Deferring Admission
Some applicants determine that, though they have been accepted to medical school, they would like to take a year between college and medical school to pursue another interest or to do volunteer work, for example. Medical schools have generally been willing to accommodate such requests. This is called “deferring admission” and should not be confused with “delaying an application” as described in the previous section.
Deferrals are generally granted on a case-by-case basis, taking into account what your plans are for your year off. You should wait until you have a good idea where you will be attending medical school before approaching a school about deferral. Please note however, if you are not yet certain that you would like to become a physician or if you have a desire to take a year off to pursue another interest before medical school, you would be wise to plan to delay your application until you have addressed those concerns. It is possible that additional accomplishments beyond completion of college will make you a better candidate or help you to articulate better why you want to pursue a career in medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine.