My daughter wants to take a gap year after undergrad for Peace Corp or something like it. Will med schools defer entry or do you have to apply later?
I’d advise she wait to apply.
2 reasons–
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Peace Corp (or TFA or Americorp or similar service programs) will strengthen her application.
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Some med schools may allow her to defer admission for one year. None that I know of will allow her to defer for 2 years.*
**Policies for deferment vary widely by school.
Some require “urgent personal reasons” (like caretaking of a parent, spouse or child with a life threatening illness); others permit deferment for any reasonable reason (not traveling for pleasure or the like); some will not allow deferments for any reason.
***Peace Corp and TFA require a 2 year commitment (Peace Corp is 27 months). Med schools do not look kindly upon people who do not fulfill their commitment obligations.
Got it! That’s very helpful, @wayoutwestmom.
If she has already taken the MCAT, she needs to be aware that she may need a retake if she took the old MCAT. AAMC has a list of schools that will not take the old MCAT even if it is unexpired and the list is quite long for the 2016-2017 admission season.
The new MCAT should be fine after two years in the Peace Corp.
I think it’s wonderful that your D wants to do this, but if your D already has a competitive application for medical school now, she might consider going straight to medical school and joining an organization like Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) after she is fully trained. The more training you have, the more you have to offer. Best of luck to your D.
@mizzbee: daughter is an 18 year-old freshman so no, she’s not taken the MCAT. However, that’s a really good point. She’s always been big on volunteering (and planning!) so I won’t be surprised if she does take this route. Most helpful. Thank you.
@plumazul: she’s got MSF on her radar for post-med school. I don’t know what I’ll have for dinner but yeah, she’s got her post-med school plan going…