Growth Year Opportunities

Taking one or more growth years is a valuable way to develop personally and professionally while strengthening your application to health professions programs. This is time well spent, and professional schools are interested in how you choose to use it. They value mature, intentional decisions that allow you to gain experience, reflect, and grow.

“Growth Year” vs “Gap Year” 

Language shapes how we view ourselves and our goals.

  • A growth year suggests a purposeful time to learn, serve, gain balance in your life, and engage in experiences that make you a stronger, more competitive applicant.
  • A gap year often implies simply taking time off between school or work, which can sound passive or unintentional.

Because of this, we encourage students to think about—and talk about—this period as a growth year(s) and to plan it intentionally.

Why Growth Matters

Health professions programs value applicants who have taken time to make thoughtful, informed decisions and to develop their professional competencies.

Applicants who are rushed, underprepared, or “just testing the waters” are typically not strong candidates. Planning for and using a growth year does not hurt your chances of admission; in many cases, it can significantly improve the quality and competitiveness of your application.

Growth years are more common than you might think. As an example, according to the most recent AAMC Matriculating Student Questionnaire, over 70% of first-year medical students took between one and five years after college before starting medical school.

How to Make the Most of Your Growth Year(s) 

How you spend your growth year(s) might look different from other professional school applicants. The most important thing is that you spend the time in a way that will prepare you to be successful. Here are some ways successful applicants tend to spend their growth year(s):

  • Increase shadowing and clinical experience.
  • Complete research, internship or abroad experience.
  • Finish their undergraduate degree with a strong GPA and take senior year advanced and upper division courses or add a minor/certificate of interest.
  • Complete a graduate or postbac program.
  • Take time to breathe, reflect, recharge and work/volunteer in a rewarding experience.
  • Live as an independent, employed adult.
  • Earn money to pay off debt.
  • Stay connected to medicine/shadow throughout your growth year.
  • Reflect on their career path and research “target” schools based on values and mission.
  • Pre-write their personal statement and secondary essays.
  • Prepare for a strong entry exam (e.g., MCAT, GRE, DAT).

Where to Start

If you are unsure of how to make the most of your growth year, start by completing this self-evaluation. It will help you get an overview of where you might want to prioritize your time. Then, meet with your PPAC advisor for a one-on-one conversation to determine your strengths, weaknesses, and options to leverage your growth year(s). Expanding upon the list above, it might be helpful to address areas of improvement in terms of academic and non-academic opportunities.

If you completed an undergraduate major in something without the prerequisite science and math courses, or completed the prerequisite courses with lower grades (or low over-all GPA) you can:

  • Take additional courses or re-take prerequisites.
  • Get a second bachelor’s degree in a science major.
  • Complete a relevant postbac program.
  • Look for a program that offers a postbac-career changer program.
  • Consider graduate courses.

We highly recommend you talk to your PPAC advisor first to explore your best options.

If your academic record and prerequisite courses are strong, consider these non-academic areas to balance and strengthen your application. If you have an experience that takes you into a non-medical field, that’s okay, but find time to also include medical experiences/shadowing. No matter what you choose, be sure to stay connected to your medical field of choice during your growth year(s).