Would staying out a few years after college a good idea?

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I wanted to take a few years off after getting my BS this summer before applying for med school. Is this a good idea? I know that most medical schools do not want older, non-traditional applicants, although I don't know the cap for age. Please leave me your thoughts, comments and any suggestions that will help me in deciding my future educational journey. Thank you!

MIS

 

[somewhere2010]

i'm not sure where you got the idea that med schools are anti people who took time off! particularly if you do something worthwhile or interesting with your time, say do medically-related work or simply solidify your desire to become a doctor, it only adds bonus points to your application. in fact, i think the number of people who take time off before medical school is increasing, and many schools think it adds a little flavor to your app. gives you lots more to talk about at interviews too...

but don't choose a job only because you think it will look good to ADCOMs - try to balance doing what you're interested in with what will also enhance your application.

 

[wbrl]

I wanted to take a few years off after getting my BS this summer before applying for med school. Is this a good idea? I know that most medical schools do not want older, non-traditional applicants, although I don't know the cap for age. Please leave me your thoughts, comments and any suggestions that will help me in deciding my future educational journey. Thank you!

MIS

Whoever told you that medical schools don't like students who take a few years off was on crack. As long as you took your premed classes before graduating (if not, it does seem harder to get accpeted from a post-bac program).

I am in my 2nd year off before going to med school next fall and I could not be happier for taking the time. I have gained SO much perspective on life and my motivations to become a doctor. I cannot even imagine going to med school directly after graduating.

In my opinion, you will learn a lot about yourself if you take time to do something different with your life before commiting to medical school and medicine for the rest of your life.

Oh, and I've been accpeted to some pretty good schools already, so taking 2 years has not had a bad effect on my application.

 

[LucidSplash]

This is decidedly not true. The average age of med students these days is around 24-25. http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/2005/2005age.htm

There are a number of premeds/med students on here that are not strictly "traditional" and took some time off, myself included. I will be entering med school this fall at age 24 after graduating in May 2003.

The time you take off can be great if you use it to your best advantage. Work a little, save some money, do something you love. Travel, get an internship, volunteer. Spend time with family, etc. As long as you have something to show for your time off (doesn't matter if you went to Belize to be a grass farmer or you worked at NIH) and you can speak intelligently about how you benefitted from the time off, it can't hurt. I'm a big fan of it. If you want to do it, don't let anyone detract you from it. The only downside is MCAT scores do expire so if you wait too long you'll have to retake it (if you have already taken it).

I wanted to take a few years off after getting my BS this summer before applying for med school. Is this a good idea? I know that most medical schools do not want older, non-traditional applicants, although I don't know the cap for age. Please leave me your thoughts, comments and any suggestions that will help me in deciding my future educational journey. Thank you!

MIS

 

[relentless11]

I wanted to take a few years off after getting my BS this summer before applying for med school. Is this a good idea? I know that most medical schools do not want older, non-traditional applicants, although I don't know the cap for age. Please leave me your thoughts, comments and any suggestions that will help me in deciding my future educational journey. Thank you!

MIS

Where did you get that total lie of a rumor? One of these days I need to figure out where these rumors come from.

Anyway, just FYI, UCSF, and most of the other UC schools of medicine admit people with ages ranging from 22-40. With the average being 24. So older people do get in. In fact, older people with good grades and experiences will probably fair better than a traditional applicant. The only reason why there may not be a lot of older people is because it requires a level of motivation to get back to school, and some people don't have that motivation.

Taking a few years off to do something productive is fine. Productive being taking new courses, doing research, doing more volunteering, etc. Some people took a year off to travel. All of that works. The caveat is the more time you take off, the more out of practice you will be at going to school. Will be harder to motivate yourself to take classes again. The med schools always want to see recent examples of academic potential, not to mention EC's. Therefore taking an excessive amount of time off may hurt you. Lastly, if you have taken your MCAT already, some schools will only accept MCAT's from a certain time frame. Usually MCAT's taken within the last 3 years are accepted. If you haven't taken the MCAT's, then you will have to recall pre-med coursework that you took months, or years ago.

Up to you. I personally stayed in school to maintain my academic abilities. But I have known people to do well when taking a year off...so depends on the person.

 

[Nodelphi]

Despite what others have said I took two years off in between graduating and going to medical school. In that time I shadowed a surgeon, volunteered in the physical therapy department, and did research at a medical school, eventually publishing two papers.

The dean of admissions at one school told me the biggest problem with my application was I had spent so much time out of school and that they like to get students right out of college because, "their minds work like little machines." 🙄

I did get accepted to two medical schools when I applied so there are definitely places that don't care about you taking time off but be warned that there are places that do care quite a bit it would seem.

 

[LadyWolverine]

Do it.

I took 5 years off. I got to move to a new city, be a "real" scientist, try my hand at business, law, and advertising, got a handful of publications, and even fit in a graduate degree and plenty of volunteer work. I learned to ski, competed in my first triathlon, and had plenty of time to go hiking and camping. I partied like a rock star five nights a week, and still had enough money to go on kickass vacations all over the world. I made tons of new friends, of all ages and from all walks of life. I learned to do my own taxes and balance my checkbook. I saved when I needed to, and I splurged when I felt like it. I danced, I drank, I lived, I loved, and I have absolutely no regrets.

If there's any doubt in your mind, take some time off. Get it out of your system. If you're like me, you'll realize that you weren't ready for medical school at 21. True, I'll be starting my program at 26/27...but I wouldn't change a damn thing.

