Gap/Growth Year

A “gap year” (or “growth year”) is the period of time between the end of your undergraduate education and the start of health professional school and often exists because a student needs more time after graduation to strengthen their metrics (GPA, admission test score) or experiences (volunteerism, shadowing, leadership, research, etc.) in order to become a more competitive applicant. A gap year might be a year or more, depending on each person’s particular circumstances.

Here are some resources about planning for a Gap/Growth Year(s):

• Making the Most of Your Gap Year
• Planning a Growth Year – by UF Pre-Health Advising
• 4 Reasons to Consider Taking a Year Off
• Aspiring Docs Diaries: Gap Year

Academic Enhancement Options for Gap/Growth Year(s)

• Academic Enhancement Handout & Decision-Making Selection Chart – by UCF’s PHPL Advising
• Consider a Post-Baccalaureate Program
• Post-Baccalaureate Programs Database – over 200+ post-baccalaureate programs from around the U.S.
• Post-Baccalaureate Program Articles

UCF Graduate Programs that Pre-Health students have used for Academic Enhancement

Each of these programs has a lot of science coursework in the curriculum, and additional, strong academic performance in the sciences is often the goal of Pre-Health students seeking post-baccalaureate academic enhancement.

• Biomedical Sciences M.S. (info below current as of Jan. 2021)

  • Deadline to apply for Fall 2021 – February 1, 2021
  • 33 credits
  • Application Requirements:
    • One official transcript (in a sealed envelope) from each college/university attended.
    • A bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences or related area.
    • Official, competitive GRE score (taken within the last five years) or MCAT score (taken within the last three years).
    • Three letters of recommendation.
    • A written statement of research experience, area of interest, and immediate and long-range goals.
    • Resume or CV

• Kinesiology M.S. (info below current as of Jan. 2021)

  • Deadline to apply for Fall 2021 – July 1, 2021 (also has a Spring and Summer start date)
  • 36 credits
  • Application Requirements:
    • One official transcript (in a sealed envelope) from each college/university attended.
    • Personal statement discussing reasons for selecting the Kinesiology degree program, career goals, and how this degree will support the stated career goals.
    • Two letters of recommendation from previous faculty or supervisors who can speak to the applicant’s abilities to be successful in graduate school.
    • Résumé for curriculum vitae (CV).
    • Video Essay

• Nanotechnology M.S. (info below current as of Jan. 2021)

  • Deadline to apply for Fall 2021 – July 1, 2021 (also has a Spring start date)
  • 30 credits
  • Application Requirements:
    • One official transcript (in a sealed envelope) from each college/university attended
    • Résumé or Curriculum Vitae
    • Goal Statement
    • The goal statement should discuss all relevant professional background and any previous research and/or teaching experience. The statement should explain the motivation behind the pursuit of a master’s degree in Nanotechnology. Future career goals after the completion of the applicant’s master study should be discussed.
    • The goal statement should between 500 and 1,000 words.
    • Three letters of recommendation

• Anatomical Sciences Graduate Certificate (info below current as of Jan. 2021)

  • Deadline to apply for Summer 2021 – April 1, 2021
  • 20 credits
  • Application Requirements:
    • Those with a Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution and have earned a GPA of at least 3.5 in the following pre-requisite coursework will be considered:
    • Pre-requisites
      • Anatomy or Anatomy and Physiology (8 credits total with labs)
      • Physics (8 credits total with labs)
      • Biology (6 credits minimum)
      • Chemistry (6 credits minimum)

Extracurricular Enhancement Options for Gap/Growth Year(s)

The following are examples of positions or programs to consider for a gap/growth year. We highly recommend to get advisement from a PHPL Advisor to help you decide which experiential area of your portfolio could be in need of enhancement before selecting a position or program.

• Gap Year Resources (from University of Michigan) – includes service programs, fellowships, jobs/internships, and international opportunities
• Gap Year Resources (from University of Southern California) – includes general resources, service corps – domestic and international, internships, and international volunteering or internships
• Gap Year Resources (from Haverford College) – lengthy list of programs
• Scribe jobs
  • Scribe America
  • EMR Scribes
  • Scribe Solutions
• National Institutes of Health (NIH) – Postbaccalaureate Intramural Research Training Award – The NIH Postbac IRTA program (CRTA, Cancer Research Training Award, in the National Cancer Institute) provides recent college graduates who are planning to apply to graduate or professional (medical/dental/pharmacy/nursing/veterinary, etc.) school an opportunity to spend one or two years performing full-time research at the NIH.
• AmeriCorps