A Phenomenological Study of the Lived Experiences of Premedical Advisors Advising Undergraduate Students about Gap Year Options

Abstract

This study examined the lived experiences of premedical advisors employed in four-year institutions of higher education in the northeastern U.S. advising premedical students about the gap year options between undergraduate education and medical school. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews of 17 premedical advisors and analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Six central themes were identified. The results highlight the importance of developing interpersonal connections with premedical students through trust to understand their background and to successfully facilitate discussions about gap year options as a way to prepare them for medical school. This study also found that the developmental advising approach was prevalent among the premedical advisors. It was particularly useful in assessing students’ growth areas for successful medical school admission through use of the E-portfolio. In addition, the findings contribute new evidence to the further understanding of the premedical advisors’ perspective on the gap year utility and their implicit biases as well as their understanding of the medical school admissions committees’ biases toward medical school applicants from certain socioeconomic backgrounds. Future research should investigate these findings using larger samples across the U.S. and alternative mixed method (qualitative and quantitative) designs. To improve the best advising practices among the premedical advisors, the researchers should study the views of premedical students and matriculated medical students and medical professionals on the gap year utility. In addition, it may be helpful to study the views of the alumni students who took a gap year, applied to medical school and did fail in the medical school admission process.