Questions about time off

We've gotten several good questions about time off. For example:

Is it possible to take a year or two off after getting into medical school? As in, is it possible to apply to medical schools during junior/senior year, and possibly get into one or two, and then ask to defer years, once in? Or if you take time off, do you have to apply during that time off?

Good question. It may seem that it is better to apply, have your acceptance in your pocket, and then take a year break. However, it is a bit more complicated than that:

1. Not all medical schools will let you defer.
   
   
2. Those medical schools that do grant deferrals may only do so for very specific reasons, such as winning a competitive fellowship like the Rhodes. For example, one of our students who had been accepted to a New York medical school asked for a deferral so that he could work in an AIDS clinic in San Francisco for a year after college graduation. The medical school denied him the deferral. Part of the reason admissions deans may not want to grant you a deferral is that they are admitting a whole class. Granting deferrals means they no longer have the balance they were trying to achieve with the incoming class.
   
   
3. In general, when you are granted a deferral, you are promising that you will attend that school after a year and that you will not apply to other medical schools. If you change your mind about the school where you were accepted, you can of course apply somewhere else. However, you will have to give up your acceptance, which is a hard thing to do!
   
   
4. Medical schools know whether you have applied to medical schools in the past. So, say you were accepted to Happy U Med School, were granted a deferral for a year, and then changed your mind and decided to apply to Very Important Place Med School. VIP Med School will know that you were accepted elsewhere and will not look favorably on your application.
   
   
5. Finally (sorry this is getting so lengthy!), you will most likely be a stronger applicant if you apply after your senior year. You will have one more year of experiences, courses, recommenders, etc.

Jeff and I are happy to talk to you individually to discuss your unique circumstances. As always, feel free to call OCS Reception at 495 2595 (press "0") to set up a time to meet with one of us and/or to find out about our walk-in schedule for the week.