• Business School
    • Free MBA Admissions Consultation
    • MBA Admissions Services
    • School-Specific MBA Essay Tips
    • Executive MBA Essay Tips
    • MBA Admissions Calendar
    • Free Guides
    • Video Tips
    • Podcast
    • Selectivity Index
    • EMBA: The Ultimate Guide for Applicants
  • Medical School
    • Free Med School Admissions Consultation
    • Med School Admissions Services
    • Med School Admissions 101
    • Secondary Essay Tips (by School)
    • Student Interviews
    • Free Guides
    • Video Tips
    • Podcast
    • Selectivity Index
  • Law School
    • Free Law School Admissions Consultation
    • Law School Admissions Services
    • Law School Admissions 101
    • Selectivity Index
    • Free Guides
    • Podcast
    • Video Tips
  • Graduate School
    • Free Grad School Admissions Consultation
    • Grad School Admissions Services
    • Grad School Admissions 101
    • Free Guides
    • Video Tips
    • Podcast
  • College
    • Free College Admissions Consultation
    • College Admissions Services
    • Free Guides
    • Supplemental Essay Tips
    • Video Tips
    • Podcast
Accepted

Speak with an Accepted admissions expert for FREE!

Blog HomePodcastContact Us

Accepted Admissions Blog

Everything you need to know to get Accepted

February 24, 2021

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Should I Take a Gap Year Before Medical School?

Should I take a gap year before medical school?

According to a 2021 study conducted by the American Medical Association, 68.5% of first-year medical students surveyed took gap years. Most students who took gap years did so for 1-2 years (44.8%), followed by those who did so for 3-4 years (15.2%), followed by those who did so for 5 plus years (8.5%). Clearly, the take-away from this study is that more medical students accepted for 2021 admission took gap years than those who did not, and most gap years were brief, 1-2 years.

Reasons to take a gap year before medical school

Rather than fret whether to take a gap year, determine what will turn a gap year into a growth year – and plan accordingly. Many premed students use the gap year to make up for what they see as their weakest application credential. A gap year can afford the opportunity to retake the MCAT, enroll in a postbac program to improve your GPA, volunteer, or gain clinical exposure. During a gap year, some premed students become EMTs. Others work to save money, in an attempt to decrease their future medical school debt, while still volunteering or performing community service. Others research or engage in medical mission opportunities abroad to bolster their experience with diverse populations and global health.

Should I take a gap year before medical school?

Clearly, the admission committees do not look down upon gap years. As I said above, in 2021 most accepted med students reporting having taken them. Here is the catch: whatever you do during your gap year needs to make sense for you – as a future doctor. What you do during the gap year should seem organically right. For some that means staying practical – what do I need to do? For others that means being inspirational – what else do I feel intuitively to do that facilitates my growth as a person and/or a future doctor? Take care of an ailing family member? Get a certification in Acupuncture? Study Latin? For others that means being aspirational – what else can I do to achieve my goal of becoming a doctor, something that in the end serves humanity and grows one’s humility? Should I go on an international trip to service the health needs of people in a country/culture/language other than mine?

Addressing the gap year in your med school application

Medical school applications ask applicants to explain what they did during their gap year. So, it is a good idea to take notes about your experiences, and take the time to write-up these experiences mindfully, making connections between challenges and growth. In the end, you will need to articulate these experiences, in writing or in person. Practice writing about these experiences. Show how the gap year was time well-spent and full of growth. Explain how these experiences changed you and have made you a great medical school applicant and future physician.

Also, if you have any ambivalence about becoming a doctor, a gap year or two makes perfect sense. Medical students who suffer a change of heart professionally find themselves unhappy and stressed. Research shows they demonstrate a progressive decline in empathy, which is a red flag. Should they drop out of medical school, often they do so with sizeable debt. So do your personal inventory. Examine your reasons why you want to be a doctor. Should you need time to figure out whether being a doctor is truly the right path ahead, take the time to figure this out before applying. Take the gap year or two or whatever to explore your commitment to medicine, patient care, leadership, motivation, dedication, and compassion to the profession.

Need help with your medical school application? It’s never too early to start working on your admissions strategy. Check out our Medical School Admissions Services and work one-on-one with our expert advisor who will help get you ACCEPTED!

Mary Mahoney Admissions Expert

Dr. Mary Mahoney, Ph.D. is the Medical Humanities Director at Elmira College and has over 20 years of experience as an advisor and essay reviewer for med school applicants. She is a tenured English Professor with an MFA in Creative Writing from Sarah Lawrence College and a PhD in Literature and Writing from the University of Houston. For the last twenty years, Mary has served as a grad school advisor and essay reviewer for med school applicants. Want Mary to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch!

Navigate the Med Maze - Download your free guide today!

Related Resources:

  • The 5-Part Framework for a Successful Medical School Application, on demand webinar
  • 2022-23 AMCAS Work and Activities Section: What to Include (With Examples)
  • 10 Reasons Why You Should Consider Participating in a Special Masters Program (SMP)

Article by Mary Mahoney / Medical School Admissions / optimize your med admissions profile, premed, premed activities, premed gap year

Get Accepted!

Sign up for a free consultation today!

Which program are you applying to?

Most Popular Blog Posts

1. 7 Simple Steps to Writing an Excellent Diversity Essay

2. 4 Ways to Show How You’ll Contribute in the Future

3. How to Write About Your Research Interests

4. Tips for Answering the Yale University Supplemental Essays and Short Answer Questions [2022-2023]

5. When Will Medical Schools Give You an Answer?

6. Sample Essays from Admitted HBS Students

7. Tips for Answering the University of Pennsylvania Supplemental Essay Prompts [2022-2023]

8. Top STEM MBA Programs: A Comprehensive List and Overview of STEM-OPT Eligible B-Schools

Sample Essays

MBA Personal Statement Examples

Medical School Personal Statement Examples

Graduate School Personal Statement Examples

Law School Personal Statement Examples

College Application Essay Examples

 

This Site is Featured on GMATClub

Home Page Services and Prices MBA Med School Law School Grad School College

About Us Press Room Contact Us Podcast Accepted Blog
Privacy Policy Website Terms of Use Disclaimer Client Terms of Service

Accepted 1171 S. Robertson Blvd. #140 Los Angeles CA 90035 +1 (310) 815-9553
© 2022 Accepted

BBB A+ RatingStamp of AIGAC Excellence

Copyright © 2023 · Education Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in