Year Off in Medical School For Research

[ehmjay1]

I am really interested in GI, and I am an AMG. I hope to match into a academic institution (step 1 is 220), and I am currently in my third year. My question is, if I take a year off now and get some research done in the field of GI, do you think it will help in the long run? Or is the benefit I can receive negligible and should I just continue into 4th year.

Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks!!

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[IM2GI]

I am really interested in GI, and I am an AMG. I hope to match into a academic institution (step 1 is 220), and I am currently in my third year. My question is, if I take a year off now and get some research done in the field of GI, do you think it will help in the long run? Or is the benefit I can receive negligible and should I just continue into 4th year.

Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks!!

If its a Howard Hughes award, or at least a grant that you get, it might. You want to make sure you are put in a situation to be productive though. If you take a year and pump out one retrospective paper, no ones really going to be impressed. You should be able to pull that off while you are in med school without the gap. If you dont have an award to do the research, I would not just take a random year off and call it research. Getting an MPH or something structured would be more credible.

It might help you get into a better residency program, which by proxy will then help you get a GI spot. Your step 1 is not terrible but it will probably get you screened out from a lot of top programs.