A gap year is a semester or full year of experiential learning, intended to give students a break from academics to discover themselves and consider what kind of education and career they want to pursue. It can be a great time to enhance your graduate school or professional school application competitiveness and invest in personal growth. Keep in mind that up to 50% of students take a gap year (or years) before pursing a graduate or professional degree. It’s very common!
Pros and Cons
Gap years can help you gain some insight into your own personal skills and goals, so you can enter graduate or professional school with clear career goals and motivation. It can also give you perspective, allowing you to reflect on your goals without the demands of classwork. However, taking a year off before graduate or professional school is not a perfect solution for everyone as some people find it hard to go back to school after an extended break.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Get work experience to help you try different paths and gain skills | Transition back to school can be difficult |
| Break to recharge | Requires planning to be effective |
| Earn extra money to support you in graduate school | Can be expensive if you don’t find paid work experiences |
Make the Most of It
In order to make sure you have an effective gap year, make sure you set goals and have a plan. While your gap year doesn’t need to follow a rigid schedule or be planned to the last detail, you should be clear on the purpose of how you’ll be spending your time. You may want to start the year off by participating in an internship or service program before transitioning into a less structured period of traveling or development of a personal skill or interest.
Build Your Experience
Your gap year can take many forms and can involve doing paid work, completing an internship, volunteering or traveling. These activities can also be done independently or as part of a structured gap-year program.
Job or Internship
Look up keywords in your field to search for part-time or full-time jobs or internships in your field. If you’re interested in internships, keep in mind when that many employers want to hire interns that are still completing their degree, although some employers will be open to recently graduated interns. Learn more through our Job and Internship Search page.
Healthcare and Patient Care Positions
Check out the Health Professions Office Resources to discover how to get positions like: Medical Scribe, Medical Assistant, Nurses Assistant, Pharmacy Technician, Emergency Medical Technician and more!
- Medical Interpreter: Healthcare Interpreter Certificate Program (All Languages)
- Health Career Connection Internship - comprehensive paid summer internship program that provides invaluable experience, mentoring, and networking in the health field (open to recent grads)
- HOSA: Future Health Professionals - Extensive list of internships and opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students.
- Morehouse College – Imhotep Project: The Lewis Scholars' Imhotep Project is an 11-week summer internship program designed to increase the knowledge and skills of underrepresented minority students in biostatistics, epidemiology, and occupational safety and health
Service Programs
AmeriCorps Vista – Tackle our nation’s most pressing challenges with community partners
- Work with an organization (public, private, or nonprofit) on a year-long project
- Can be part-time or full-time, includes a monthly stipend
- Find available programs here
Project Horseshoe Farm - Become a Community Health Fellow
- Serve the community with other college students for 1 year
- Includes free housing and a monthly stipend
- Programs: Health Partners, Housing, Community Center, Youth
- Peace Corps Volunteers serve in 74 countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Central and South America, Europe, and the Middle East.
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Provides each Volunteer with housing and a living stipend that enables them to live in a manner similar to people in their community of service.
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Upon completion of two years of service, the Peace Corps provides each volunteer with more than $10,000 (pre-tax).
Research
Here are some resources for research opportunities for recent grads. Make sure to check out our Research Opportunities page for more options.
- Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) - some programs open to recent grads
- NIH Opportunities for Recent Graduates
- NSF Opportunities for Recent Graduates
- National Institutes of Health, Clinical Center, Bioethics Fellow - Fellows participate in bioethics seminars, case conferences, ethics consultation, review of research protocols and IRB deliberations, and have access to multiple educational opportunities at the NIH.
- National Institutes of Health Postbaccalaureate Intramural Research Training Award (Postbac IRTA/CRTA) - Provides recent college graduates who are planning to apply to graduate or professional (medical/dental/pharmacy) school a paid opportunity to spend 1-2 years performing full-time research at the NIH.
- BU PREP for Post-Baccs - A year-long preparatory program for recent bachelor’s degree recipients seeking entry into competitive PhD training programs.
- Pfizer R&D Rotational Program - The Pfizer R&D Rotational Program is designed to immerse early career colleagues into the pharmaceutical R&D business through a 2-year program composed of four unique 6-month job rotations in diverse disciplines. Each rotation will involve meaningful assignments and projects, mentorship and coaching, and collaborative interactions to develop business acumen and technical expertise and set participants on the path to success.
- CDC Post-Grad Fellowship Programs - Fellowship opportunities at the CDC
Certifications
Get certified in relevant areas to build skills and add to your resume. Here are some suggestions:
- CPR, Red Cross (AED, Childcare, Water Safety and more!)
- COVID-19 Contact Tracing, Vaccine Administration
- Lab Certifications: ASCP Board of Certification
Other Resources
- CNS Career Services Ways to Get Experience Guide
- The Daily Texan: Consider A Gap Year
- CNS Graduate School Resources
- Health Professions Office Gap Year Planning
- Interested in Entrepreneurship? See Gap Year Founders Program
Connect with Your Community
This is also a great time to maintain and expand your network into industries and organizations you have an interest in. Get in touch with your professors, advisors, peers and alumni.