Before immersing themselves in molecular biology, biopharmaceutics, anatomy, or any other health related course at the professional school level, many students follow up their undergraduate education with a hiatus or change. Many personal, academic, and altruistic reasons compel these individuals to take time off from the educational fast track. Some of those reasons are feeling academic burn-out, being uncertain about a career choice, pursuing a dream, or perhaps improving their academic records.

Many readers may wonder at the practical risks of postponing entrance into professional school. In actuality, the opposite is true; little risk and many benefits are involved if the entire matter is conducted in a structured and meaningful way. Health professional schools prefer their applicants to verify why they are pursuing a chosen route; using time taken off in a productive manner gives applicants the leverage to demonstrate their value and dedication on other levels [1].

Examples of occupations during this latency period may be volunteering with local or global service organizations, obtaining fellowships abroad, conducting research, working, and continuing pre-preofessional education [2]. Playing on a professional European sports team may also be an alternative for some. For example, Rob Mutter postponed his medical studies in order to fulfill his lifelong dream: playing professional hockey in France. He “didn’t want any regrets once [he] got back to medical school.” Rob feels that his experience “heightened his passion for medical studies” [3].

Of course, Rob was already accepted to medical school, which made his dream come true all the easier. For others who are not in this situation, or rather, if they are in the opposite situation — where they have been rejected from a professional school — a more pragmatic approach is necessary. If the rejection was for academic reasons, this may require studying in a post-baccalaureate program or completing a Masters degree in a related field after graduation [4].

Also, the rejection may be on other grounds, such as lack of involvement outside of studies, or purely the luck of the draw. One Cornell student declares to hold “multiple acceptances to allopathic schools” after going through “waitlists and rejections” the previous year [5].

Choosing to defer admission to professional school, especially medical school, may be a personal option, as it was for Julia Shaklee. A determined pre-medical student, Julia was certain that she eventually wanted to go to medical school, just not immediately after college. She desired some time “away from books, academics, and the classroom…to get out and have some different experiences in order to broaden [her] perspective.” She joined AmeriCorps and worked with Habitat for Humanity in Efland, North Carolina, where a year’s worth of hard work inspired and prepared her to understand “all different kinds of patients with all different kinds of backgrounds” [3].

Expanding her background is what Julia Wu does as a current graduate student at the Mannes School of Music and a prospective medical student at Johns Hopkins University. Julia followed her individual path while completing East Asian studies and music as an undergraduate and researching aboriginal Taiwanese music as a Woodrow Wilson Research Fellow. She states that “a huge part of me is music, since it influences what activities I do…Music has made me a better listener and I hope I can use that skill when I study to be a doctor” [6].

All these examples demonstrate that time off before professional school helped define these individuals’ skills and career pathways. Research, work, and volunteer experience may also redefine and set out new pathways for students, helping them realize their potential and ability.

Of course, many students do not require a year or a semester off before health professional school; they know what they want and are ready and willing to go forward without an interruption. As for those considering the option of time off, they should weigh the pros and cons and compare different strategies, including their personal preferences along with practical issues and limitations. If planned out well, this lag time is a detour that may actually embark pre-professional students on their path to personal and professional success.