Last year, I made the difficult choice of taking a gap year before applying to medical school. It was difficult because at that time a gap year, for me, meant that I was going to be behind. I was going to stretch my academic journey by a year and watch all my friends move on. However, looking back I am so glad I made this decision. I was able to take my extra time and put it towards obtaining more leadership opportunities, connecting with professors and volunteering. There is a stigma associated with gap years since it may be associated with the excuse to delay schoolwork; however, that is not true. It all depends on how you take advantage of your experiences, so here is why I recommend taking a gap year.
- Increase academic performance
One of the reasons why a lot of college students prefer to take gap years is because they want to challenge themselves by enrolling in more difficult courses and aiming for a higher score. A gap year will give an individual that opportunity and that time to try out different courses and improve study techniques to demonstrate academic achievement.
- Avoid academic burnout
Although it is important to maintain decent grades and stay on top of assignments, it is also important to not get too burnt out. A gap year is also the perfect time to take a break from academics and spend time focusing on activities one enjoys. For instance, I did not want to prepare for my MCAT during my gap year so I tried to plan out in a way that I can take it before graduation and spend my gap year working at an organization I am passionate about.
- Discover your interests
This is perhaps the most important reason as to why I was glad I took a gap year before applying to medical school. My gap year allowed me to realize how much I wanted to be a part of the healthcare field, and how much I enjoyed learning about human physiology. I was glad that I had the opportunity to truly ask myself if this is the type of career I would want.
- Live your life to the fullest
Take a gap year for yourself. Not because anyone told you to, but because you genuinely want to and see that as the best option for yourself. Don’t feel pressured to apply to a certain program or engage in activities you are not prepared nor fully interested in. Use this time to discover your passions and to further improve and better yourself. Do activities that you are interested in and learn from your experiences.
To conclude, I am glad that things worked out the way they did! I would have regretted not taking a gap year and focusing on myself. This way, I was able to spend more time in my research lab, volunteer at non-profit organizations, and get to know my professors better as classes transitioned into in-person. I understand that there is a stigma attached to the idea of gap years, but it all depends on what you make of your experience!