gap years/post baccs/smps
Taking gap years (x for Andy's link)
Anna's take: https://www.facebook.com/groups/UC.PremedAdvising/permalink/650002121720777/
So, would you recommend taking a year between undergrad and med school? Does that put you at any sort of disadvantage? I'm thinking, like, way way in advance, but I was definitely wanting to go back to China to teach English for a year before I went on to med school. How good or bad of an idea is that?
Anna: No disadvantage at all! In fact most people take at least one year if not more. It lets you use senior grades raise your gpa and lets you get your stuff together while not having to worry about School. Just caution though, you will be going on interviews from Aug-to possibly even april so you need to be in a place where you can go to interviews. You have anywhere from two weeks to more than a month to know when your interview is. Not a lot of time for international travel. I think traveling and having different experiences while you're young is important. It shapes you for the better, without a doubt. Plus med school is long and a life long path. Be sure you wanna do it, make sure you do other stuff so you don't think what if....? I exhausted a bunch of other routes so now I know even if it gets hard, I know this is without a doubt what I want to do. If you do the year of international travel then technically best thing to do is two years off. The way years off work is that people generally count your app year as a year off, but do take into account med apps take about a year! Taking time off gives you an advantage, helping you round out your app and just mature. (:
Audience Question/Comment 3: So, if I finish undergrad in 2018, teach for a year, and then apply in 2019 when I get back, that's still doable, yeah?
Anna: Very doable! Take into account that avg matriculant age is somewhere around 25 so you're right on track (:
FAQ: Post-Bacs (x)
FAQ: Special Master’s Programs (x)
FAQ: GPA enhancement programs: SMPs, postbacs et al, 2011 List (x)
FAQ: Good reasons to take a gap year (x)
FAQ: General gap year ideas (x)
Anna's take: https://www.facebook.com/groups/UC.PremedAdvising/permalink/650002121720777/
So, would you recommend taking a year between undergrad and med school? Does that put you at any sort of disadvantage? I'm thinking, like, way way in advance, but I was definitely wanting to go back to China to teach English for a year before I went on to med school. How good or bad of an idea is that?
Anna: No disadvantage at all! In fact most people take at least one year if not more. It lets you use senior grades raise your gpa and lets you get your stuff together while not having to worry about School. Just caution though, you will be going on interviews from Aug-to possibly even april so you need to be in a place where you can go to interviews. You have anywhere from two weeks to more than a month to know when your interview is. Not a lot of time for international travel. I think traveling and having different experiences while you're young is important. It shapes you for the better, without a doubt. Plus med school is long and a life long path. Be sure you wanna do it, make sure you do other stuff so you don't think what if....? I exhausted a bunch of other routes so now I know even if it gets hard, I know this is without a doubt what I want to do. If you do the year of international travel then technically best thing to do is two years off. The way years off work is that people generally count your app year as a year off, but do take into account med apps take about a year! Taking time off gives you an advantage, helping you round out your app and just mature. (:
Audience Question/Comment 3: So, if I finish undergrad in 2018, teach for a year, and then apply in 2019 when I get back, that's still doable, yeah?
Anna: Very doable! Take into account that avg matriculant age is somewhere around 25 so you're right on track (:
FAQ: Post-Bacs (x)
FAQ: Special Master’s Programs (x)
FAQ: GPA enhancement programs: SMPs, postbacs et al, 2011 List (x)
FAQ: Good reasons to take a gap year (x)
FAQ: General gap year ideas (x)