Many students take one year (or longer) between graduating undergrad and starting medical school. This time is a great opportunity for students to explore their interests or immerse themselves more in medicine or research. Some of the best ways for premeds to utilize a gap year are highlighted below.
Medical School Application Timeline
First it’s important to have a general understanding of the medical school application timeline. The medical school application process takes about 1 year. Traditionally, students take the MCAT spring of their junior year of college. They then spend summer and fall completing primary and secondary medical school applications. Interviews are generally conducted fall and winter of a student’s senior year. And decisions arrive around spring semester of senior year, just before graduation. Students then begin their medical school programs the following fall.
If students do not follow this timeline and apply later than this, they will need to wait until the following application cycle (the summer after graduation). Meaning these students would have at least one “gap year” between college graduation and medical school.
But a taking a gap year actually has a lot of benefits. There’s no “right” path to med school, and many students would really benefit from an extra year.
5 Things To Do With A Gap Year
1. Travel
Medical school admissions is competitive, and students often feel guilty taking time for anything not related to applications. Students may feel pressured to spend a potential gap year (or any amount of spare time) focusing on research or gaining clinical experience to improve their application. But taking time for yourself is just as important, and can give you some fun and interesting stories for medical school interviews.
Medical school is hard, and there are very few breaks. If you can swing it, a gap year is an excellent time to explore all the places you’ve always wanted to see. If you know ahead of time that you will have a gap year before medical school, save up whatever money you can and take some time to read on a beach somewhere. For advice on budget travel, this is a great place to start.
2. Complete a 1-year Masters
There are hundreds of 1-year masters programs that can be completed during a gap year. Valuable areas of study for those interested in medical school may include biological sciences, biomedical sciences, or public health.
It’s important to note that, unless you take a second gap year after the masters program, you will likely not have completed the program during medical school applications and interviews (see application timeline above). If you pursue a 2-year masters degree, then your first year graduate school grades will be visible during you medical school applications. This can be advantageous if a student performs well in grad school and is looking to help correct for a low undergraduate GPA.
But even having a pending masters degree can seriously increase your chances of acceptance to medical school. Read our list of 1-year pre-medical masters programs here. Or our list of 2-year pre-medical masters programs here.
3. Clinical Experience
It can be difficult to find the time for clinical experience as an undergrad. And if students are faced with choosing between performing well in their pre-med coursework or taking a part-time clinical position to get clinical hours, pre-med coursework should come first.
Taking a gap year is an excellent opportunity to gain valuable patient experience full-time. It’s also an excellent opportunity to network with local physicians and learn more about individual clinical departments. For a pre-med college graduate, many positions (like medical assistant positions) may require no formal training program or certification at all. Learn more about valuable clinical opportunities for pre-meds here. Or if you already have an opportunity but you’re not sure if it counts as clinical experience, read more here.
4. Retake the MCAT
It is not unusual to retake the MCAT, and it is likely for overall scores to improve on a second attempt. It can be incredibly difficult to find the time to study for the MCAT in addition to pre-med courses as a full-time undergrad. And retaking the MCAT immediately after an initial low score is not recommended. For students disappointed in their first MCAT score, a gap year is an opportunity to prepare for and retake the exam.
MCAT performance is only one of several factors considered in a medical school application. So if a student has a high GPA, adequate clinical experience, and glowing letters of recommendation, it may be less urgent to retake the MCAT if their score is slightly lower than desired. But if a student is lacking in other areas, and heavily depending on MCAT performance to improve their application, retaking the exam would probably be best. Learn more about retaking the MCAT here.
5. Learn a Second Language
Any second language is an enormously valuable skill. But for those planning to practice medicine in the United States, knowledge of Spanish is particularly useful. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, The United States population will be 25% Hispanic by 2045. But in many cities in the US, the patient population is already majority Hispanic and with too few local physicians who speak the Spanish language.
Very few medical providers in the United States speak Spanish and having this ability is an enormous benefit to medical practice (and medical school applications). A gap year is an opportunity to immerse in the language and become proficient. Again, an incredibly unique and valuable skill to highlight on medical school applications and interviews. Learn about learning a new language online with Babbel here.
Final Thoughts
It is not unusual for students to take one or more gap years between college graduation and medical school. This can be a planned gap year, or an unexpected gap year following initial rejection from medical school. Regardless, a gap year is an excellent opportunity to learn new skills or improve areas of medical school applications that may be lacking. Undergraduates pre-meds anticipating a gap year can also discuss local opportunities with professors or pre-med advisors.
But students should not feel pressured to be as productive as possible during this time. Students should also take this opportunity to spend time with family and explore their interests.
