Should I take a year off before or after medical school?

[ira4802]

Should I take a year off traveling before I endeavor surviving medical school? Or should I do it after residency? Will I even have time then?

[ArchEnemy]

Do it before medical school. Once residency starts, your program (and peers) will not like that you take a year off, as this means that there are fewer of them to share the call shifts.

[Lactic Folly]

After residency no one will care, as long as you and yours don't mind being unemployed that year.

[rmorelan]

After residency no one will care, as long as you and yours don't mind being unemployed that year.

 

I have seen a number of people do that - just take 6 months off or so post residency/fellowships to relax a bit.

[shady]

After residency no one will care, as long as you and yours don't mind being unemployed that year.

 

Would this also apply for hospital positions? Or is this mostly for family docs who run their own practice?

 

Edit: sorry I should clarify; if a surgeon, radiologist, hospital IMist ... etc were to take a gap year after residency/fellowship, wouldn't it be harder for said doctor to find permanent employment with a gap in their CV?

[A-Stark]

Probably. Not to put too fine a point on it, but "gap years" are for people in the early 20s. After residency you enter the working world of independent practice, and time off is called "vacation". There's no reason why you couldn't take off a lot of time especially if you're doing locums as many do, but an entire year seems kinda ridiculous.

[rmorelan]

Probably. Not to put too fine a point on it, but "gap years" are for people in the early 20s. After residency you enter the working world of independent practice, and time off is called "vacation". There's no reason why you couldn't take off a lot of time especially if you're doing locums as many do, but an entire year seems kinda ridiculous.

 

unless you have a good reason - mat or pat leave, doing research somewhere, maybe some international project you are working ....

 

One small extra point but skills go stale pretty quickly so you don't want to just take endless time off etc.

[shady]

Makes sense. Thanks!

[Lactic Folly]

Would this also apply for hospital positions? Or is this mostly for family docs who run their own practice?

 

Edit: sorry I should clarify; if a surgeon, radiologist, hospital IMist ... etc were to take a gap year after residency/fellowship, wouldn't it be harder for said doctor to find permanent employment with a gap in their CV?

 

Yes, I was speaking to the feasibility of taking that time off after residency (versus needing to be granted leave/vacation if in school/practice), not to the effects on future employment.