Why I Did the Unthinkable and Took a Gap Year 為什么我要休間隔年

Jonathan+Guzman++譯+Fiona+Cai

Manila， the city where I grew up， boasts a metropolitan area larger than Beijing and as developed as Singapore by United Nations standards. But theres a visible gap in this vibrant1）， cosmopolitan city between the wealthy few and the masses struggling to get by. Growing up， I quickly learned that the citys offerings were reserved for those with the means2） to enjoy them.

So a few years ago， as my college graduation approached， it came as little surprise to hear my uncle offer advice my parents and family had repeated throughout my childhood in the Philippines：

“Remember，” he said， “money isnt everything. But it is almost everything.”

To him and the rest of my family， the only sensible path was a direct line toward financial stability and success. So you can imagine their confusion when I announced that medical school3） wouldnt be my next immediate stop after crossing Vanderbilt Universitys stage.

Instead， Id be doing the unthinkable： Id take a gap year.

A gap year is a break in ones education， whether that means a year off between high school and college or between college and graduate or professional school. Some spend the year gaining work experience—a sort of preview for the career ahead， or a chance to try out another field. They might travel abroad， or pursue community service.

Many might not think my own， less adventurous experience—working a full-time job in medical research， a productive pause before applying to medical schools—would qualify. But it still caused my family to worry that I was falling behind. Though supportive of my long-term goals， my mother feared， as a physician herself， that the already difficult road ahead of me would only get longer. A few relatives even began to question whether medicine was really still part of my intended future.

Through the utilitarian4） lens which my Filipino5） family and friends see education， gap years are largely a waste. They picture aimless participants who are slow to find careers， delay receiving proper salaries， and pursue activities that dont justify the money spent or earnings lost.

That anxiety is at odds with the apparent attitudes of American college students， who seem perfectly comfortable with gap years. Roughly three-quarters of each incoming class at Harvard Universitys law school applied after taking at least a year off. Northwestern University students planning on medical school also tended to favor a gap year， while Rice University noted a good number of its students doing the same. After pointing out that more than three-quarters of Duke Universitys students wait to apply to medical school until after they graduate， the schools website adds that “students who engage in a year or more of experiential activity after graduation … are more mature， resilient， confident， and accomplished.”

Even for incoming college freshmen， gap years are becoming increasingly attractive： Attendance at USA Gap Year Fairs， a nationwide circuit6） of events involving relevant organizations and experts， has almost tripled since 2010.

Gap years have reached such a degree of acceptability， schools like Princeton and Tufts universities have started their own programs for students to take a “transformational year of full-time service， domestically or abroad， before beginning their academic studies.”

I moved to Houston after graduating from Vanderbilt with an ambitious plan for my time off before starting an MD-PhD program7）. Because of competitive admissions， experience in full-time research and graduate-level biomedical coursework8） was my priority. Rice University， known for its rigorous academics and solid research opportunities， had already accepted me at the time.

But ultimately I chose to work in research at Baylor College of Medicine9）. A biweekly paycheck and the opportunity to pursue tuition-free coursework at Baylors graduate school for biomedical sciences were too enticing to pass up10）.

My friend Katharine Yang， now a second-year medical student， was there with me. She had decided to work full-time as a medical assistant at a cardiology11） clinic before starting at Baylor， and wasnt the only one in her class to take a gap year.

“I wanted a taste of real life，” she said when I asked about the detour12）. During that time， Katharine picked up ballroom dancing13） and became involved in human rights advocacy through RESULTS14）， a nonprofit group that she still dedicates some time to as a med student.

Thinking back on it now， “I would maximize my time even more，” she said. “If I could do it again， I would spend less time watching TV shows， and more time learning about cultures， politics， and religion—things that I wish I could do now that Im in medical school.”

Eduardo Medellin， a Baylor researcher currently applying to medical schools， had a different approach to his gap year. “I really appreciate the opportunity to network early，” he said， noting the career opportunities he was eyeing at the Texas Medical Center. Before hearing about the job opening during a mission trip abroad， Eduardo was planning to work as a pharmacy technician back home in Laredo15）.

Hes glad the opportunity presented itself. “Working here at Baylor was the best thing that could have happened to me，” he said. But I know most of my family dont see my own decision that way. The message Ive always gotten from them was that education was merely the means toward an end. Success was defined by whether I could provide for my family， reap the material rewards of my labor， and give back to God and country.

The 10 years I spent in the U.S. before graduating from Vanderbilt challenged my childhood perception of education： It became an end in and of itself16）. Instead of being unnecessary add-ons to an already lengthy career path， for example， doctoral programs ranging from bioethics to immunology were opportunities to broaden my future practice.

