Cover Gap Year to Study Dentistry

The Gap Year for Dental Applicants

There are many reasons to take a gap year, but most commonly it is either to take a break from academic studies or to reapply to university, possibly because you were unsuccessful in achieving the grades required and need time to retake them, or because you did not get any offers.

6 Ways To Ensure Your Gap Year Is Productive

Regardless of the reason behind taking the gap year, there are many things you can do during this time to boost your application. 

1. Undertake some work experience. Not only does it give you a more realistic insight into dentistry, but it is also one of the most useful talking points in both your personal statement and your interviews. It will demonstrate your interest and commitment to pursue dentistry. It is also a great way to confirm whether or not dentistry is the right career choice for you and gives you a chance to talk to qualified dentists to understand their journey.

2. Do as much research into dental courses and universities as you can, and also consider your back up options. You can use this time to visit different universities and go to open days. Taking a gap year gives you more time to choose the right course and right university.  

3. Consider getting a job. This is definitely not a necessity but can be helpful in many ways. It can really help you improve your organisational skills, professionalism and work ethic, all of which are transferable to dentistry and can also provide useful examples for your personal statement and interviews.  It is also a great way to earn a bit of money. Another very popular route is joining a gap year scheme. There are many different options for aspiring dentists to consider including whether the scheme is medical-based or with a charity, volunteering or a scheme you have to pay for, abroad or at home. There are many organisations that offer a wide variety of schemes and you will be able to find out more from your school/college or by searching online. But, make sure you do your research and use a reputable provider.

4. Use this time to volunteer or learn a new sport or skill. This is a great time to work on yourself and find new interests. It may be something that can improve your manual dexterity like cross stitching (warming your hands up for dentistry) or it may be something like public speaking that can really help with your confidence and communication (making interviews a lot easier). Volunteering, particularly in the healthcare field, gives a better insight into patient care and shows your drive to help others. It can give you real life experiences that can open your eyes to both the positives and difficulties in working within a healthcare profession. Participating in sports can also show leadership, teamwork skills, good communication. Another great idea is to stay on top of dental news.

5. Read different dental articles and stay in the loop, as dentistry is constantly evolving. It shows good initiative in your personal statement and you are likely to find this useful as some universities may ask at the interview about recent developments in dentistry.

6. Finally, some of the time in a gap year can be put aside for relaxing and seeing friends (and possibly travel). It’s not all about dentistry and work, it is also a great time to work on yourself and reset. Don’t burn yourself out before you even get to university. If you are going to meet friends who are at university, it’s worth having a look around and getting a feel for different places and figuring what you like and don’t like.