The term “gap year” (also called a “growth year” or “glide year”) refers to the time taken between when you finish your undergraduate studies and when you begin health professional school.
Is taking a gap year common?
Yes! We encourage all of our applicants to consider taking one or more gap years and nearly 80% of BU applicants do.
The average age of students entering allopathic medical school is now 24-25 years old. According to the AAMC, medical school admissions officers shared that “students who have taken a year or more after school to pursue other experiences are typically more successful in the admissions process and more successful in medical school.”
It is also very common for pre-PA students to take one or more gap years in order to accumulate a significant amount of direct patient care hours, which can be challenging to accomplish during college. PAEA reports the average age of students entering physician assistant programs is 24 years old.
MD/PhD applicants typically take 2-3 gap years since it is essential to have developed clinical experience and in-depth research experience before applying. The AAMC recommends that applicants should have a solid understanding of their research and be able to effectively communicate the research completed. For additional information about preparing for MD/PhD programs, we recommend watching our MD/PhD panel recording.
What are the benefits?
Most health professional schools can be another 4+ years of education and training. Regardless of which type of health professional program you’re interested in pursuing, it’s wise to consider taking some time before starting a rigorous new program. Some benefits include the opportunities to:
- Build meaningful and sustained experiences working with patients in a clinical setting
- Demonstrate your commitment to community service and helping those in need
- Strengthen your academics by improving your GPA or taking additional coursework to satisfy prerequisites
- Have more time to study for the program’s standardized test, such as the MCAT
- Work, save money, or get your finances in order before starting a new program
- Get stronger letters of recommendation by having more time to develop connections with potential recommenders
- Develop valuable skills such as professionalism, maturity, and independence through additional work/life experiences
- Travel, spend time with family, or take a much needed break in order to start fresh
Also keep in mind that if you take one gap year, you are able to show all 4 years of your academic progress when you apply. Whereas if you apply straight, you are only able to demonstrate 3 years of your academics and extracurriculars on your application.
What should I do during my gap year?
This is a personal decision, but we are happy to meet with you to help you determine which parts of your application may need to be strengthened. As mentioned above, this time can be used to gain more clinical experiences, enhance your academic record, volunteer with community service organizations, take additional prerequisite coursework, or develop personal and professional skills.
We encourage applicants to build in-depth clinical experiences over a period of time. The AAMC website explains that, “sustained engagement in medically related activities over a long period of time demonstrates commitment to the medical profession.” For many students it can be understandably challenging to accumulate a significant number of clinical hours during the school year. Therefore, it is common for pre-health students to take a gap year in order to work in clinical settings in which they are interacting directly with patients. Some examples of this include working as an EMT, medical assistant, medical scribe, or a CNA.
For students who do not have the same access to opportunities as others, please keep in mind that health professional schools review applications holistically. You can work with us to determine if it’s appropriate for you to share certain challenges in the personal statement essay.
Should I take one or more gap years?
This depends on several factors, including the types of programs you’re applying to as well as the activities you have been engaged in thus far. Pre-health advisors can help you determine whether taking one or more gap years could be beneficial for you.
Pre-health advisors can help you plan your application timeline and provide you with recommendations about what to do during your gap year(s) based on what you accomplish during your undergraduate career. BU alumni always have access to our office, so if you take multiple gap years you can still schedule appointments with us to discuss your application questions.
Gap Years & Standardized Test Timelines
Taking one or more gap years can give you more time to prepare for the standardized test. We recommend taking your standardized test (such as the MCAT, DAT, GRE, etc.) no later than April or May of the year that you intend to submit your application.
- For individuals applying straight (no gap year), we recommend that you take your exam by April/May of junior year.
- For individuals applying with one gap year, we recommend that you take your exam by April/May of senior year. However, many applicants planning to take one gap year will take the MCAT in the summer between junior and senior years.
- For individuals applying with two gap years, we recommend that you take your exam by April/May of the year you intend to submit your application.
There are a few more things to keep in mind regarding the timeline of taking your standardized test for health professional programs.
- Some profession’s standardized tests (for vet, physician assistant, nursing, optometry) may have slightly different recommended timelines. We recommend speaking with a pre-health advisor if you have any questions regarding when to take a standardized test.
- Medical schools typically only accept MCAT scores for a specific amount of time. We recommend checking each school’s policy regarding how many years they will accept an MCAT score before it’s no longer considered valid.
- It’s ideal to avoid having to retake a standardized test. Studying for the exam is time consuming and can be exhausting, so we recommend taking the test when you feel you are best prepared to do so.
You can read more about standardized tests here.
Other Considerations & Resources
