Genre: Opinion/Argumentation

Story 2 - Taking a GAP year after being rejected This person decided to remain anonymous but wanted to tell their story to let people know taking a forced gap year can be a ' blessing in disguise ' ... In my previous application , I was n't 100 % certain that I really wanted to study medicine , and I was n't fully prepared . I think this showed in my PS ( personal statement ) . As the year went on , I was able to confirm that medicine is what I really want to do . Last year , I applied to 4 med schools with no backup choices . I was rejected after 2 interviews ( I was put on a waiting list at one ) . Obviously I was disappointed , but it did n't come as a surprise . I started to make plans for the next round , and by May , I was looking for jobs on the NHS website and it took about 4 months to find what I wanted to do - porter at my local hospital . ( This takes time so do n't leave it until the summer holidays ! ) I also started to look for GAP year medical volunteering opportunities abroad . Once I finished school , I started to volunteer at my local old people's home , 2 or 3 times a week , and I also started working for the NHS . My PS was more interesting the second time around , because I had more to write about . This time , I chose 3 different UNIs from my previous application , but I put down 1 UNI that I was rejected from last year , after interview . This was mentioned at my interview this time , and I was able to explain what I had been doing in my GAP year and what I was intending to do for the remainder of my GAP year . I also put down two back-up choices . I ended up with 4 offers after 3 interviews for medicine , and 1 offer for physiology . I withdrew from the last option ( another physiology course ) because they were taking too long to decide . This " forced gap year " has been a blessing in disguise for me ( except for the increase in the fees , of course ) . For one , I am now sure about my choice of course . Plus , I really enjoyed working as a porter in the NHS , and the extra cash that I 've saved up will be useful when I start Uni . So all in all , I 'm very pleased with the outcome . My advice would be to make the most of your GAP year by working or volunteering in medical environment , to strengthen your PS , but mainly , to make sure that medicine is what you really want to do . I am sure that you will be a stronger candidate the second time around , so best of luck to everyone !