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First-time residency attainment rate is the percent of students attaining a 2025-26 residency position out of all graduates or expected graduates in 2024-25 who were active applicants in the 2025 NRMP match or who attained a residency position outside the NRMP match.
*RUSM has a first-time residency attainment rate of 96%, calculated as the percent of students attaining a 2025-26 residency position out of graduates or expected graduates in 2024-25 who were active applicants in the 2025 NRMP match or who attained a residency position outside the NRMP match. AUC’s first-time residency attainment rate for 2024-2025 graduates and expected graduates is 95%. SABA’s four-year residency placement rate of 97% is calculated as the percent of students attaining a residency position out of all graduates or expected graduates in 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 who were active applicants in the NRMP match or attained a residency outside the NRMP match. As of July 17, 2025, they have not published their 2025 rates. SGU’s US residency placement rate of 94% pertains to graduates over five years from 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 with the rate calculated as the total number of students/graduates who obtained a US residency divided by the total number of students/graduates who applied to a US residency program in a given year as of April 2025.
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The Pros & Cons of Taking a Gap Year Before Medical School
A gap year is time spent away from formal education, usually taken between academic milestones. For premed graduates, it often involves taking time after college to gain experience, earn money, or reassess goals before entering medical school.
For many, the question “Should I take a gap year before medical school” arises when they recognize a lack of clinical exposure, academic preparation, or confidence in their motivation for medicine.
Once the decision to take a gap year is made, figuring out how to plan for it becomes one of the most important early steps. Planning early helps future applicants determine which experiences to prioritize, how to balance work and academics, and how to align with application timelines and long-term goals.
As medical schools increasingly value sustained engagement, maturity, and real-world healthcare experience, taking a year off before medical school has become common.
For many future applicants, taking a gap year helps solidify a clearer, experience-driven answer to the question “Why med?”
When planned intentionally, there can be several benefits of taking a gap year, including opportunities to build experience, strengthen academic readiness, and prepare financially for medical school.
Stepping away for a year allows for the development of independence, self-awareness, and perspective.
Personal growth during a gap year does not require dramatic travel or major life changes. It can come from sustained service commitments, caregiving responsibilities, leadership roles at work, or continued involvement in community organizations. Over time, these experiences help future applicants develop maturity and empathy, improve their interpersonal skills, and reflect on past experiences—all of which can be difficult to do while moving directly from one academic milestone to the next.
For many applicants, this growth ultimately strengthens their ability to articulate why med school is for them with clarity and honesty, grounded in lived experience rather than abstract motivation.
For those who feel underexposed to patient care, a gap year creates time for sustained, hands-on involvement in healthcare settings. Rather than relying solely on short-term shadowing, they can build experience that reflects real responsibility and long-term commitment. Meaningful experience can come from roles that involve direct interaction, teamwork, and service rather than passive observation.
Gaining clinical experience during a gap year can be achieved by:
These are standard healthcare jobs, internships, or service commitments—not special “gap year positions.”
What matters most is the level of responsibility, consistency, and reflection involved. Many of these roles are also paid, making them both practical and advantageous for future premed students.
For those whose GPA or MCAT® performance doesn’t fully reflect their potential, the path to medical school doesn’t have to mean pressing pause. Ross University School of Medicine’s Medical Education Readiness Program (MERP) is a 15-week online program designed to strengthen foundational science knowledge and build the study skills commonly used in medical school—without the delays of a traditional gap year.
Rather than spending a year retaking prerequisite courses or studying independently, MERP offers a structured, guided pathway that prepares students to matriculate directly into their first semester of the MD program upon successful completion. Students benefit from targeted coursework aligned with early medical school content, and a built-in support network of peers preparing alongside them.
The path to medical school can be expensive, with application fees, interview travel, relocation costs, and living expenses. Working during a gap year can mean saving money, paying down undergraduate debt, or building an emergency fund—all of which can help reduce financial pressure once medical training begins.
While a gap year may delay entry into medical school, the financial stability it provides can help students better manage the long-term cost of medical education.
While a gap year can be valuable, it also presents challenges that should be carefully evaluated before deciding to delay medical school.
Those who step away from structured coursework for an extended period may find it challenging to readjust to the pace and intensity of an academic environment. This can be especially true for those who do not remain academically engaged during their gap year or who move far away from core science content such as biochemistry, physiology, or anatomy.
