Many students think that taking a year off anytime during medical school will hurt your chances for residency. The truth is that it largely depends on what you did during that time. If you are seeking to enter very competitive specialties such as dermatology or radiology, taking a year off will hurt you more than if you’re shooting for a spot in internal medicine. If you do decide to take a year off, what should you do?
Research
Many students take a year off for a break before residency and decide to pad their CV with some research experience. In fact, many students think it is necessary to have research on their CV for specialties such as radiology or opthalmology (and usually complete this research during medical school). The bottom line is that research is good for your CV, particularly if it is clinically-oriented, no matter what you are deciding to pursue. This does not mean you absolutely need research experience under your belt in order to score a residency spot of your choosing.
Volunteer Health Work
Something like going overseas and volunteering in some third-world country providing health care to people would be ideal. As most of you already know, this kind of stuff isn’t my cup of tea. But, if you do decide to take a year off, this is another great option so that you don’t lose out on your dream residency.
Other options include the typical stuff that you would expect: Working for a non-profit agency, building homes for Habitat for Humanity, working in a soup kitchen, starting a new charity, etc. You may want to check this site out for some free stuff while you’re looking for charity options.
What You Would (Actually) Like To Do
Now, most of you reading this would probably like to do something more relaxing or fun. I’ll be the first person to tell you that I don’t blame you at all. But, taking a year off and spending it skiing in Colorado does not look good to program directors. It’s a sad, sad fact.
God forbid you do anything for pure enjoyment if you expect to re-enter medicine a year later. Anything other than clinically-oriented grunt work or something to “better the community” during your year off immediately erases any type of medical knowledge that you have gained over the last four years and makes you totally inadequate for the practice of medicine. That’s what the program directors would have you believe.
In order to stay competitive, you have to play their game. Unfortunately if you want a year off, you’ll need to be in a lab somewhere or volunteering at some free clinic in Kenya. There are some exceptions to this rule, such as becoming ill or pregnant.
If you do decide to take some time off, expect to answer the question about what you did during your time off during your interviews. Remember, they don’t know exactly what you did during your year off – and how many people really call and check on references?
As I said earlier, taking a year off doesn’t completely put you out of the running for the residency spot that you want. You’ll just need to finesse the things that you do during your year off and what you tell the program directors during your interviews.
Depending on the program you go to, doing an MPH can be a way to have a more chill year off that can still “look good” on paper. I know a couple of people who have done this and seem pretty happy with their decision.
Actually, taking a year off can help your application. For derm, doing a year of research and getting some publications is a good method of distinguishing yourself. If you look at the data from the match (http://www.nrmp.org/matchoutcomes.pdf), you’ll see that most applicants to derm and plastics are matched.
I meant to say that most are published.
Yeah, I neglected to mention the MPH. That would indeed be a great way to take a year off and still remain chill.
You know what’s sad, though?
Having to find “chill” ways to take a year off and still remain competitive to begin with. Honestly guys, you should be able to do whatever the fuck you want to in your year off and it not hurt your application.
But, we all know that’s not the case. Program directors, let’s get real. People that take a year off and do “fun stuff” still deserve a spot in your residency program.
Fuck, they’re more well-rounded than those hard-asses you’re used to hiring.
i would agree with everything you said.
one of the problems that taking a year off does is it raises a flag. it makes people wonder … why?
i think if you are going to take a year off, do something that you genuinely have a interest in or a desire to do. research, another degree, volunteer, whatever … just have a reason. if you take a year off to be a ski bum, well be able to explain it. if you are going to take a year off to relax, make sure you application is tight before you do (for the competitive sub-specialties). if you where a average applicant or less, then you take a risk by taking a year off.
i did see one person who took a year off that was helpful to his application and allowed him to have some chill time. he went to an african hospital an did humanitarian work there (he was running wards etc.). he did that for 6 months. then he applied and had a normal job (to make ends meet) for the next 6 months. that made his application interesting and gave him true time off.
Third world humanitarian volunteering isn’t “chill time”. What the hell is wrong with medical students.
Someonect: From a program director’s point of view, why is being a ski bum or hiking and traveling for a year considered “bad?”
In other words, what “flags” are raised if you see an application where that is what an applicant did in their time off?
I fail to see how a year of leisure time or travel disqualifies an applicant for a particular program. In reality, it shows that they have other interests than medicine and that’s only healthy – and human.
taking a year off raises a flag. i did not say a red flag, but a flag. it makes you pause and wounder why? that year off may have been for an interest that makes them unique.
unique means something other that what we always see. traveling the world, ski instructor, ski team member, these are things that separate you apart from others.
it does make me pause when reviewing the app. and brings up questions in the interview. for instance, the guy that did the 6 months in the african country. that was his goal. he had volunteered at multiple different levels and had this desire for the future. it was obvious in speaking to him and it was in his personality. and his personal statement was the best for the year.
the i interviewed a young lady who volunteered, did not take a year off. it was obvious to me and all my other colleagues, that none of this was genuine.
so taking a year off to do something to better “yourself” does not make you a worse candidate but it puts a neon light on your application. an nothing disqualifies an applicant. we have a difficult specialty to get into, so you have to be careful. every year we have great applicants that do not match (more applicants than spots)
this was a post from our forums (orthogate)
TibulaDoc: “According to ERAS, of the 616 positions offered this year, 578 were filled by US seniors. If the numbers posted in this thread are right and there were 1084 US seniors who applied this year, the match rate for US seniors was 53%. That’s way lower than last year….I know this past match was tough, but was it really that tough?”
