palma Posted July 21, 2009 Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 I apologize if this has been addressed before. How would admission committees look upon somebody applying to medical school during a gap year (in between 3rd and 4th year). Would I hurt my chances because I would be applying as a 3rd year student or because I would not be in a full-time university program at the time of application. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
future_doc Posted July 21, 2009 Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 You pose a most interesting question. I suggest you email a couple of med schools that interest you and get it from the horse's mouth so to speak. I believe that 3rd year students have an uphill battle compared to those entering final year of UG, and that you would need somehow to explain your gap year, so they understand it is a 'gap year' only. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palma Posted July 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 I do have a good reason for why I am taking the year off so, that is not my biggest worry. What I am worried about is exactly what you mentioned about third year students facing an uphill battle. To make things more complicated I am not sure whether third year students have a tougher time because of their third year standing or due to the fact that they are younger and have less experience compared to their counterparts who have completed three years of study. I did e-mail the schools and am waiting for a response. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
future_doc Posted July 21, 2009 Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 I think it is an uphill battle b/c the other applicants generally are more qualified academically and due to the fact they have a longer history b/c they are older. However, those facing an uphill battle do also get in early, so it all depends upon each applicant's qualifications within the current pool and then, luck plays its role in this lottery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wut? Posted July 21, 2009 Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 I do have a good reason for why I am taking the year off so, that is not my biggest worry. What I am worried about is exactly what you mentioned about third year students facing an uphill battle. To make things more complicated I am not sure whether third year students have a tougher time because of their third year standing or due to the fact that they are younger and have less experience compared to their counterparts who have completed three years of study. I did e-mail the schools and am waiting for a response. I think that the "3rd year" complication is a combination of both of the factors you mentioned: maturity and life experience. These are the non-quantifiable factors that make it difficult for anyone to tell a second or third year whether or not they'll be able to get in, because chances are those applicants already have relatively stellar GPA's which make it difficult to discern applicants by that venue alone. Good luck with your application! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palma Posted July 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2009 Yeah, it is worth keeping in mind that I am somewhere in between third and fourth year applicants. I will have more academic and life experiences than third year students. The difference between myself and a fourth year will be the extra academic credits that I would lack. However, my experiences outside of academics during the year off would set me apart from fourth year. It still remains that luck would play a significant role in the app cycle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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