Abstract
Recent years have seen a dramatic shift in the process to becoming a physician. In one generation, the proportion of medical students who have taken premedical gap years have increased 68%. To understand why, this thesis analyzed data from the AAMC Matriculating Student Questionnaire from 1998-2024 to identify population trends and develop various hypotheses as to why students are taking more gap years. We conducted a series of qualitative interviews with Brandeis students and medical and physician alumni to add color and nuance. Several hypotheses including financial concerns and a “late bloomer” hypothesis had limited evidence. Even though the medical school application process has not changed substantially over this time period, younger applicants focused on the accelerated schedule; nearly every respondent discussed not being ready to apply by the end of their junior year. Both older and newer physicians and those on the medical pathway commented on increasing competition, including having a better MCAT score, clinical experience, and research to have a more well-rounded application. This is also evidenced quantitatively by a 50% increase in students’ secondary and supplementary applications in the past decade. Survey data also suggested that incoming medical students have experienced a 9.5% increase in perceived stress over the last decade. Current premed students envision gap years to take a break and prevent future burnout. Clearer guidelines of acceptable qualifications could be disseminated through Pre-Health advising services to soothe anxieties surrounding the application process.