hi Anisha! I am not completely sure how I ended up subscribing to your newsletter (maybe via Maybe Baby?) but I needed to pop on here and enthusiastically support and validate your decision to take time to work and experience the world before starting med school.
I remember my secondary-essay summer quite well (10 years ago...oh dear...that was a long road...). I took two years between college and med school to work in research, not necessarily for the application-boosting of it all, moreso due to application cycle timing, a cool job opportunity etc etc. now I'm an EM attending, trying to recalibrate after such a long road of education. I will say, those two gap years were the absolute best years of my 20s and if I could go back I would have tried even less to make them "count" in a career-related way. more dinner parties. more art. more adventures. more non-medicine books. more time with friends (and making new friends!) and family. more unstructured exploration time.
medicine will suck the life-blood out of you if you do not grip on and squeeze-hug to your non-medicine passions like your life depends on it. it's a wonderful career so I don't want to be another one of those negative voices (we have plenty of those...). I'm more here to validate what seems to be a mature and thoughtful approach to incorporating your passions as you continue on your path.
hi michelle! thank you so much for the encouragement and kind words! my reasons for taking a break are exactly like you said. I've always been one to feel like there's never quite enough time to thoroughly explore everything I love, so this feels like the perfect opportunity to step away from the rhythm and discipline school requires. writing my med school essays reaffirmed my confidence in choosing this career path, which I tended to be slightly uncertain about before, but so grateful and excited to learn from other activities, people, and experiences!
Congrats on your new role and change of scenery!
thanks kayla!!
hi Anisha! I am not completely sure how I ended up subscribing to your newsletter (maybe via Maybe Baby?) but I needed to pop on here and enthusiastically support and validate your decision to take time to work and experience the world before starting med school.
I remember my secondary-essay summer quite well (10 years ago...oh dear...that was a long road...). I took two years between college and med school to work in research, not necessarily for the application-boosting of it all, moreso due to application cycle timing, a cool job opportunity etc etc. now I'm an EM attending, trying to recalibrate after such a long road of education. I will say, those two gap years were the absolute best years of my 20s and if I could go back I would have tried even less to make them "count" in a career-related way. more dinner parties. more art. more adventures. more non-medicine books. more time with friends (and making new friends!) and family. more unstructured exploration time.
medicine will suck the life-blood out of you if you do not grip on and squeeze-hug to your non-medicine passions like your life depends on it. it's a wonderful career so I don't want to be another one of those negative voices (we have plenty of those...). I'm more here to validate what seems to be a mature and thoughtful approach to incorporating your passions as you continue on your path.
all the best!
hi michelle! thank you so much for the encouragement and kind words! my reasons for taking a break are exactly like you said. I've always been one to feel like there's never quite enough time to thoroughly explore everything I love, so this feels like the perfect opportunity to step away from the rhythm and discipline school requires. writing my med school essays reaffirmed my confidence in choosing this career path, which I tended to be slightly uncertain about before, but so grateful and excited to learn from other activities, people, and experiences!
so happy to see u back!!
thanks diyaa!! excited to be here