Understanding Reasons for Electing Gap Years Between Undergraduate Education and Medical School and the Perceived Impact of Gap Years on the Student Experience of Medical Education: An Interview Study

Abstract

Gap years have grown in popularity among many students attempting to go to medical school in recent years. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), more than half of matriculated students have taken time off between their undergraduate studies and medical school. While many anecdotally claim benefits to taking gap years, research surrounding the impacts of these gap year experiences on medical students is largely nonexistent. The objective of this study was to qualitatively analyze the gap year phenomenon and its impacts on medical students’ subsequent experience of medical school. Semi-structured interviews were conducted at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine, which were recorded and transcribed verbatim for thematic analysis. An Interpretive Phenomenological Approach was taken, and the primary analysis was performed by Haroon Rashid, who is a pre-medical student aiming to take a gap year prior to medical school. Nine medical students gave informed consent and participated in interviews conducted online via Zoom. Students from each of the four years in the MD program were represented in the sample. Six students had previously applied to medical school, four of whom took gap year(s) to improve their applications. Six students engaged in clinical activity during their gap year(s), four of whom worked as medical scribes; four students engaged in non-clinical jobs. Emergent themes on the perceived benefits of gap years were: 1) Increased adaptability and resilience that lead to better management of stress and burnout, 2) Professional identity formation and “real world” experiences that lead to increased recognition of a patient-centered approach to medicine, 3) Reinforcement of motivation and increased reflective capacity. A perceived disadvantage compared to traditional students was a short-lived challenge in returning to the study routines of full-time academic life. We conclude that gap year experiences, in general, provide significant benefits to students and their medical schools in terms of increased maturity and professionalism from the first day of training.