Alternative Plans

Gap Years: 

Medical school and other health profession programs are extremely competitive and rigorous. In situations where you do not receive an acceptance letter, you may need to take a gap year in order to reapply. A gap year refers to the time between graduation from one institution and matriculation to another. During this time, you must be intentional and deliberate about how you plan your time. In other words, this is not an extended break.  

This is also a good time to revisit your motivations and goals. Consider why you chose this career path to begin with. Take some time to reflect on why this profession deals like a good fit for you. After reflection, you may find that this is truly what you still want to do. In which case, you will need to spend some time planning out what to do during your gap year, check application dates, and work on application materials. Many applicants need to reapply one or multiple times to be accepted into a program.  

Usually, gap years can be used for completing applications, studying for and taking entrance exams, and continuing to build work, volunteer, and shadowing experiences to strengthen applications. Taking gap years are common for many students preparing for health professions and may help alleviate stress associated with the application process.  

Alternate Pathways: 

No matter what stage of preparation you are in – just starting your undergraduate degree, preparing for applications, thinking about reapplications – you may decide that your original career path is no longer a good fit. This is very common occurrence.  

If you are reconsidering your pathway and still wish to work in a health-related, figuring out what your specific interests are can help. Consider some of the following prompts: 

  • Would you enjoy working face-to-face with patients? 

  • Would you prefer a clinical (lab/hospital/clinic) setting or a non-clinical setting? 

  • Do you enjoy educating others? 

  • Are you interested in working or traveling abroad? 

  • Do you enjoy writing and researching topics of interest or do you prefer hands-on work? 

  • Do you have a preference for academic requirements and program lengths? 

  • Do you prefer the hard sciences (chemistry, biology, physics) or soft sciences/humanities (sociology, anthropology, history, etc.)?  

Answering these questions can help you narrow down your interests and preferences. For example, if you do not wish to go to med school, but want to work with patients, perhaps PT/OT/nursing or other clinic-based professions may be the best fit for you. 

Career assessments can also be a helpful tool. The University Career Center offers several assessments for students.

Who to Contact: 

To discuss plans for a gap year or alternate plans regarding career change or planning, visit the University Career Center. 

To make an appointment, log into https://hirejayhawks.ku.edu/ or call the UCC at 785-864-3624.