Unrelated grad degree

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Does having a strong GPA in a non-science field help to offset a less than superstar undergrad GPA? I have an MS with almost a 4.0, but only a 3.3 undergrad. Don't have the sciences at this point, so I can't say what they would be.

Originally Posted by doxielover

Does having a strong GPA in a non-science field help to offset a less than superstar undergrad GPA? I have an MS with almost a 4.0, but only a 3.3 undergrad. Don't have the sciences at this point, so I can't say what they would be.

Everything helps....They like to see that you can be successful in the upper level classes as this is an indicator of your success in medical school. Need to nail down the pre-req's first to have a definitive understanding of what your chances would be.....

Originally Posted by doxielover

Does having a strong GPA in a non-science field help to offset a less than superstar undergrad GPA? I have an MS with almost a 4.0, but only a 3.3 undergrad. Don't have the sciences at this point, so I can't say what they would be.

A non-science masters degree will help. But you likely will not get into medical school without demonstrating that you can do well in science courses. Because of this, a better way to improve a low undergraduate GPA is with a masters degree in biology or a related science.

Originally Posted by doxielover

Does having a strong GPA in a non-science field help to offset a less than superstar undergrad GPA? I have an MS with almost a 4.0, but only a 3.3 undergrad. Don't have the sciences at this point, so I can't say what they would be.

I had a 3.77, dragged down a little further by one semester at another university way back when I graduated high school. My degree: B.A. in Letters, Arts & Sciences - Liberal Studies Option.

Only applied to 3 schools. Invited to interview at all 3. Withdrew from one. Interviewed and accepted at the other two.

Originally Posted by doxielover

Does having a strong GPA in a non-science field help to offset a less than superstar undergrad GPA? I have an MS with almost a 4.0, but only a 3.3 undergrad. Don't have the sciences at this point, so I can't say what they would be.

I don't think that this is the norm, but it the exact situation in my case. My undergrad GPA was a 3.3 with a sub-3.0 BCPM. Because it was an interesting diversion, I earned an M.S. in international management a few years after getting my B.S. in microbiology. I firmly believe that a non-science degree helps balance and gives you a different perspective (always good in medicine). My extracurricular pursuits were/are really strange (ultramarathons, living overseas x6 yrs, Boy Scout leader, etc.), so they may have had more of an impact on my acceptance than did the M.S.