The gap year (s) refers to a period of time (typically one to three years) that may be used to pursue work, travel, service or volunteering in just about any area of interest, before one starts their health professions education.
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4 Reasons to take a Service Year
Capitalize on Gap Years Before Applying
The suggestions below are by no means exhaustive; they are broad buckets of some types of experiences Yale students have engaged in before entering a health professions program. The sky is the limit for what you do depending on your interests or where you may be looking to strengthen your application. Begin your search by exploring the resources available on the OCS Website. Be creative and explore!
Research Examples
NIH Post-Baccalaureate Intramural Research Training Award
THANC Foundation Research Associate
Close Concerns and Analyst Positions
Yale Master’s in Personalized Medicine & Applied Engineering (application due 1/2/23)
Bench or Clinical Research (here are some examples at Yale University)
- Aside from the Yale Career Link, look for these positions directly on employer sites
Education Fellowship Examples
Yale China Teaching Fellowship
Service Fellowship Examples
Other Types of Work Opportunities
Clinical Research Coordinator
Healthcare Consulting
The Office of Career Strategy posts job listings for the convenience of students. The University does not endorse or recommend employers and a posting does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. The University explicitly makes no representations or guarantees about job listings or the accuracy of the information provided by the employer. The University is not responsible for safety, wages, working conditions, or any other aspect of off-campus employment without limitation. It is the responsibility of students to perform due diligence in researching employers when applying for or accepting private, off-campus employment and to thoroughly research the facts and reputation of each organization to which they are applying. Students should be prudent and use common sense and caution when applying for or accepting any position. All concerns and issues related to job and/or internship opportunities, including those posted within the Yale Career Link, should be addressed promptly via email to the Office of Career Strategy.
