To the Editor:

Re: “Mind the Gap: Putting Med School on Hold,” Opinion, Feb. 19

Let me first mention that I am a Professor of Surgery at the NYU School of Medicine and am involved in our medical school admissions process. Let me hasten to add that I am writing as an individual and not in any official capacity.

For many students, the concept of putting education on hold for a year off is as daunting as it is enticing. Taking a year to travel, work or volunteer is already a common trend with European students, and now, like a love of soccer and a functioning health care system, the idea of a gap year is also seeping into American culture. In recent years, more and more American students are opting to take a gap year, either between high school and college, or between undergraduate and graduate studies.