1 year program or 2 year MS?

[Sjs1234]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I can't seem to decide between doing a 1 year post-bacc/SMP or a full 2 year MS program (thesis/non thesis) and taking the GRE and everything. Right now I need to choose between doing the UPenn Post-Bacc, Drexel MSP or USF Pre-Professional MS. Or I could scrap those and just study for the GRE in the winter and gain some additional clinical experience and apply to MS programs. Although the MS would look a lot better and help me out more, I would have to do my own MCAT prep and it would add at least 2-3 more years to my career path. I've heard that an MS can really help to make up for low GPA/MCAT and help the admissions look past it as long as you do well.

My stats: GPA- 3.3, MCAT- 24
~40 hrs private shadowing, 150 hrs shadowing internationally, EMT-B, ~100 volunteering, 1 year executive club leadership
NC Resident

thanks

 

[DrMidlife]

If there's a subject you're crazy interested in and you want to do a traditional masters, particularly if it's something like neuro or mol/cell bio or whatnot, then go for it. If you want to study classical piano or medieval literature, do it now while you're young and you don't have a mortgage. Definitely publish something if you do traditional grad work. But don't tie grad work to med school admissions unless you do an SMP.

Your undergrad GPA isn't that bad. You know you need a better MCAT (ie 10 points better, right?). If you get above average on the MCAT, and if you've pursued depth and maturity in anything such as a job or grad school, then you're in as good shape as anybody else that's a bit below average for GPA. Keep up your clinical volunteering, and keep finding doctors to shadow.

Now, if you do go the SMP route, then get the MCAT out of the way first and use your above average score to help you get into a good SMP.

Best of luck to you.

 

[jxpham]

Is the 1-yr MS worth anything by itself? Realistically, there is a chance that even through all of this, I won't get into a medical school. I still want that 1-yr MS to get myself a job or into a PhD program. If that 1-yr MS is not the same on paper as the 2-yr MS then I rather take 2 years to make sure in the worst case scenario I have a way to keep on living (and pay back those loans).

 

[DrMidlife]

The point of an SMP is to improve your med school app. There is no other point. An SMP does not make you more employable, not to anyone who actually knows what science is.

The point of traditional grad study is to gain skills and perspective that should make you capable of bearing more responsibility than someone with a bachelors. The point of traditional grad work is to bring you into a field of study to which you can meaningfully contribute. Traditional grad study does not offer a tidy counter-narrative to poor undergrad GPA for the purposes of med school admissions, as would an SMP.

But the basic problem I see for you is that you're willing to not go to med school. If you're willing to do something else than med school, particularly with undergrad GPA damage, then you should absolutely do something else. Med school is a very expensive, very time consuming, very misery-inducing path to employment.

Best of luck to you.