By You have been working on getting a good GPA to get to medical school for a couple of years now. After spending all this time in college, you’re probably wondering if it’s a good idea to take a gap year before joining medical school. Med schools are becoming more selective, and students are taking gap years before they sit for the AMCAs. Taking time off has great benefits, but it only depends on how you plan to spend the time you take off. Before you decide on taking a gap year, make sure you determine whether your GPA meets the required points with the science GPA calculator to ensure that your GPA is within the ideal range for the med schools of your choice.
Here’s a deeper dive into the benefits of taking a gap year before you join med school:
More Time to Improve Your MCAT Score
It is quite hard to prepare for your MCAT with scheduled classes. Taking time off to prepare for the test will ensure a higher chance of joining the best medical schools. Most students take a gap year because they are skeptical about their chances of admission. In most cases, they feel like they need more time to prepare for the test. If you have taken your MCAT and earned low scores, a gap year will give you enough time to prepare and achieve a higher score.
Gain More research Experience
Taking a gap year before starting medical school could give you a chance to build your clinical experience. It will also give you a chance to enhance your research experience. Your application will be compared against people who have had a great experience in university labs and hospitals. You will need your application to also stand out. By taking a gap year you’ll also know if you are better with patients or would rather spend your time in research. Keep in mind that you will need around 15 experiences to fill up your AMCAS activities. So, make sure you fill it up during your gap year.
Earn Money
Med school tuition fee is not cheap. A gap year can help you save up the money that you will need while in school. If you are not a fan of student loans, you might want to take a gap year or two to help you save some money for med school.
Have Some Experience in The Real World
Taking some time off between college and med school will help you gain a much-needed perspective on the real world. Sometimes, it helps get off the academic bubble that can often give students a false sense of security. You can spend time volunteering to gain more experience. This can be beneficial since med schools look to see that your efforts go beyond your graduating.
Prevent Burn-Out
You have been in school for most of your life, and a break could help. Taking time off academics will help you feel well-rested before you enter another intense academic season.
Taking a gap year from medical school will give you time to get experience in the real world. It is also a great time for you to improve your MCAT score while still resting to ensure that you do not get burnout.