Even after my gap year， Im still trying to strike a balance between the pragmatic priorities I was raised with and the vibrant ones I developed during my U.S. education. Medical school remains my goal， but I feel like a more complete candidate as I face down17） admissions interviews.

I learned the discipline of a full-time job and worked with physicians who I plan to stay in touch with， as both professional and personal connections. I juggled graduate coursework alongside employment， preparing me （in theory） for the hectic18） schedule ahead. For the price of a later start to my career， I learned how to pursue the kind of success my family taught me to value.

So while I appreciate my uncles advice， knowing full well he wanted the best for me， I feel compelled to reword it here：

Money is almost everything. But it isnt everything.

我在馬尼拉市長(zhǎng)大，該市自詡城市面積比北京大，發(fā)達(dá)程度按照聯(lián)合國(guó)的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)能與新加坡匹敵。但是，在這個(gè)充滿活力的國(guó)際大都市里，生活富裕的少數(shù)人與艱難度日的普通大眾之間卻存在著明顯的差距。隨著我的成長(zhǎng)，我很快認(rèn)識(shí)到，這個(gè)城市所提供的東西都是給那些有錢(qián)享受的人們準(zhǔn)備的。

因此，幾年前我臨近大學(xué)畢業(yè)的時(shí)候，聽(tīng)到叔叔給我的忠告，我一點(diǎn)都不覺(jué)得驚訝。我小時(shí)候在菲律賓時(shí)，我的父母和家人就曾經(jīng)反復(fù)給我這樣的忠告。

“記住，”他說(shuō)，“錢(qián)不是萬(wàn)能的，但它近乎萬(wàn)能?！?/p>

對(duì)于他和我的其他家人而言，唯一的明智之舉就是直接邁入收入穩(wěn)定和成功的行列。所以，當(dāng)我宣布自己在完成范德堡大學(xué)的學(xué)業(yè)后不會(huì)立馬去念醫(yī)學(xué)院時(shí)，你可以想象他們有多困惑。

相反，我要做一件不可思議的事：我要休個(gè)間隔年。

間隔年是指某人在求學(xué)過(guò)程中進(jìn)行的短暫休息，既可以指在念完高中、進(jìn)入大學(xué)之前休息一年，也可以指在念完大學(xué)、開(kāi)始研究生或?qū)I(yè)學(xué)院學(xué)習(xí)之前休息一年。有些人利用這一年的時(shí)間積累工作經(jīng)驗(yàn)——提前了解日后的職業(yè)生涯或者借機(jī)嘗試其他領(lǐng)域。他們可能會(huì)出國(guó)旅行，或者參與社區(qū)服務(wù)。

很多人可能覺(jué)得我那段不太冒險(xiǎn)的經(jīng)歷稱為間隔年根本不夠格：我在一家醫(yī)學(xué)研究機(jī)構(gòu)做全職工作，這是申請(qǐng)醫(yī)學(xué)院之前一段卓有成效的休學(xué)時(shí)光。然而，就是這樣的間隔年仍然讓我的家人擔(dān)心我會(huì)落后。身為內(nèi)科醫(yī)生的母親雖然對(duì)我的長(zhǎng)期目標(biāo)表示支持，但她還是擔(dān)心我未來(lái)原本已很艱辛的路只會(huì)因此變得更加漫長(zhǎng)。我的幾個(gè)親戚甚至開(kāi)始質(zhì)疑，在我規(guī)劃的未來(lái)里是否真的還有醫(yī)學(xué)的一席之地。

從我的菲律賓家人和朋友看待教育的功利視角來(lái)說(shuō)，間隔年很大程度上是一種浪費(fèi)。在他們的想象中，參與間隔年的是一群漫無(wú)目的的人，他們不急于確定職業(yè)，推遲了掙體面工資的時(shí)間，參加的活動(dòng)根本不值花出去的那些錢(qián)，也不值損失的那些收入。

那種焦慮與美國(guó)大學(xué)生的態(tài)度完全相左，美國(guó)的大學(xué)生態(tài)度明確，似乎完全接受間隔年。每年，哈佛大學(xué)法學(xué)院的新生班級(jí)都有大概四分之三的學(xué)生是休學(xué)至少一年后再申請(qǐng)的。西北大學(xué)打算申請(qǐng)醫(yī)學(xué)院的學(xué)生也傾向于休間隔年，而萊斯大學(xué)也指出該校相當(dāng)多的學(xué)生也在這樣做。杜克大學(xué)指出，該校有超過(guò)四分之三的學(xué)生都是等自己畢業(yè)之后才申請(qǐng)醫(yī)學(xué)院，而后該校的網(wǎng)站還補(bǔ)充道：“那些參加過(guò)一年或更長(zhǎng)時(shí)間體驗(yàn)活動(dòng)的學(xué)生……更加成熟，適應(yīng)性更強(qiáng)，更自信，也更有造詣?！?/p>

