I know this blog post will seem a tad odd since I've just started the blog and have no previous mention about being on a "gap year", but I thought it would be the perfect time to elaborate on where I am in my medical application journey and also in my life.
So, I guess I should begin by explaining what the heck a gap year even means. Well, typically when a pre-med student says that they are taking/took a gap year what they mean is that they took a year off from schooling before beginning medical school. I feel like this has become more common than before, but it might also seem that way since I've been on one myself haha. When I first started undergrad, taking a gap year seemed like a very foreign idea and definitely not a part of my plan towards becoming a doctor.
As a very plan-oriented pre-med, I had a vision of what my journey to medical school should be like. I would finish up my four years of undergrad, go on to medical school directly after graduation, go on to residency after that, hopefully, meet someone in the years leading up to that point, get married, have kids, blah blah blah. Yea, as many of us know, life doesn't seem to always work out that way haha. I'll tell you what, though, I'm so happy it doesn't. If many of the things that I hoped had happened exactly how I wanted them to, I wouldn't be half of the woman that I am today. I'll be honest. For me, this gap year did come as a complete surprise. I had prepared myself to take on the medical application cycle at the end of my junior year ( which is common if you intend to go on to medical school right after undergrad) and found myself faced with the decision to take a gap year when the results of my MCAT ( which I had stupidly scheduled two days after my last final) were not what I thought best represented my abilities. Although a bit scared of what might come, I decided that taking a gap year would be the best option for me, and thankfully that has held true.
So, how has it been thus far? For the most part, I'd say it has been a blessing in disguise. The plans that I had scheduled to fill my gap year have been a tad rocky, but for the most part the free-time and sanity that I have gained from taking a break from school have made everything else seem mild. I'm so thankful that I had the liberty to undergo the crazy medical school application process free from the demands of school, and I strongly believe that has made it feel more manageable. During my interview days, I've heard students talk about how they were missing class to interview or about how they had all this work to catch up on after their interview. although I know I could've dealt with the demands of interviewing while finishing up senior year, I'm happy I didn't have to. I have been able to solely focus on my medical school applications, work my schedule around my interviews, and have the time to just relax and ensure that I put my best foot forward. The process is stressful enough, and not having school stress is the best. Taking a gap year has allowed me to work on my relationships with my friends, family, and myself. I've had the time to recharge and get myself in the right mindset to start medical school next fall.
What are the downsides? Well, for one, not having a clear plan can be rather daunting when you want your gap year to feel meaningful. I've dabbled in a few things, and I do have more things planned, but having it all be up in the air can be frustrating. Student loans (ugh). Not being enrolled in school obviously means that student loans will have to start being paid, and it is a bummer, but hey I have a great education haha. Feeling out of the school loop. It honestly feels like I'm stuck in a perpetual summer break (not really a bad thing), and it's almost Christmas. It doesn't even feel like Chistmas season because Christmas time has always been signaled by the increased bodily stress induced by finals for the past 8 plus years haha.
Currently, I am just working for the retail store that I worked for during my senior year of college while I'm trying to plan my next move. I work with some really great people, so I'm having a blast, but I do feel ready to try something else. I'll try to keep you posted:)
Well, I believe this post can best be summarized by the picture that I chose for this post. I took the picture on a random Tuesday morning hiking trip ( a gap year luxury) with my best friend, Elida. The state park that we were at had so many sktetchy areas that were marked with the "this is not a trail" sign that the entire trip we would jokingly get to places and say "hey guesss what? this is not a trail." What the heck am I getting at? Well, in life there are many plans that might not seem to be the right "trail" for us, but sometimes it's good to venture off and see what life surprises you with. During our hiking trip, we inadvertenly fell off the trail so many times, and not gonna lie we ended up on some iffy paths, but I had such a blast exploring the cliffs and trails with my bestfriend that it didn't matter. The adventure made me feel alive, and that's all that I could've hoped for.
~Genesis<3
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