Masters Abroad?

[persephoneuva]

Hi, I'm a 3rd-year undergrad and I really want to take a gap year and do a Masters abroad. Are there any specific pros or cons to doing this Masters? Would med schools look down on me doing a Masters in a humanities field (I'm also trying to decide between a Masters in Classics vs a Masters in a science field)? How do med school interviews in the US work if I will be studying abroad during the interview season?

Side question: I see that some Masters programs are a 1 year program starting in October, but they also note that the programs are self-paced. Would it be possible to finish the program before the start of med school (i.e. finish up my Masters before August)?

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[LizzyM]

The conventional wisdom is that you should not be out of the country during your application cycle. Although much of the engagement these days is online, there are challenges and you are making it more difficult for you than it needs to be.

Second point, med schools are getting underway earlier and earlier and many will not consider someone qualified for admission if they are in the midst of a degree program (they won't poach a student and hurt the master's degree's graduation rate) and your "self-pace" could go off the rails if you are not accustomed to the teaching style at the school abroad.

While it is fine to have interests outside of medicine, it seems a stretch to earn a masters degree in classics before medical school. A MS in the sciences makes more sense but, again, why? It seems hard to justify the time and expense and tell me in the next breath that you want to practice medicine in the US. Are you considering any MS or MA degrees in the US as well? If not, is the whole point to go abroad for a year? It seems frivolous.

 

[coffeeandcalifornia]

Hi, I'm a 3rd-year undergrad and I really want to take a gap year and do a Masters abroad. Are there any specific pros or cons to doing this Masters? Would med schools look down on me doing a Masters in a humanities field (I'm also trying to decide between a Masters in Classics vs a Masters in a science field)? How do med school interviews in the US work if I will be studying abroad during the interview season?

Side question: I see that some Masters programs are a 1 year program starting in October, but they also note that the programs are self-paced. Would it be possible to finish the program before the start of med school (i.e. finish up my Masters before August)?

I did a STEM master's abroad before applying this cycle! I am graduating from the program in October 2023, giving myself over half a year before I would (hopefully) matriculate to medical school.

In all of my interviews so far, my masters was definitely something schools wanted to talk about. I have done all of my interviews remotely abroad without difficulty but it does add the extra responsibility and stress of being willing to interview at 11 pm and having good wifi always.

I absolutely loved my program though and wouldnt change the experience for the world but this is just one data point. the self directed master's sounds like a nightmare imo and you really are playing with fire trying to finish early. I would never go into a program without the intention to finish it though like LizzyM said, give yourself breather space.

 

[wysdoc]

The conventional wisdom is that you should not be out of the country during your application cycle. Although much of the engagement these days is online, there are challenges and you are making it more difficult for you than it needs to be.

Second point, med schools are getting underway earlier and earlier and many will not consider someone qualified for admission if they are in the midst of a degree program (they won't poach a student and hurt the master's degree's graduation rate) and your "self-pace" could go off the rails if you are not accustomed to the teaching style at the school abroad.

While it is fine to have interests outside of medicine, it seems a stretch to earn a masters degree in classics before medical school. A MS in the sciences makes more sense but, again, why? It seems hard to justify the time and expense and tell me in the next breath that you want to practice medicine in the US. Are you considering any MS or MA degrees in the US as well? If not, is the whole point to go abroad for a year? It seems frivolous.

I agree with @LizzyM - If you are bent on doing this, you will need to postpone your med school application year to one year later.
Doing the MS abroad for the cultural enjoyment and then truncating it by trying to finish it up early seems odd too.
Most med schools expect you to begin in July or even June.
You will still have people who read your application wondering why in the heck you did this.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Would med schools look down on me doing a Masters in a humanities field (I'm also trying to decide between a Masters in Classics vs a Masters in a science field)?

No

How do med school interviews in the US work if I will be studying abroad during the interview season?

Even if you have online interviews, some places may still do in-person. You may have to deal with internet challenges and be very attentive to time zones. But there is no guarantee you will get an interview.