I’m currently a bio major in my second year. I am hoping to go to medical school after i graduate but I was wondering whether it would be better for me to take a gap year after I graduate to gain more clinical experience or not take a gap year. Also, right now I am beginning to take my upper division bio classes. I think spacing out the classes would be better for me (and my GPA) but then I would finish in fall of 2020 instead of spring of 2020. I know its only a semester late, but that would delay my application process for medical school, and I don’t know which months/years i should start the application, startstudying for the MCAT, etc. I know I still have a lot of time but i just want to have an idea of what i have to do! thanks!
Especially if you need to build up your pre-med activities – volunteering, shadowing, etc. – taking a gap year could be beneficial. My oldest son is currently taking a gap year, and he’s been spending it on pre-med activities and preparing for the MCAT, as well. He’ll be returning to college in the fall as a junior. My good friend’s son just graduated this past year from Amherst with great GPA and near perfect MCAT score, yet his college pre-med adviser recommended that he takes a couple gap years before he applies to med schools to build up his pre-med activities.
I totally think you should take a gap year before the stress of med school starts. Not only will it be good for you to accrue clinical experience, but it will be beneficial for you to take a much deserved break from school in order to engage in pre-med activities and things you are passionate about. Taking a gap year was seriously the best decision I ever made and it made me a stronger applicant for schools. I don’t believe I would’ve gotten into many of the schools that I did had I not taken a gap year and developed through many of the activities I engaged in during that year.I’ll direct you to this post on my blog about my Gap Year that can hopefully provide you with some more info—> https://www.soulfulseedsblog.com/2018/05/why-you-should-take-a-gap-year/… let me know if you have any questions!