即便對(duì)于即將進(jìn)入大學(xué)的新生而言，間隔年也變得愈發(fā)有吸引力了：自2010年以來(lái)，參加美國(guó)間隔年大會(huì)的人數(shù)幾乎增至原來(lái)的三倍。美國(guó)間隔年大會(huì)是一個(gè)全國(guó)性的巡回活動(dòng)，有很多相關(guān)組織和專家參與其中。

有如此多的人接受間隔年，于是像普林斯頓和塔夫茨這樣的大學(xué)都開(kāi)始推出他們自己的活動(dòng)，讓學(xué)生“在開(kāi)始學(xué)術(shù)研究之前度過(guò)一年轉(zhuǎn)換期，參加國(guó)內(nèi)或者國(guó)外的全職服務(wù)活動(dòng)”。

從范德堡大學(xué)畢業(yè)后，我搬到了休斯敦，為自己在開(kāi)始念醫(yī)學(xué)博士和哲學(xué)博士雙學(xué)位之前的這段休學(xué)時(shí)光制定了一個(gè)雄心勃勃的計(jì)劃。由于錄取競(jìng)爭(zhēng)很激烈，全職研究的實(shí)踐經(jīng)歷和生物醫(yī)學(xué)方面的授課型研究生課程成為我的首選。而彼時(shí)，萊斯大學(xué)已經(jīng)錄取了我，該校以嚴(yán)謹(jǐn)?shù)膶W(xué)術(shù)態(tài)度和出色的研究機(jī)會(huì)而著稱。

但是最終我選擇了在貝勒醫(yī)學(xué)院從事研究工作。兩周發(fā)一次薪水，還有機(jī)會(huì)在貝勒生物醫(yī)藥科學(xué)研究生院免費(fèi)學(xué)習(xí)授課型課程，這簡(jiǎn)直太誘人了，讓我無(wú)法拒絕。

我的朋友凱瑟琳·楊當(dāng)時(shí)和我一起在那里工作，現(xiàn)在她是一名醫(yī)學(xué)院二年級(jí)的學(xué)生。在貝勒醫(yī)學(xué)院工作之前，她已經(jīng)決定去做一份全職工作—在一家心臟病診所擔(dān)任醫(yī)務(wù)助理。她并不是班上唯一一個(gè)休間隔年的學(xué)生。

“我想體驗(yàn)一下真正的生活?！碑?dāng)我問(wèn)起她走間隔年這條彎路的經(jīng)歷時(shí)她說(shuō)道。在那段時(shí)間，她重拾了跳交際舞的興趣，還通過(guò)RESULTS這一非營(yíng)利性組織參加了倡導(dǎo)人權(quán)的活動(dòng)。如今，作為醫(yī)學(xué)院的學(xué)生，她仍會(huì)抽出時(shí)間參與其中。

現(xiàn)在回想起來(lái)，“我應(yīng)該更充分地利用我的時(shí)間，”她說(shuō)，“如果我能再來(lái)一次，我會(huì)少看一些電視節(jié)目，多花點(diǎn)時(shí)間學(xué)習(xí)文化、政治和宗教方面的知識(shí)，現(xiàn)在上醫(yī)學(xué)院，我多么希望還能做這些事情啊?！?/p>

愛(ài)德華多·麥德林是貝勒醫(yī)學(xué)院的一名研究人員，目前正在申請(qǐng)醫(yī)學(xué)院。他對(duì)自己休間隔年抱有不同的想法。他說(shuō)：“我非常重視及早搭建關(guān)系網(wǎng)的機(jī)會(huì)?！边@話指的是他一直關(guān)注的得克薩斯醫(yī)學(xué)中心的工作機(jī)會(huì)。他是在國(guó)外進(jìn)行短期傳教時(shí)偶然聽(tīng)說(shuō)那個(gè)職位有空缺的。在此之前，愛(ài)德華多打算回家鄉(xiāng)拉雷多當(dāng)一名藥劑師。

