5 Benefits of a Gap Year

To say the least, my gap year has been LIT! And I still have several months to go. I will be sharing more on the why behind my time off before residency in a later post. Y’all know I prefer to share once I am on the other side of things and my experience can serve as a resource and testimony for others. For now, I am writing this post as myth buster. There are so many myths and a great deal of stigma surrounding gap years especially straight out of medical school. “Are you really a Doctor?” “Did you waste your time and money?” “So when will you start practicing medicine?” “You took out all those loans just to be broke?” There are so many questions I received after not matching right away; none of them pointing to anything positive. I’m here to tell you there are positives in taking your time in any profession…A LOT of them. Keep reading as I break down my Top Five.

This gap year has allowed me to:

Rest. The toll medical school (and so many other programs) takes on you can indeed be brutal. The sleepless nights, hours on end studying, mistreatment by upper levels, the endless exams and assignments. Now for the non-traditional students, add on the fact that this is your 3^rd or 4^th degree program. I started school at the age of 3. In 29 years and with 4 degrees, I only had 1 semester break. Yes, just one. And for the students who struggled with in-house and/or standardized exams…well if you know, you know. This time off before residency has afforded me the opportunity to do what I have not done in so long. For the first time in YEARS, I am experiencing weekends off, more than 1 hour of free time each day, more time with family, and dare I say it…TV time. I have been able to press the reset button and really revitalize before I enter the grueling process that is my final step of medical training. To go straight from one grueling process to another? Sure, I could have managed, but I’m so glad I got to first experience true rest instead so I can enter the next stage refreshed, refocused, and fully energized.

Save. Y’all. There were definitely some comments about my funds and how I would manage without starting residency right away. And yes, for a while the bills did pile up. BUT God. He is ALWAYS providing. Because of this gap year, I was able to take on a public health job (back to my roots)! This job just happens to pay about $10K more than the average first year resident’s salary. She Won! This opportunity is allowing me to get my finances in order (after having not worked 5 years because of med school!!) and is also allowing me to enhance those savings. I have spoken to a few other Docs who did not start residency straight out of med school and the common consensus is…public health and corporate jobs pay WAY more. Ha! Sure, we are all on our way to the bigger bucks as full-fledged Docs. Making substantially more for a year before I start training? Yea, I’m here for that.

Have Additional Study Time. A gap year—no matter the exam you are prepping for—is Always an opportune time to focus and really place a significant amount of time and effort on improving your exam scores. If you need to take or retake an exam, the time off is your time ON for that specific purpose. I have definitely started STEP 3 prep and, depending on seat availability and world state of affairs, I would like to take the exam before residency starts. These tests are high stakes and require a great deal of attention. Being able to prep for them without simultaneously engaging in a rigorous program is absolutely ideal.

Focus on My Other Interests. Because so many of us have interests outside our primary career fields and entrepreneurial spirits! Way more Docs and professionals all around are showing a desire to diversify their careers and build businesses from the ground up. Over the past 3 years, I have slowly and steadily built Surgery And the City from that very ground. This journey has been such an incredible ride and I would not change it for anything! Working a 9-5 this year—as opposed to 24 hour med school lol—has allowed me to focus even more on my goals for SAC. Even with under 10K Instagram followers, I have pitched and executed brand partnerships with Qhemet Biologics, Nordstrom Rack, Nordstrom, LOFT, CVS, Vera Bradley, Alizé, and that’s JUST this year! The time off has allowed me to put systems into place that will enhance my productivity and efficiency once my life returns to 24 hour medicine. Again, I would not trade this time I spent building for the world.

Make Room for New Experiences. Martha’s. Vineyard. Need I say more? Never in a million years did I think I would live…on arguably one of the most beautiful US islands…using my public health background…to fight a brand new pandemic. Like What?!?! All God. I would not have this opportunity if I had taken the traditional route. Not at all. This experience, the meaningful work, the serious resumé building, the networking have been priceless. And in the future if I ever feel slighted because my path does not look like everyone else’s, I’ll be able to smile and say, “It’s alright. I know God is about to hit me with a ‘Martha’s Vineyard.’”

I hope my insight on the benefits of a gap year provides a different perspective on the non-traditional path, especially as it pertains to medicine. Whether you are forced to or need to take a gap year or even gap year(s), Take Heart. There is something so Beautiful in and around the process. Don’t rush your life away just because it does not look like that of your peers. Don’t rush your life away just because of the pressure, questions, and ignorance of others. We are all traveling to the same place: adulthood and real bills. My friend, it is ok to take the scenic route. You’ll find me there.

xx,

Photos by Tina Smith