Oh, and don't worry about alleged "age bias." It doesn't exist. There's plenty of proof right here on SDN. 🙂

 

[riceman04]

I wanted to take a few years off after getting my BS this summer before applying for med school. Is this a good idea? I know that most medical schools do not want older, non-traditional applicants, although I don't know the cap for age. Please leave me your thoughts, comments and any suggestions that will help me in deciding my future educational journey. Thank you!

MIS

I am taking a few years off (kind of)...I think I have matured during this time too.

Do what suits you!!!

 

[missinginspace]

Hi LadyWolverine,

You said you stayed out for five years. WOW! that's so awsome! Did you have to retake some of your Pre-med classes when you reapplied? Is there a limit to the amount of time in which the school will accept your undergrad credits?

Thanks!


MIS

Do it.

I took 5 years off. I got to move to a new city, be a "real" scientist, try my hand at business, law, and advertising, got a handful of publications, and even fit in a graduate degree and plenty of volunteer work. I learned to ski, competed in my first triathlon, and had plenty of time to go hiking and camping. I partied like a rock star five nights a week, and still had enough money to go on kickass vacations all over the world. I made tons of new friends, of all ages and from all walks of life. I learned to do my own taxes and balance my checkbook. I saved when I needed to, and I splurged when I felt like it. I danced, I drank, I lived, I loved, and I have absolutely no regrets.

If there's any doubt in your mind, take some time off. Get it out of your system. If you're like me, you'll realize that you weren't ready for medical school at 21. True, I'll be starting my program at 26/27...but I wouldn't change a damn thing.

Oh, and don't worry about alleged "age bias." It doesn't exist. There's plenty of proof right here on SDN. 🙂

 

[missinginspace]

I don't remember where I got that from, but I heard the rumors around the hallway!!! Now, to know that it's not true had made me feel so much better! I definitely will stay out and do something I really like for once. I miss having a social life! Again, thanks for your suggestions!

bye,

MIS

 

[annamoo]

yo
I also took 2 years off, live in Europe (Austria), and will be 25 on Sat, and will start med school at the end of August. I was accepted to my top choice state school (we have a match in Texas so I could only get into one) as well as Tulane. I will have been a Fulbrighter for 2 years, and have traveled and would not change that for anything. I've learned to snowboard, ski, blow glass, carve crystal, etc etc

Any administrator who tells you that crap about little machines fo rminds is obvioulsy not interested in your mental health or well-being, you could burn out so easily if you don't take a break. If that's the attitude of the insitution, I would never want to go there.

How many truly execeptional peoiple do you know who took the most traveled path??

 

[gary5]

You could take a year off. Any more and you might never get around to applying.

 

[vivka]

I was wondering, relating to the quesiton of taking time off. If say, I take time off and do things that are not school-related. Wouldn't there be problems with finding people for your LOR? Most schools require at least one academic reference. It's probably not a good idea to go back to your prof 5 years from now and ask for a reference, right?

 

[Law2Doc]

I wanted to take a few years off after getting my BS this summer before applying for med school. Is this a good idea? I know that most medical schools do not want older, non-traditional applicants, although I don't know the cap for age. Please leave me your thoughts, comments and any suggestions that will help me in deciding my future educational journey. Thank you!

MIS

As others in this thread have mentioned, you are very misinformed. Unless you are planning to take 25+ years off after college, your age will not be a huge impediment. In virtually EVERY med school class there are people 30+ years old. There is no firm cap on age, and there are certainly med students in their 50s out there. (The number of older nontrads is probably not an issue of lesser motivation as a prior poster (relentless 11) has suggested, it is that many older nontrads are at a point where they either have a decent job, which means they have a lot more they are giving up, or they have families, and other obligations and that tends make folks want to maximize their free time, and to inhibit some from taking on debt at a time when they need to be breadwinners), As to whether it is a good idea to take time off, it's probably not a bad idea. Ideally, find something interesting to do that you will enjoy and may make your application more interesting, and you won't lose any ground. Just bear in mind that the MCAT has just a 3 year life.

 

[Law2Doc]

I wanted to take a few years off after getting my BS this summer before applying for med school. Is this a good idea? I know that most medical schools do not want older, non-traditional applicants, although I don't know the cap for age. Please leave me your thoughts, comments and any suggestions that will help me in deciding my future educational journey. Thank you!

MIS

As others in this thread have mentioned, you are very misinformed. Unless you are planning to take 25+ years off after college, your age will not be a huge impediment. In virtually EVERY med school class there are people 30+ years old. There is no firm cap on age, and there are certainly med students in their 50s out there. (The number of older nontrads is probably not an issue of lesser motivation as a prior poster (relentless 11) has suggested, it is that many older nontrads are at a point where they either have a decent job, which means they have a lot more they are giving up, or they have families, and other obligations and that tends make folks want to maximize their free time, and to inhibit some from taking on debt at a time when they need to be breadwinners), As to whether it is a good idea to take time off, it's probably not a bad idea. Ideally, find something interesting to do that you will enjoy and may make your application more interesting, and you won't lose any ground. Just bear in mind that the MCAT has just a 3 year life.

 

[Shredder]

I wanted to take a few years off after getting my BS this summer before applying for med school. Is this a good idea? I know that most medical schools do not want older, non-traditional applicants, although I don't know the cap for age. Please leave me your thoughts, comments and any suggestions that will help me in deciding my future educational journey.

that is a lot of foregone money. thats why im generally against time off

 

[wanabedoc19]

Im 19 years old old and I think a 24 year old is young, but I'm taking a year off before college right now and I'm shadowing a surgeon, shadowed a paramedic, got 200+ volunteer hours at my local hospital, 100 hours at american cancer society, 100 hours at american heart association, 100 hours at habitat for humanity, so this is my year off. Just imagine what you could do?