th year.

Will taking a year off to "travel the world" affect my residency placement? Do residency programs frown upon such frivolities? I've heard from a few ppl that they do, do I wanted to get some opinions.
Click to expand...

I didn't think that taking time off med school would affect my residency placement either. But I guess the directors didn't think that leveling my world of warcraft character to level 70 was a good enough reason? You're in the same boat as me. People like us should stick together.
 
Blesbok said:
I like how you deleted your original thread after you got responses that you did not want to hear.
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???

Are you referring to MY post? I didn't delete anything.
 
Correct me if I'm wrong, but some med schools will make you pay something to maintain your place in the med school if you take a year off.

I'm all for being good to yourself and taking vacations, etc, but if you're going to commit to med school why take a year off in the middle of it? I wanted to get it done as soon as possible so I could get on with my life. When you get to year 2 of residency you'll probably be kicking yourself because you could otherwise be in year 3 of residency by that point. If you came into some money, how about paying for med school with it? Do you really need to go away for a year?
 
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