tivities have changed or been restricted for many if not all areas of the country and world .
CONCLUSION
The specifics about the various experiences in which medical students engage during their gap years have not been included in such detail in prior literature . National data and our data from 2021 reveal that gap year participation is occurring in the majority of matriculants to medical school . The traditional medical school applicant who applies during their third year of college and matriculates immediately after completing undergraduate studies is currently taking the path less traveled . Pre-medical advisors , including health professionals in academia and the WV and US private and public sectors who are approached by pre-medical students for guidance , will be able to share the information from our study and provide examples of gap year experiences of students who have been successful in earning acceptance to and matriculating at a US allopathic medical school . The rarity of listing travel for leisure as the reason for a gap year in matriculating students has not been reported previously , and prospective applicants may be particularly interested in this finding . Although our information can be used as a guide , medical school admissions personnel are encouraged to know the trends in length of gap years and types of experiences in matriculated students to their own institutions to aid in the counsel of their prospective applicants .
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