"I do think people are taking more time to plan their careers these days, and medical schools may be valuing some postgraduate experience more than they used to, so the increase in alumni applicants may not be hard to explain," Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 said in an e-mail message.
Taking time off has become more common for a number of reasons, Michelson said.
According to the report, alums accepted to medical school have lower grade point averages and MCAT scores than admitted undergraduates.
"In the past, med schools used to wary of students who weren't coming straight from college," Michelson said. "Now they seem to prefer the maturity of older applicants."
Another motivation for taking time off is the need for a break between college and medical school.
"People want to do something totally different," Michelson said. "Go pick raspberries or concentrate on music for a whole year."
Enticing salaries at consulting or investment banking firms also steal away those who may have once been doctor-bound.
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