Conflicted about whether or not to do a masters

[novak123]

Hi everyone! I first want to list my stats so that it's easier for you all to understand my situation:
- currently studying for the MCAT and writing it on Sept 7
- 3.8 cGPA and 3.79 sGPA
- Canadian looking to apply to US MD programs in the 2016 cycle (so hopefully starting med school fall 2017)
- currently a 4th year honors (meaning I wrote a research based honors thesis) biomedical physiology major
- tutor for high school and elementary students (6 months and ongoing)
- volunteer in a care home (2 months and ongoing)
- volunteer for my local food bank (2 months and ongoing)
- NO physician shadowing experience (will work on this later in the year)
- 2.66 years of research experience which includes

• 0.66 years = Biology lab. didn't get anything meaningful out of this. Maintained a population of fruit flies but did no real research work. Not sure if this even counts as research experience.
• 2 years - Physiology lab. About 1 year doing random volunteering that wasn't anything significant. Spent the past year working on my own project which is still currently ongoing but almost complete. Achievements from this lab include 3 posters (2 presented as first author - 1 at my university faculty research day, another at a conference in Fall 2015). I will get 4 publications out of this which will all be published in journals with an IF of about 4 - 1 first author review article & 1 third or fourth author paper (both submitted by the end of this summer), 1 second or third author & 1 first author primary research article (both of these should be submitted by the end of the year, but I'm not sure if they'll be published by the start of the 2016 application cycle)

I'm going to continue doing research, working as a tutor, and volunteering until I get in to med school.

Getting on to why I posted this thread, my PI has recently asked me whether or not I would like to do my masters degree. I need to make the commitment of whether or not I want to do my masters by August 31 of this year so that I can apply for funding. Based on my stats, do you guys think this is a good idea? I'm going to be done my degree by spring 2016 which means I'm going to have a gap year, and I made it clear to my PI that if I was to do my masters I would not want to go over 2 years, so really doing the masters is only going to set me back 1 year.

Reasons why I want to do my masters:
- I feel like my application isn't strong enough, and the masters would give me more time to strengthen it (especially since I'm Canadian which puts me at a disadvantage)
- I could use the extra time to mature as a person before starting med school (I'm 21 for context)
- My application lacks any real solid leadership experience - working as a TA would allow me to make up for this
- I love the work I do in the lab

Reasons why I don't want to do my masters:
- What if I get in to med school for fall 2017 - I will have wasted 1 year
- extra tuition fees
- unsure if I need to do my masters to strengthen my application (I already have tons of research experience) whereas instead I could use the extra time to volunteer and take on some co-op jobs that would strengthen my application

Thanks!

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[deleted577188]

It'll be easier to tell you "no" once you get an MCAT back, but for right now I'm gonna say ditch the masters idea.

Getting into a masters program is easier than getting into med school. You'll want to focus on that first if that's your ultimate goal, and with your GPA's, you'll have no issues so long as your MCAT is good.

 

[ZedsDed]

It'll be easier to tell you "no" once you get an MCAT back, but for right now I'm gonna say ditch the masters idea.

Getting into a masters program is easier than getting into med school. You'll want to focus on that first if that's your ultimate goal, and with your GPA's, you'll have no issues so long as your MCAT is good.

OPs stats are average for Canadian matriculants. The MCAT will make or break your competitiveness here.

 

[deleted577188]

OPs stats are average for Canadian matriculants. The MCAT will make or break your competitiveness here.

Damn he bolded that part too and I still missed it. Either way I think a masters is useless.

 

[lmn]

A master's is a waste unless it is in something you want to use later as a physician, or as a career if medicine doesn't work out for you. Take a year off study hard for the MCAT since that is what is really important for your app, do shadowing/volunteering, and/or work. No point in wasting money and only risking messing up your gpa.

 

[GrapesofRath]

This discussion about your chances is entirely moot without an MCAT score. Like @ZedsDed said the standards are different for you and the MCAT standards will be higher as well.

To answer your question though let's look at why you said you are considering doing a masters
1) It will help your med school admission chances: not particularly---there are definitely better uses of time/money and things to do for this.
2) Use time to maturate: you can do this doing a variety of other things
3) If you want solid leadership experience---do something which involves leadership. And no not having this is not the biggest worry I would have.
4) I love the work I do in my lab: so keep working in it during your year off full time or work in another lab.

If the reasons you wanted one were very specific and you had a specific goal for using them after becoming a physician it would be one thing. But these aren't reasons to do a masters. Everything you want to do there are better uses of time and money to do that can help you achieve the goals you have you listed above.

 

[novak123]

Thanks for your input everyone you have all convinced me. I'll speak with my PI and let him know that I'm no longer interested in doing the masters

 

[GummyBeh]

Thanks for your input everyone you have all convinced me. I'll speak with my PI and let him know that I'm no longer interested in doing the masters

If your research is a continuation of your current work you could finish it in 1-1.5 years. I've seen it done.

 

[novak123]

If your research is a continuation of your current work you could finish it in 1-1.5 years. I've seen it done.

I'm actually almost done my current project which is why I'm going to have contributed to the publication of at least 4 papers. Doing the master's would entail starting a completely new project.

 

[chemist16]

Your reasons for doing/not doing a master's seem kind of contradictory. You "love" the work you're doing in the lab, yet if you get in to med school for fall 2017 you say you'll have "wasted" a year. If you really want to do a master's, it wouldn't be a waste; if you really don't but want to do it only for the sake of med school, then you really will have wasted a year. A master's program will require a lot of time/dedication and a thesis, especially since you're looking for one-year master's programs. I wouldn't recommend doing it unless you really want to do it for the sake of doing it, not for the sake of vaguely strengthening your med school application.

 

[ConfusedChemist]

OPs stats are average for Canadian matriculants. The MCAT will make or break your competitiveness here.

OP's stats are actually too low for most Canadian med schools, unless they have a lucky home province that has lower requirements. Most are 3.9+

 

[ZedsDed]

OP's stats are actually too low for most Canadian med schools, unless they have a lucky home province that has lower requirements. Most are 3.9+

I was talking about Canadians who matriculate into U.S. schools.

 

[novak123]

OP's stats are actually too low for most Canadian med schools, unless they have a lucky home province that has lower requirements. Most are 3.9+

Many schools actually remove your worst year, and I really only had one bad semester (my first semester ) that is dragging my GPA down. My gpa is approximately 3.93 if I remove my first year from my GPA calculations, but I'm still not expecting a Canadian acceptance because my ECs are mediocre compared to the average Canadian matriculant.

 

[ConfusedChemist]

Many schools actually remove your worst year, and I really only had one bad semester (my first semester ) that is dragging my GPA down. My gpa is approximately 3.93 if I remove my first year from my GPA calculations, but I'm still not expecting a Canadian acceptance because my ECs are mediocre compared to the average Canadian matriculant.

Then you are likely fine!
Look up the schools-not all need EC's
mac, western, sask...it all depends on your MCAT score