Are you a pre-med student or know a pre-med student? Well, this article is for you! We all know how long and stressful the process of going into medicine is. Many students often take gap years between their undergrad years and graduate school. Here are five reasons why you should consider a gap:
Take a Mental Health Break
Although we may often ignore our mental health, it is truly critical for our well-being. Sometimes, it is really important to let your mind rest and alleviate some stress for a while. Taking a gap year would prevent you from burning out for med school. Think about it, after four years of stress, your brain will need some kind of break to prepare for the next 4 to 8 years to come. Rather than making you unmotivated, a gap would potentially motivate you more.
Travel the World
If you’ve always had dreams of traveling, this is your chance! Reward yourself after working so hard. This may be one of the few chances you get to finally fulfill your dream to travel, especially considering how little time medical students have. Traveling to other countries would help you develop the skills needed to be a doctor. Not only this, but you could also consider studying abroad or taking an internship abroad.
Work To Save Up
Med school is expensive. Everyone knows it and the cost is unavoidable. During a gap year, you could work a full-time job to accumulate a bit of money for your studies. You could even find a job relating to your major or in a clinical office. This would give you a job and clinical experience, something medical schools love to see.
Study
It’s hard to balance school, work, and studying for exams. Take a gap to study for the MCAT! The MCAT covers everything learned in the course of your undergraduate experience (everything!). If you do not review continuously, it’ll be very hard to retain everything that you have learned. Taking a full year to study would increase your chances of doing exceptionally well on the MCAT.
Stand Out
If you’re worried that medical schools may consider taking a gap as lazy or irresponsible….don’t. Medical schools appreciate gap years. In fact, over the past few years, gap years have been becoming more popular among pre-med students. For many medical schools, a gap year is considered a good way for students to find themselves and find their passion for medicine. It also displays a sense of maturity, because the student is not rushing through school.