Plan to defer or apply later?

I've met with quite a few students recently considering the timing of their med school applications. For those who know they want to take some time off, the question is whether to apply now and plan to defer enrollment or apply later and plan to enter med school for that application year.

Quite a few advisors and admissions deans have been weighing in on the topic. I thought I'd share one perspective from a med school admissions dean. Some of the text has been modified to remove identifying information.

I would just like to clarify some points from a medical school perspective.

First and foremost, applicants can only request deferral if they have been accepted to medical school, that is, if they already hold a place in an entering class. There is no "deferral policy" from AMCAS, so each medical school decides whether:

1. it grants deferrals (and many do not);
2. it has deadlines to apply for deferral;
3. it places conditions for the deferrals (ie. one year, two, indefinite, etc or only granted for certain reasons);
4. whether the deferral is binding or not.

It gets slightly more complicated because of point #4 and the fact that AMCAS requires all deferred applicants to reapply, for there is no other way to enter them in the matriculation year's data base. The reapplication, though, is more or less a bureaucratic procedure and if the medical school has a "binding" deferral policy, there is not even an application fee involved. A binding policy means that the applicant can only "reapply" to the one school that granted him/her the deferral. If the deferral is not binding, then AMCAS charges the fee because, in principle, the applicant can reapply in the open market while still holding a place at one school.

I know, it is kind of complicated. Hopefully I was able to explain things more or less clearly. We typically defer between 5-8 applicants each year, almost automatically upon receiving a request. This is because, in general, the request is for work/study/fellowship related activities. From our perspective Rhodes, Fulbrights and other prestigious fellowships or awards get our automatic deferral. We do have a binding policy so the deferred applicants don't pay the AMCAS fee and are automatically entered as "Accepted" in the reapplication year data base.

When applicants approach me to ask whether they should apply one particular year but with the intention of deferring, my advice is to say, "don't do it."

Lee Ann and I agree with this final assessment. We do recommend that students not apply to medical school until they are ready to attend, given the restrictions on deferral and the advantages of having an extra year for the medical schools to review (i.e. more life experience, more coursework, etc.). In addition, if an applicant is accepted off a wait list, he or she will not be able to defer. On the other hand, if applicants are fortunate to receive a great opportunity, or decide after application that they need a break, they may apply for and be granted a deferral.

We're of course available to discuss your particular situation.

Sophie, M.D.