“The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves happy. The amount of work is the same.†~ Carlos Castaneda
I’m not sure how great the pregnancy thing looks either. While technically they probably can’t hold it against you, my friends who have chosen to have a baby during 4th year and to take a year off have reported to me that program directors seem to think that their knowledge base has deteriorated, and interrogate them to that end. Medicine would probably be ok, but maybe don’t do it if you’re going into derm?
That’s what I really don’t get – the fact that program directors think your knowledge base disappears after some time off. Sure, you’ll be a bit rusty in some areas but it’s nothing that you can’t recover in a relatively rapid time frame.
Despite this, though, there is no reason for the grilling and/or otherwise thinking that the person isn’t a candidate for their program. It’s like all program directors think their program is the absolute best.
“If you take a year off for any reason, you’re simply not good enough for our program.”
Bullshit. They’re not all that great. I think the first step is for the program directors to get off their high horse and accept the fact that 50% of the programs are in the bottom 50% of programs nationwide.
it’s funny how people will project how people respond to taking the year off or how program director will act or that they will grill you. you have 15-30 minutes to interview someone. that interview is to figure out if you can actually work with them and if they would fit into “the program.”
““If you take a year off for any reason, you’re simply not good enough for our program.â€
Bullshit. They’re not all that great. I think the first step is for the program directors to get off their high horse and accept the fact that 50% of the programs are in the bottom 50% of programs nationwide.”
why such anger?
I took more than a year off, didn’t do any research or save a village full of 3rd world orphans, and still managed to get into a very competitive specialty. Do what you want, but be able to tell a good story about it. That is the key. In my opinion, programs want a person who is hard-working, interesting, easy to work with, and ultimately non-pathologic. I can’t recall how many people I saw on the interview trail who where waaaay more qualified than me on paper, but were not charismatic or had obvious personality disorders. These guys didn’t do well. Now, of course there are pathologic people who can put on their “A game” for the interview, but I think most program directors have finely tuned bullshit detectors. Someday when I’m in a position to make these decisions, the applicant who took a year off to ski or surf is going to get serious consideration. Too many people in medicine are one-dimensional. I want to work with people that I would be willing to go get a beer with after work and not have to talk about work.
this question is for REO SpeedDealer … what did you end up doing for your year off then? and how did you frame it to residency directors?
i totally agree that a year off is a year off… once in a life time opportunitiy.. we’re dedicating the rest of our lives to medicine… why should it be a crime to do something we enjoy for a year.
I took a year off to:
1. Play in a band.
2. Make very high quality web cartoons.
3. Do some very light, non-clinical research in a topic I’m personally interested in.
4. Read about medicine, because I find it extremely interesting, even after the drudgery of clerkship.
5. Figure out what I want to do.
I’m happy. Extremely happy.
I recently graduated from medical school for many reasons, but I’m actually having a hard time trying to decide what to do with it. I am where I want to be and really want to get into internal medicine next year, but am limiting myself regionally when I apply. My question is, what should I do? I’ll add that I partly took this year off for a break from my life – LOTS going on with family, personal life, etc, on top of managing to pass med school all during med school. I’ve stepped away from the bulk of those things that were more a hindrance than a support, which I feel was a very healthy move on my part. Anyway, I’d like to hear your thoughts.
Hey everyone,
I would like to thank the person for starting this thread and allowing me to leave comments. Just as some of you, I would like to take a year off from med school to figure out what I want to do (too many specialty options) and get some clinical research experience as well but for some reason, either it’s me or I am finding it difficult to be able to:
1) Get a research project for one year (Funding issues!). It’s more easier to enrol into a 2-year MD-MSc program and I am not sure I can dedicate two years of my life.
2) Setup a research project at an institution other than the one I am graduating from.
3) Shadow physicians at this other institution because I am not considered a medical student (but a graduate student)
Oh yeah, I am in CANADA. If you guys have any suggestions, that would be really appreciated.
Good luck to you all.
DA
P.S: I am applying to a “competitive speciality”, I think!
Question: does this year off apply if you take it as a first year med student, ie withdraw from first year for personal reasons and return the following year to start over? And what if your school/board records are great by the time you apply for residency, will that year you took off way back in first year affect you?
Any insight into this would greatly be appreciated.
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