I have a big decision to make within the next week! Any advice you can provide would be really appreciated!!

So here's my story:
ivy league college, currently 5th yr senior.
3.3 overal gpa, 3.1 science (hopefully better by the end of this semester)
- increasing gpa trend from freshmen to senior yr
(death of a parent the yr before i started college)

26Q on the first mcat
32R on the second mcat (10, 11, 11)

EC: (all in undergrad)
3 yrs, basic science research, 2 publications.
3 summer research fellowships, basic science research.
2 semesters, clinical research.
Co-founded an immigrant health clinic, 2 years.
3 years president of a non-science student group.
2 years on board of a student biomed society.
and numerous others.

So here are my options for January '07 and after:

1. -2nd semester of 5th yr in college (Jan -May), study abroad program in Costa Rica. Here I can take 5 courses (3 hard sciences) in an intensive tropical biology/ecology program abroad. I've contacted students in the program and they say it was one of the best experiences in their life, once in a lifetime opportunity, they loved it, etc. And I get a very good financial aid package, so it makes sense to do study abroad through my college.
-apply to medical school the summer of '07
-apply for a Research Fellowship at NIH, or in Public Health, or Americorps or another interesting program for the following year while I am applying
-med school in 2008 (hopefully!)

2. -Master's program starting in Jan, for 1.5 years, at Mount Sinai. (I was accepted to BU MAMS also, but I prefer to live in NYC!) This will improve my chances of getting into medical school, and it may also help me in the future if I want to pursue research (which is quite possible). But it also costs $45k!
-AMCAS in '07 while in the program, for 2008 med school admission.

My Questions:
-Which option would you do?! I've never been abroad and I would love the opportunity to live in Latin America! But the Master's program might be better for my long-term career, and will def help me more in terms of getting in... Will a master's also help me AFTER I get into medical school (ie. with residency, etc.)?
-Is the MS worth the money? And the opportunity cost?
-How are study abroad programs looked at by medical schools? Do they think they are "easier"?
-What else could I do to improve my chances in my year after Costa Rica? Know of any one-yr MS's or MPH programs?

Please, please, any advice would be great!! I really don't know what to do, and the pre-med advisors are not helping!! Thank you soooo much!!!

-Neha

I'd definitely do option 1 if I were you. It seem like a valuable once-in-a-life-time-life-enhancing experience.

You seem to have strong credentials as a med school applicant. Another thing you need to ask yourself is what you really want to get from this 1.5 year before med school. In my opinion a masters that cost extra bucks is not really worth it if your ultimate goal is med school. What you really want is experience that broadens your horizon and offer you a more comprehensive perspective in this world...blah blah blah.

I once considered apply to BU's MAMS too but, if you are going to med school any way, you'll eventually learn the same thing any way.

I'd definitely do option 1 if I were you. It seem like a valuable once-in-a-life-time-life-enhancing experience.

You seem to have strong credentials as a med school applicant. Another thing you need to ask yourself is what you really want to get from this 1.5 year before med school. In my opinion a masters that cost extra bucks is not really worth it if your ultimate goal is med school. What you really want is experience that broadens your horizon and offer you a more comprehensive perspective in this world...blah blah blah.

I once considered apply to BU's MAMS too but, if you are going to med school any way, you'll eventually learn the same thing any way.

CONGRATS btw. I wish you best of luck in your journey into the medical field :)