Gap years have become more common nowadays. If you are thinking of taking a gap year prior to veterinary school, then you’ve come to the right place! Now, this post is not to convince you to take a gap year, but it does offer some more insight on what you could possibly gain from taking a gap year or two or three.
For starters, if you just want to grind out those 4 years and you are 100% sure this is the route you want to take, then apply for your fourth year of college. Some people just want to jump right into it, and that is totally okay. I know a vet who even graduated a year early from undergrad just so that they could make it to vet school a year earlier than expected. Everyone has their own path!
However, most veterinary students I know have taken a few gap years. Burnout is real and it is something you must reflect on when making these decisions. Sometimes grinding out four years of undergrad and jumping into the next thing might be overwhelming. One reason most vet students have taken a gap year is to just relax and wind down from undergrad. Some have taken the time to travel, spend more time with family, or just go with the flow. Ok so reason #1 for taking a gap year is to relax and not burn yourselves out, got it.
One must also take into consideration that the veterinary profession is heavily concentrated with burnout. Burnout is real and this profession is no joke! Maybe taking this time to work towards your goals and grow as a person outside the profession may help you become a stronger-minded individual and future veterinarian.
I think so many of us stress out so much already about getting the perfect grades, tons of experience, and just becoming more “competitive.” Personally, I do not want to spend my last year of college applying to vet school, studying for the GRE, working, and striving to get good grades. Some may call that lazy, but that’s okay. We all must do what is best for us.
Getting experience in our undergrad is hard sometimes. It has been even harder with the pandemic. Most shelters have turned away volunteers and interns. We do what we can with what we have! Sometimes we may not always feel like we have enough experience for vet school, or we may literally not meet all the criteria that some schools ask for. Taking the time to get more experience and learn more about vet medicine is much more fulfilling!
A former Gaucho and current vet student explained to me that her two gap years made her feel more prepared and confident in her decision of applying to vet school. She took those two years to work full time at a clinic and that allowed her to gain more mentorship, connections, and knowledge. She was able to get not 2, but 5 letters of recommendations from veterinarians!! Sounds like taking a gap year may not be too bad after all.
Whatever you decide is totally up to you! Don’t let people pressure you into something you know is not what you want. If you want to take a gap year, do it! Remember that getting to vet school and vet school itself is not a sprint, it is a marathon. Do we want our future furry patients to have a stressed- and burned-out doctor? No, we want our patients to have a vet that has taken the time to grow as a person outside of the profession so that they can bring more passion and spice inside and out the work life. And if you think taking a gap year may lead you away from becoming a vet, well don’t worry. Life has a plan for us all. What is meant to be will be!
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