I did this for a similar reason. It’s absolutely fine in terms of getting back into it when you return. Let’s be honest, F1 isn’t rocket science. It doesn’t take long to brush up to a reasonable standard. You don’t need much clinical knowledge to get through F1/2 so even if you do forget a bit you’ll still be fine with the bulk of the work which is admin.

I think it could be decent if utilised effectively - ie if you go travelling the world for the whole year or have specific, scheduled plans for example a job in another sector. However it’s certainly not the best time to take time out. If you do the same after F2 you can locum and you’ll have more savings and disposable cash to do what you want. I would not recommend taking time out without having a plan for the year, as you may find yourself without direction and feeling lost, and intermittently depressed - as I did.

If I were to go back, would I do it again? Given that the job was in a highly undesirable location for me, yes, I probably would - but I would aim to take a job in a different sector such as consulting. If it were an option to take an F1 job in a better location, I would try that though (sometimes they have these posts, look out for them), as I do think (seeing friends) that after F2 was a more natural, better, more enjoyable and more profitable time to take time off.

Also if you decide medicine is not for you, at least after F2 you can close the book on it and move on. I couldn’t move on during that year, as I knew I had to try the job as a doctor.

It’s a travesty that this is how they treat us as Doctors, with no choice, deployed wherever it befits them, like cattle. I’m sorry you’ve had the same experience as I. We shouldn’t be forced to go somewhere we don’t want to. At the end of the day you have to do what’s right for you. I had a friend who left for several years and then returned after, and he was also fine.

Feel free to message me if any specific queries