他很開(kāi)心機(jī)會(huì)能自己找上門(mén)來(lái)?！霸谪惱蔗t(yī)學(xué)院工作是我遇到過(guò)的最好的事情?！彼f(shuō)。但是我知道我的大多數(shù)家人并不這樣看待我自己做的這個(gè)決定。我經(jīng)常從他們那里得到的信息是，教育只是達(dá)到某種目的的手段而已。成功是通過(guò)我能否贍養(yǎng)我的家人、能否通過(guò)勞動(dòng)獲得物質(zhì)回報(bào)以及能否回饋上帝和國(guó)家來(lái)界定的。

在我從范德堡大學(xué)畢業(yè)前，我在美國(guó)生活了十年。這十年讓我兒時(shí)對(duì)于教育的看法受到了挑戰(zhàn)：教育本身就是目的。舉例而言，從生物倫理學(xué)博士項(xiàng)目到免疫學(xué)博士項(xiàng)目，它們都是我拓展未來(lái)從醫(yī)實(shí)踐的機(jī)會(huì)，而非我漫漫職業(yè)道路上不必要的附加物。

即便休完間隔年之后，在考慮事情的輕重緩急時(shí)，我仍試圖在實(shí)用主義與澎湃激情之間找到平衡。前者是我在成長(zhǎng)過(guò)程中被灌輸?shù)模笳呤俏以诮邮苊绹?guó)教育的過(guò)程中收獲的。醫(yī)學(xué)院仍舊是我的目標(biāo)，但是當(dāng)我勇敢地直面錄取面試官時(shí)，我覺(jué)得自己是一個(gè)素質(zhì)更加全面的候選人。

我學(xué)到了做一份全職工作該有的規(guī)矩，并且與我想要在專業(yè)和個(gè)人生活方面一直保持聯(lián)系的內(nèi)科醫(yī)生一起工作。我力圖兼顧工作和研究生課程，這（從理論上）讓我為日后的繁忙日程做好了準(zhǔn)備。盡管我付出了代價(jià)，要推遲開(kāi)始我的職業(yè)生涯，但是我學(xué)會(huì)了如何去追尋我的家庭教我要重視的那種成功。

因此，盡管我很感激叔叔對(duì)我的忠告，深知他是想要我過(guò)得好，但我還是忍不住要在這里把那條忠告重新改寫(xiě)一下：

錢(qián)近乎是萬(wàn)能的，但它絕不是萬(wàn)能的。

1. vibrant [?va?br?nt] adj. 活躍的；有活力的；充滿生氣的

2. means [mi?nz] n. 金錢(qián)，財(cái)富，收入

3. medical school：醫(yī)學(xué)院。與中國(guó)不同，美國(guó)的醫(yī)學(xué)院不招收本科生，學(xué)生必須獲得本科學(xué)位或具有相同學(xué)歷之后才可以申請(qǐng)進(jìn)入醫(yī)學(xué)院學(xué)習(xí)。

4. utilitarian [ju??t?l??te?ri?n] adj. 功利主義的；實(shí)利主義的

5. Filipino [?f?l??pi?n??] n. 菲律賓人

6. circuit [?s??（r）k?t] n. 巡回；巡回活動(dòng)

7. MD-PhD program：醫(yī)學(xué)博士與哲學(xué)博士雙學(xué)位項(xiàng)目（The Doctorate of Medicine and of Philosophy），目的在于培養(yǎng)既具有臨床實(shí)踐能力又具有醫(yī)學(xué)研究能力的復(fù)合型人才。

8. coursework [?k??（r）s?w??（r）k] n. 授課型課程

9. Baylor College of Medicine：貝勒醫(yī)學(xué)院，位于休斯敦，被認(rèn)為是美國(guó)最杰出的醫(yī)學(xué)院之一。

10. pass up：拒絕；放棄；放過(guò)（機(jī)會(huì)等）

11. cardiology [?kɑ?（r）di??l?d?i] n. 心臟病學(xué)

12. detour [?di?t??（r）] n. 繞行的路；迂回路

13. ballroom dancing：交際舞，交誼舞

14. RESULTS：一家倡導(dǎo)結(jié)束貧困的非營(yíng)利民間組織，旨在通過(guò)有效地影響政治決策來(lái)使更多人享受教育、健康權(quán)利和經(jīng)濟(jì)機(jī)會(huì)。

15. Laredo：拉雷多，美國(guó)得克薩斯州南部城市

16. in and of itself：就其本身而言

17. face down：（勇敢、堅(jiān)定地）降服，挫敗，懾服

18. hectic [?hekt?k] adj. 緊張忙碌的；忙亂的