Gap Year or Postbaccalaureate Opportunities
Currently, admissions to health professions programs is experiencing an increasing trend in people pursuing gap year experiences, including but not limited to research, service, professional employment, clinical work, or academic enrichment prior to applying. The average age of people starting medical school is around 24. Seeking gap year experiences can make sense for many reasons, including satisfying a desire to serve one's community, to participate in full-time research, to gain clinical experience, or to prove oneself academically. Regardless of the experience, CMU alumni who took time between undergrad and grad school universally say that their gap year experiences meaningfully enhanced their application and readiness for training for a career in health care. Also, personal growth and maturation are important reasons for seeking postbaccalaureate life experiences, things that health professions schools desire and look for in applicants. Below are some great options for one or more years of enriching experience after graduation. The CMU HPP can also put you in touch with alumni who sought postbaccalaureate opportunities before applying to graduate school.
Academic Enrichment:
Clinical:
- MedServe
- Become an EMT or phlebotomist or nurses aid
- Medical Scribe:
Research:
- The NIH Postbaccalaureate IRTA Program
- Look into individual research laboratories at major academic medical centers around the country. For example:
- Research at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
- Look for research positions at CMU, Pitt, your local university, the UPMC Cancer Institute, Magee Womens Hospital, Children's Hospital, etc.
Service:
- AmeriCorps
- Doctors Without Borders: Internships & Employment
- National Health Corps
- NGS Movement - This program was founded by a CMU alumna!
- The National Alliance of Research Associates Programs
- Peace Corps
- Teach for America
- U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)