Should I Take a Gap Year?

To gap year or not to gap year…the question as old as time.

It can be hard to decide if you should take a gap year before starting medical school. I feel like many times gap years are viewed as the “untraditional” route to school or taboo. When deciding whether or not to take a gap year, I felt so much pressure. My parents didn’t understand why I wanted to and thought I would lose my motivation to go to school during my time off.

Taking a gap year before medical school was one of the best decisions I could have made. Not only did it strengthen my love and passion for medicine it also provided me with so many opportunities I never would have had without of it.

Why I decided to take a gap year

A gap year had been on my radar since I was in high school. Growing up, I had a wanderlust and a desire to ~travel the world~. I knew I wanted to take some time off eventually but never felt confident enough to take the risk.

And then the medical school timeline – took me by surprise.

The first years of undergrad flew by. I focused on my pre-health organizations and grades and before I knew it, it was time to take the MCAT.

I was INCREDIBLY underprepared. What had I been doing for the past two years and how was everyone else already on top of it?!?

It felt impossible to start studying for the MCAT on top of my pre-health responsibilities. I decided that I needed more time so I could focus on school and and decided to take the MCAT during my senior year, meaning I would be forced to take a gap year.

My decision was not exactly met with open arms. Telling my parents I would be taking a year off between undergrad and medical school was difficult. They thought that I would be “behind” or get distracted along the way and decided to give up on the path to medicine.

Why I loved taking a Gap year

1. Taking a gap year helped me get into medical school

Like I said… I felt a little behind my peers when getting ready to apply to medical school. It took me a little longer to find and really invest in meaningful experiences that I could put on my application.

Before going into senior year (the summer I would have applied), I had no research experience, no shadowing experience, and no clinical experience. Senior year was a HUGE time of growth for me as a student and as a person.

I had the opportunity to be a leader in a giant pre-health organization, I worked as a medical assistant getting direct patient experience, and gained so much insight into a lot of the factors that influence health. I joined a research lab that inspired me so much that it will forever influence the type of physician that I want to become.

I think if I had applied to school a year earlier, I would have been met with flat-out zero interviews because I wasn’t ready. I didn’t know the doctor I wanted to become and I did not have enough experience. Taking a gap year, gave me the chance to gain experience that not only shaped me as a person and future physician but also helped me better share my passion for medicine through essays and interviews.

(That said, it’s okay if you’re not ready yet. Use this time to invest in things that are meaningful to you and become the person you want to be! All good things take time, and we all get there at different speeds.)

2. I was better prepared for the MCAT

As I have already stated on this page – the MCAT is a beast of an exam. Nothing can really prepare you for how difficult it will be to gain to learning and test-taking strategies that you will need to succeed on the exam.

Taking a gap year helped me take more classes that covered material that would be on the MCAT so that I could do less self-studying. In the extra time, I was also able to develop better study methods that helped me succeed.

3. I couldn’t have gone stright into school

After COVID and Zoom University, I was soo burnt out. I missed what my pre-covid, experience was like. I loved studying with my friends all night in the library, talking through hard concepts, and interacting with professors. The lack of social interaction made studying hard. Although things began to return to normal my senior year, I was happy to have a little time off of school.

I had just finished studying for the MCAT…twice!

I commend my friends who went straight into medical school right after turning in their thesis, but I needed a break to come into medical school ready and energized to learn.

Taking gap year reignited my passion for learning. I never truly lost it, but time off was good for me. I became curious again. In my time off, I read books about health and wellness and explored my passions.

With each day I became more and more excited to start school again. To learn! To study! To become a doctor!

There is a great Huberman Lab Podcast that talks about the pressure to succeed and breaks helping create creativity. Linked here if you are interested 🙂

4. I got to travel the world!!!

I am so grateful for the opportunity my gap year gave me to travel. After graduating college, I moved back home and started earning some extra money while working as a medical assistant in an Internal Medicine Clinic. Not only did this opportunity provide me with an invaluable learning experience to prepare me for medical school, I allowed me to save up for a few months of travel. I worked from August until January.

I wanted to make sure I continued to work throughout interviews to show I was dedicated to the field!

In January I took my first solo trip to Mexico, traveled to Guatemala in March, and Costa Rica in April. It was SO fun getting to see the world, get out of my comfort zone, practice my Spanish, and make new friends along the way.

5. I got to spend time at home

You don’t know you are due for some time at home until you spend some time at home.

Having a year a home with my mom was so wholesome. I cooked us meals, and we watched movies together or went to play pickleball. I visited my 97-year-old grandmother and spent some quality time with my dad helping him around the house (you know dad things.)

Spending time with my people was something that I didn’t know I needed so much. Im so glad I got to spend time with them before school picked up.

6. I got to spend time alone

Spending time at home also meant a lot of alone time just with me. I had the chance to explore what I liked and developed my skills in cooking and meal prepping that I could use in school. I developed healthy habits and coping strategies like reading, exercising, and walking – all things that have been tremendously helpful in dealing with the stress of school.

If you’re taking a gap year… Your not alone

Something that I didn’t know before starting medical school is that a lot of your classmates will have taken a gap year too. Out of all of the friends I have met in school so far only about a handful of them went straight from undergrad into medical school.

It is normal for people to take a gap year.

Let me say it louder for the people in the back.

IT. IS. NORMAL!

The average age of someone starting medical school is 24. TWENTY FOUR.

Why don’t more people tell us this when applying to medical school.

In my class, there are 21-year-olds, 40-year-olds, and a lot of us 20 and a half-year-olds. It is never too late or too early to start medicine.

Remember your path to medicine is unique and you are not alone! Starting medical school has been so encouraging. I love hearing about everyone’s path to medicine. There is nothing taboo about taking a year or two off before you start medical school.

Dos and Don’ts of a Gap year!

Do…

Continue to stay involved.

Just because you submitted your application, doesn’t mean that your off the hook for your extracurricular activities. Medical schools want to see you are still care about becoming a physician when interview season rolls around. It’s also important to continue to build your resume if you might need to apply again in a later cycle.

I know that NOBODY wants to think about having to apply again but its always important to be prepared!

Have some fun!

Go take a trip. Spend time with friends. Have more dinners with your family. I took a lot of trips to see family and friends that I might not get the opportunity to see all the time during my 4 years of medical school.

Practice Self growth

Who are you as a person? What things make you happy? What are your favorite hobbies? Taking a gap year from school can be an incredible period to do some self-exploration.

Chances are you may have spread yourself a little too thin during undergrad. Maybe there was a book series that you never got around to reading or you wish you would have gone to more yoga classes during study breaks. A gap year can be a good time to establish healthy habits and hobbies that you can continue during medical school. Maybe you’ve always wanted to start a business or write a SUPER COOL blog. 😏

I’m so grateful for the extra time I had to work on me! What things ground me and how can I become a better version of myself every day? 🙂

There are no don’ts!

Just have fun!

I hope you enjoyed reading this blog! And good luck!

Reach out with any questions!

♡ Z