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A “gap year” (or “growth year”) is the period of time between the end of your undergraduate education and the start of health professional school and often exists because a student needs more time after graduation to strengthen their metrics (GPA, admission test score) or experiences (volunteerism, shadowing, leadership, research, etc.) in order to become a more competitive applicant. A gap year might be a year or more, depending on each person’s particular circumstances.

Here are some resources about planning for a Gap/Growth Year(s):

Academic Enhancement Options for Gap/Growth Year(s)

UCF Graduate Programs that Pre-Health students have used for Academic Enhancement

Each of these programs has a lot of science coursework in the curriculum, and additional, strong academic performance in the sciences is often the goal of Pre-Health students seeking post-baccalaureate academic enhancement.

Extracurricular Enhancement Options for Gap/Growth Year(s)

The following are examples of positions or programs to consider for a gap/growth year. We highly recommend to get advisement from a PHPL Advisor to help you decide which experiential area of your portfolio could be in need of enhancement before selecting a position or program.