Careers in
health care often require additional study beyond the undergraduate years. Some
students enroll in graduate or professional school directly after college
graduation, but others take a “gap year” or more before they can begin further
study.
Although
taking a gap year can be discouraging for students who worry that they’re
falling behind, it can also be a great opportunity to enhance your credentials.
Some students take additional classes to improve their GPA or complete
prerequisites; others gain clinical experience, conduct research or volunteer.
A gap year is also a good opportunity to reflect on your values and goals and
mature. Two Elmhurst College alums share their stories below.
Jessica Hulesch
’09, student at University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign College of
Veterinary Medicine
During my gap year, I worked on
strengthening my résumé as a future vet student. I took a few more classes at
Elmhurst College, and I gained some experience working with large animals in
Wisconsin. Mostly, though, I worked on mentally preparing myself to apply
again, because I think I simply wasn’t ready the first time around.
The time off also gave me a chance to
stop and reflect on my life and my plans for the future. Having the conviction
to reapply made me sure that being a veterinarian is what I want to do with my
life. I also took time to hang out with friends and enjoy my time away from
school. Looking back, I’m very grateful to have had that year.
Jessica Hulesch '09 (in red) caring for a rhino in South Africa.
Donald
Skenandore ’10, student at Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin
University
I prepared for the MCAT the summer after
graduating from Elmhurst College while completing my application for medical
school. I applied for travel awards to health conferences, where I networked
with medical school personnel and recruiters. Furthermore, I enrolled in
postgraduate classes (including biochemistry and microbiology) at the University
of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to increase my GPA.
I received my MCAT score during
my first semester at UWM. The score was far too low to make me competitive,
which was very discouraging after I had sacrificed an entire summer studying
for it. I knew I would have to retake the test, so I picked myself back up and
started studying again. At the same time, I was working full time as an in-home
caregiver. After the semester ended I began working as a janitor at UWM to
earn extra cash.
Along with work, I volunteered at
South Eastern Oneida Tribal Services (SEOTS) to give back to my American Indian
tribe, which has supported me in many ways. To improve my test-taking skills
for the MCAT I applied for, and earned, a travel award to an MCAT/GRE workshop.
Afterward, I received a full-ride scholarship for a master’s program in applied
biology at Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) and went through a government
training program with the Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism
Events (CREATE) through the Department of Homeland Security. After a spring and
summer semester at ECSU I decided to change my course of direction toward a
more medically focused master’s program at Rosalind Franklin University.
The gap year experience was
rewarding in many ways. It helped me educate myself on the health care system
and gave me an opportunity to build my confidence. My unique experience with
the government training program gave me an edge over my peers. It provided me
leadership skills in real-world experiences and solidified my ability to thrive
in stressful, fast-changing environments. My upper-level coursework during my
gap years helped improve my GPA to make me a more competitive applicant. One of
the most important attributes I gained during my gap year was the confidence to
successfully and effectively teach myself just about any new subject without
the help of a teacher. Overall, the ultimate reward was seeing that hard work
and sacrifice can pay off in the end.
Donald Skenandore '10
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