Given that the application cycle is a year-long, if one was to apply to medical school in the spring of their senior year and begin the following fall, they would have taken 1 gap year. I wanted to share that since starting medical school, I have met classmates whose ages vary greatly. Some of my acquaintances immediately entered from their undergraduate institution while others were returning to school in their 30s. Your path to medical school is your own! The first day of school when you are just getting to know your classmates is really the only time you are going to be asked when you graduated. I wanted to address this because there may be a preconceived timeline you may have about what your path to medical school is going to look like, and I am here to tell you it is absolutely okay (and even recommended) to deviate from that path if it means gaining valuable life experience, discovering yourself and building a stronger application. Nowadays, most applicants have taken one, if not more gap years, so do what feels best for you! 

At this time, I wanted to further provide some relevant reasons to consider a gap year to help better guide your decision

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One of the reasons why I would recommend taking a gap year(s) is to take the time to build your application. Applying to medical school is a very expensive process, between submitting applications, flying to interviews, and the miscellaneous expenses that accrue in between, the cost adds up and quickly! That being said, when applying it's important to be reflective about the quality of your application and look at it critically to ensure you are putting your best foot forward. Is there anything that may be missing from your application or something that you could be doing to make it stronger? During your undergraduate career, you were likely involved in an array of different activities but maybe didn’t have the time or the resources to acquire some of the experiences expected of medical school applicants. If you feel as if your application may be lacking in community service experience, clinical experience, research, shadowing, leadership activities, etc. finding these opportunities that would enable you to fill in some of the existing gaps, making you a more well-rounded candidate. Of course, it is not expected that you have ample amounts of experience in all of these areas, but continuing to be involved and partaking in meaningful opportunities will give you the chance to shine in your application. If you are concerned with your GPA or MCAT scores, your gap year(s) could also be used to attend a post-baccalaureate program, a special masters program, or retake the MCAT to help bolster your application! 

I wanted to explain that although your medical school application may seem at times a daunting checklist of requirements, I urge you to use your gap to be involved in causes, organizations, research, etc. that are important to you! These experiences are going to shape who you are and the kind of doctor you will become! Your passion for a particular purpose will not go unnoticed and will help you stand out in front of admissions.

Additionally, during your gap year(s) if you have not yet taken the MCAT this would be the time to do so! Although it is common for students to take the MCAT during their undergraduate career, it is also acceptable to push back your test to a time that would allow you to dedicate yourself to studying. It is better to take the MCAT once when you feel prepared, then try to rush because of a perceived timeline! I wanted to share that I took my MCAT after I had graduated, and although my study schedule was built around my work, I still felt like I had given myself more time to prepare for the exam!

It's also very important to note that a gap year can be considered because you simply need time to breathe! If you have been grinding your way through undergrad, it is okay for you to take a break and get some much-needed rest before medical school begins. Medical school is a marathon, and the breaks will be far and few between. Reflect and take note of your mental well-being. Do you feel burned out? Be honest with yourself! Your gap years can be used to spend well-deserved time with your family and friends, essentially building and fortifying those relationships that are going to help you get through the rigors of medical school. I took 2 years off and was so grateful that I had the opportunity (even though I was working, teaching, and volunteering) to spend time with my people, travel, and have some fun! I felt refreshed again and was eager to hit the ground running when school started instead of dreading the incoming workload. 

I’ve previously mentioned some of the finances associated with applying to medical school. For me, the application process cost was steep as I had applied broadly to roughly 30 schools. I was only able to afford this process because of the money that I was able to save from working during my gap years. During your gap year(s), it is important to address an outstanding debt that you may have as an applicant as it is highly unlikely that you will be able to work during medical school. That translates to about 4 years without a steady income, and the expenses pile up quickly! Working during my gap year allowed me to create savings that helped decrease the amount of loans that I had to take out as well as pay off outstanding credit card debt. If you are working, be aware of your spending habits, and try to set a realistic budget for yourself as it could set you up for financial success in the future. 

Lastly, I wanted to share that I used my gap years to explore additional career opportunities, further solidifying my desire to become a doctor. When I graduated, I initially was interested in pursuing a career in physician assistant studies. Working, shadowing, and exploring the different fields in medicine allowed me to develop a deeper understanding of their prospective roles and make an informed decision about which path was best for me. The path to becoming a physician can be intimidating, but knowing that I had explored other fields, and chose to pursue the physician route helped me eliminate any potential ifs, ands, or buts questions that were floating around in my head. 

Everyone’s path to medicine is unique including yours! I hope that after reading you are better able to make an informed decision about whether or not taking a gap year(s) is right for you. Keep learning, growing, and chasing your dream to become a physician. It is a surreal experience when it finally becomes a reality.

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