Without a plan—for continued studying, supplemental coursework, or MCAT® preparation—the transition back into a highly academic environment can feel abrupt. For some students, this adjustment period adds unnecessary stress during the first year of medical school.
After undergraduate studies are over, most federal student loans enter a six- to nine-month grace period during which payments are not required. Once that grace period ends, borrowers must decide whether to begin repayment or take steps to postpone payments through deferment or forbearance.
If a gap year extends beyond the grace period, borrowers may need to select a repayment plan or formally request a temporary pause in payments. Failing to plan for this transition can lead to unexpected financial stress, making student loan strategy an important part of evaluating the cost of a gap year before med school.
One of the biggest challenges future premed students face is navigating rigid application cycles. Traditional medical school timelines can force difficult decisions around when to take the MCAT®, secure letters of recommendation, and complete prerequisite coursework—and falling behind often means waiting an entire year to reapply.
Ross Med offers a more flexible path forward. With three start dates per year, in January, May, and September, applicants aren’t locked into a single annual admissions cycle, making it easier to apply when they’re ready rather than when the calendar allows.
Ross Med also takes a holistic approach to admissions, evaluating candidates beyond undergraduate academic outcomes alone. This means applicants whose GPA or MCAT® scores don’t tell the full story of their potential still have a clear route into medical school, without the uncertainty of an unstructured gap year.
For those weighing medical school gap year disadvantages against jumping straight into a program, this flexible structure and supportive admissions process may be a meaningful option for applicants seeking an alternative to a traditional gap year.
Rather than wondering if a gap year before med school is worth it, prospective students can explore a path that keeps their momentum going while still supporting a smoother transition into medical school.
Clinical work, service involvement, and community engagement during a gap year give applicants concrete experiences to draw from in personal statements and interviews. These experiences allow applicants to speak specifically about patient care, teamwork, ethical challenges, and healthcare systems—topics that are difficult to convey through coursework alone.
Participating in research during a gap year allows applicants to develop skills in critical thinking, data analysis, and scientific communication. Whether clinical- or laboratory-based, research experience signals familiarity with evidence-based medicine and intellectual curiosity.
Deciding whether to take a gap year requires an honest evaluation of readiness and priorities.
Key factors to evaluate include:
A gap year before medical school can provide opportunities for academic improvement, meaningful healthcare experience, and financial preparation. At the same time, it requires careful planning to avoid loss of momentum, financial missteps, or unfocused use of time.
By weighing the pros and cons of a gap year before medical school, and reflecting on individual goals and circumstances, future medical students can make informed decisions about whether a gap year supports their path toward becoming a physician.
The benefits of taking a gap year include gaining meaningful clinical or service experience, strengthening academic readiness, saving money, and clarifying long-term motivation for medicine.
Potential drawbacks include loss of academic momentum, the need to manage student loans once grace periods end, and delayed application or matriculation timelines if the gap year is not well planned.
A gap year can enhance a medical school application by providing sustained clinical, service, research, or work experiences that give applicants concrete examples to draw from in personal statements and interviews, particularly when explaining “Why med?”
During a gap year before medical school, students commonly work in clinical or healthcare-adjacent jobs, volunteer consistently in service roles, pursue research, retake coursework, prepare for the MCAT®, or save money while building experiences aligned with their goals.
Not necessarily. Taking a gap year does not automatically hurt your chances of getting into medical school, and many admissions committees view the time favorably when it’s used with intention. However, at Ross Med, a gap year is often unnecessary.
For students who could benefit from additional academic preparation, Ross Med offers two pathways to help ease the transition into medical school:
MERP: A 15-week online program that strengthens foundational science knowledge and study skills.
MedOrigin: A separate 15-week, in-person course on Ross Med’s Barbados campus that integrates core medical school concepts with targeted study strategies.
Both lead directly into Semester 1 of the MD program upon successful completion, keeping students on track toward becoming physicians without the delays of a traditional gap year.
What percentage of medical students take a gap year?
According to the 2025 Matriculating Student Questionnaire (MSQ), 72.7% of medical school matriculants took more than one year away prior to starting medical school.1
The breakdown is as follows:
1This data comes from Question 10 of the MSQ and can be accessed by downloading the spreadsheet, navigating to Tab 2, and reviewing the response related to time away before medical school enrollment.
The information and material contained in this article and on this website are for informational purposes only and should not be considered, or used in place of, professional medical advice. Please speak with a licensed medical provider for specific questions or concerns. Ross Med is not responsible for the information maintained or provided on third-party websites or external links.