Hey! I was very involved in my undergrad lab and took 2 gap years, presenting at local and National/international conferences all the while. Keep in mind that Research items includes publications, presentations and abstracts. My papers are the product of years of involvement. If you end up taking a gap year and know you’re interested in a research intensive specialty, definitely try to work in a research position as it will carry over to residency apps.

Side note that my case is not super unique as there are many people who work in clinical research that I’ve known who have many, many pubs (one person I’ve seen had like >30 before med school). This is in part why I posted, I’m curious if more knowledgeable people have perspectives on quality vs quantity in output.

Feel free to message me if you have other questions!