How to Defer a Medical School Acceptance
Life happens. After all your efforts to get accepted to medical school, sometimes the timing just doesn’t work. Over the years, I’ve worked with many clients who, after receiving an acceptance, found themselves in a difficult position when it came to actually starting their medical studies. Receiving a Fulbright scholarship to study abroad, finishing a research project that’s about to pay big dividends, caring for a family member with a poor prognosis – these are just some of the reasons a prospective medical student might choose to defer their scheduled start date for a year.
If you find yourself wanting to postpone the beginning of your studies, what do you need to know to maximize your chance of having your deferral request approved?
Tips for Deferring Your Medical School Acceptance
The deferral process is different for each school, and some schools do not grant deferrals at all (for example, many Caribbean medical programs do not). At most schools, however, you’ll need to submit a letter or petition to the dean or the admissions committee. For schools that grant deferrals, here are four important tips you should know:
1. Know your reason and timeline.
You might need to provide both a reason for your deferral request and a timeline. Deferring matriculation is not the same thing as requesting permission to become a “ski bum” or to take a year off from all activities. Many schools ask for a schedule or timeline of what you plan to do during the interim year. The deadlines and activities that you include in this timeline will influence the school’s decision. The more complete and organized your proposed schedule, the more likely it is that the medical school will grant a deferral. Supporting documentation might also be required. For instance, on its website, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine states: “We will only consider your request for deferred enrollment if it is accompanied by a letter from the project director of the program you are participating in.”
2. Pay attention to the “value” of your deferral request.
Deferral requests are most commonly granted to give applicants additional time to complete a degree program they are currently enrolled in, an ongoing research project, and/or service activities or trips that are clinical in nature.
Medical schools highly value any kind of unusual academic or professional growth opportunity, especially if the experience will enhance a person’s expertise or guide the direction of their medical education and special interests. Hopefully, you’ve planned to complete your particular activities before the scheduled start date for medical school. But if there have been unforeseeable changes to the timeline and/or new developments have emerged (both of these situations would need to be well explained), it is appropriate to ask for a deferral.
3. Research which schools will accept deferrals based on personal reasons and which will not.
Some schools that allow deferrals for professional reasons do not accept deferral requests for personal reasons. For example, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine accepts deferral requests only for professional reasons, which it defines as “completing coursework leading to a degree, a specified research project, or a clinical activity that provides you with a better understanding of and appreciation for the delivery of healthcare,” while Harvard Medical School “only supports proposals that provide for participation in intellectually rewarding opportunities and service programs during the time of deferral.” Other schools do consider personal and medical deferrals. For instance, the University of Massachusetts Medical School “discourages granting of deferrals except in cases of medical emergency or events of comparable significance.”
4. If you have a valid personal reason or family emergency, speak with an advisor and/or a representative at the schools where you have been accepted.
Because policies vary so widely from school to school, try to speak with a trusted advisor and/or contact the school to request advice on how to proceed based on your situation. There might be an option or solution that you haven’t considered. That being said, I don’t recommend contacting the school while you are in a state of crisis. If a death in the family or some other unfortunate event has occurred, take some time to process (and grieve) before making any major decisions. Use good judgment.
Do you have questions about deferrals or any other aspect of the medical school admissions process? Get in touch with an Accepted advisor today, and get the guidance you need to enter medical school at the right time for you.
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