Gap year during medical school

[blue]

hey

i'm in the second year of medical school, and basically for the past two years i've been really un motivated to work and am thinking why am i here, do i really want to be a doctor?

the past two exams periods (this year and last year) have been a real struggle, as i really don't have much motivation to really do it. i think it's because i'm a bit burnt out from school, and i never really sat down to think if medicine was the right choice. i never looked at any other choices.

so today i went to see my personal tutor about this, and asked whether it would be possible to take a gap year so sort my head out, see if i really want to do medicine, and mature a bit.

he said i would have to write to the head of the medical school asking permission and told me to come back next week once i thought of what i would do in that gap year.

so i was thinking i would travel somewhere and help out at a hospital/orphanage/school etc with a gap year company.

do you think there is a vaild thing to do? is there anything else i could do? have you heard of anyone else taking a gap year like this in the middle of medical school?

thanku soo much!!

xxxxx

[belis]

I have heard of people taking time out but it was becouse of serious ilness/berevment this sort of circumstances.

I think if you want to travel combaining it with some sort of work experience/carrying role is a good thing. Will halp you decide if medicine is for you. Alternatively you could get a job in a hospital in UK and observe daily work of doctors here to get an idea if it is for you. Even better combine both and you will earn some money to spend when you travel.

By the way, not my bussiness realy but did you consider that you may be depressed slightly? Maybe you should talk with somone from consuling. Thay may support your case at medical school and also help you look at different options and decides what is realy best for you.

[sweetie-pie]

it is possible so long as you can convince the faculty that you will gain something valuable for a career in medicine (communication skills, experience with people, maturity). Entirely dependent upon the views of the medical school.

[rjm]

Someone in my year did it. Not sure of the reasons behind her taking a year out but she travelled and worked from what I understand (nothing related to medicine)

Different medschools will consider things differently though. You have to remember that they have already spent a fair amount on you so it is better that they can get you through it.

[Renal]

Mmm... I dunno about gaining something valuable for a career in medicine.

I know someone who took a year out to be a musician, fair number of people take time away for (serious) sports.

[curlyclaire]

I'm sorry to hear ou are finding it hard. I must admit I am very glad I took a gap year after my a levels (although my dad thought it was a waste of time and nearly disowned me!). I think taking some time out to reassess what you are doing is always a good idea to keep focused as to why you want to finish the med degree - it's hard work but I reckon worth it at the end. The other option rather than taking a whole yearoff might be to get out to somewhere completely new for the summer just to have a break.

whichever you choose there are lots of things you can do in your time out, but try to get some clinical experience if you can, as it will show your uni you are still dedicated. I know lots of people who did take time off before starting uni - both medically related and other, so let me know if you want some ideas.

[blue]

thanks for all your replies

belis, i have considered depression. esp begininng of this year, i've been crying a lot for no particular reason, but since it's been kinda off and on, and i've been so busy this year with work etc, i haven't had that much to investigate it, it's become somethng that just happens...my personal tutor has asked me if i would like to have couselling, but i think it's quite embarrassing, and there are other people worse than me who need it, e.g. someone's died, etc.

i've got an exam on monday, so i'm not thinking much about where my life is going atm. i don't know if i should go see a counseller after exams, cos everything will seem so much different then. but i know when exams come around again, or when uni starts agan in september, it'll all come back. do u think i should go anyway? or leave it till next term?

curlyclaire, ooh, could u tell me what ppl did in their gap year?

i really don't know what my personal tutor expects me to say, cos honestly i don't care what i do, as long as it's not got an exam at the end of the year!

thanks again!

xxxx

[belis]

my personal tutor has asked me if i would like to have couselling, but i think it's quite embarrassing, and there are other people worse than me who need it, e.g. someone's died, etc.

I can understand why you consider couselling embarrassing. It is very difficult to talk openly about your problems with a stranger plus you may have other issues like "what if you mates find out" or "I am week bacouse I need it" or whatever. Remember though that it is confidential service and the counsuler has hard everything you are going to tell before at one point of another. Don't think that your problems are not serious enough or thet others deserve them more. If they need help they will get it, you are not taking it away from anyone by using the service. Plus if something is big enough for you to make you cry and worry it is definitely worth discussing with somone.

Personaly I think you should go. If you feel better after the exam it may be easier to make that important and difficult first visit to the consulling service. Then if you need it more in the next semester you will already know the drill and it will be easier.

I think your tutor expects you to come up with some plan as what are you going to do over that year to justify that it is not a waste of time.

Good luck for Monday .

[curlyclaire]

most of the guys i know who did medical stuff in their gapyear did it through companies like teaching & project abroad. I saw this company www.worktheworld.co.uk on the elective page and spoke to them about doing a summer placement. they seem pretty decent an its all medical projects so maybe speak to them.

guess it depends where you wanna go, i'm looking at Africa myself. wot are you thinking?

[blue]

hey, exams are over...it still feels really odd...!

anyway, i made an appointment witht the couselling service this week. I told my personal tutor that i'd come back to him once i decided whether or not i want to ask for a gap year after talking through my problems with the couselling people. thanku for ure support belis

curlyclaire, thanx for the website, looks really good, not had a proper look yet tho. When are you thinking of goin?

xxxx