College, medical school, residency. That’s the progression people think of when they think of how to become a doctor. If you talk to a room of doctors though, you’ll find that many of them will tell you they didn’t follow that path. There were detours along the way. I can tell you first hand, that there were quite a few detours in my road to medical school. One turn on that road included two gap years between when I graduated college and started medical school. A gap year can be an excellent way to improve your application or take a break before diving into medicine.
Here are some ideas to make the most out of your time before medical school.
1. GET A JOB.
Medical schools (and residency programs later on) like to see a well-rounded person. “Real world” experience is an excellent way to show medical schools that you can do more than just learn the science of medicine. It doesn’t have to be medically related either. Working for a year or more can provide you with a different perspective that you can express during your interviews.
2. SHADOWING.
A long-term shadowing or preceptorship experience can improve your application, especially if you’re lacking in this area. Ask physicians in local practices if you can come in and learn from them. It can feel intimidating to out of the blue ask a physician to follow them around, but you will find that many times physicians are happy to teach prospective doctors, especially if you have any hint of interest in their field. You may have to ask around a few physicians though before you get a response. [Note: Never lie and say that you definitely want to go into their field just to get them to let you shadow them, it can come back to hurt you.] However, even if you know you never want to be a pediatrician, you can learn a lot from the experience.
3. RESEARCH.
Disclaimer: I’m partial to research. It’s not for everyone, but it’s also something that I believe everyone should try at least once. Medical schools like to see some research experience from their applicants, so if you haven’t had any yet, your gap year might be the best time. This is also an opportunity to get another letter of recommendation. There are several programs available to post-graduate students looking to apply to medical school. Otherwise, you can try approaching professors at your school. Some researchers may want a longer commitment from you, so just be sure to ask and be honest with yourself about how long you are willing to wait to go to medical school. You don’t want to end a significant experience on a bad note because you weren’t honest with your mentor about your time commitment.
4. VOLUNTEER.
Regardless of your gap-year plans, try to make time for volunteer experience. Medical schools value community service. Whether you volunteer a few hours a month or make it your full-time commitment, find something you are passionate about and make it a long-term experience. Again, this doesn’t have to be medically related. I started volunteering at a local animal shelter during my sophomore year of college and still commit 2-3 hours a week to it (even though it means driving 40 minutes to get there on a Saturday morning).
5. TAKE COURSES.
Whether your GPA could use improvement, you’re missing some prerequisites, or you have a class you really wanted to take, but had no time to take in undergrad, use your gap year. There are “post-bac” programs out there for prospective medical students either without a background in science or looking to improve their undergraduate GPA. These programs are often full-time and may lead to a master’s degree (but not always).
Beyond formalized programs, you can choose to take specific classes that interest you. I chose to take a few classes (at the medical school that I currently attend) during my gap years. I got the chance to take classes that I couldn’t otherwise and I feel they are helping me now. If you’re unsure whether you should look to take additional courses, don’t be afraid to reach out to an advisor at a medical school and ask for their opinion. (They could save you a lot of time and money by letting you know you don’t need a post-bac to get into medical school: i.e. this happened to me.)
[BONUS] TAKE A VACATION.
Remember that medical school is a huge time commitment. Don’t be afraid to just take some time off. A gap year doesn’t have to be packed with activities in order to “look good” to medical schools. If you feel you need a break to refresh before you start medical school, that’s okay. If you love to travel, go out and do just that. Remember the well-rounded thing? That applies here too. Exploring other cultures counts as “real world” experience and is another opportunity to bring a fresh perspective to your interviews.
The path to becoming a doctor is a long road, so don’t be afraid to take some turns along the way. More often than not, applicants are taking time off before they enter into medical school. If you don’t feel prepared or need some time to breathe before you start medical school, a gap year may be right for you. Just make the most of it.
Did you do a gap year? Let me know what you did below!
