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[hibiscustea]

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[Dave1980]

Can you just spin it like you wanted and got the M.S.?

 

[Goro]

I'm not really sure how I should address my situation with leaving a PhD program with an MS in my personal statement and other essays without sending up red flags to admissions committees.

The backstory is that I began a PhD program for a physical science six years ago. I did well in my classes and research (I have publications from this, at least). My program required writing proposals for our qualifying exams along with some exam-like questions. The exam-like questions portion was fine, but I was failed on my proposals twice and was given an MS for my efforts. I've learned a lot from this experience and I know that my academic ability will not be a problem in medical school. I apparently can't write a good proposal in an area of this science that wasn't related to my research.

I'm worried that this will look really bad to ad coms, but having to leave the program, work in the industry for a few years, and reflect on what I really wanted to do where huge factors in driving me to want to become a doctor. I hope that this can be a strong enough narrative for my application as well (I do have clinical and non-clinical volunteering to back this up). I also have no interest in applying MD/PhD but I'd still like to apply to research heavy schools since I have the background, though I also worry that my research experience is too old (3 years ago).

I would also consider this to be my biggest failure, but I've read that academics is not a good topic for the biggest failure essays and I fear that this is too recent (and my latest academic endeavor if my two bio post bacc classes don't really count) to not be concerning.

Does anyone have any advice on how to spin this in my favor?

You're right, it does look bad.

Don't address it unless specifically asked about it.

 

[FalconSlice]

I'm not really sure how I should address my situation with leaving a PhD program with an MS in my personal statement and other essays without sending up red flags to admissions committees.

The backstory is that I began a PhD program for a physical science six years ago. I did well in my classes and research (I have publications from this, at least). My program required writing proposals for our qualifying exams along with some exam-like questions. The exam-like questions portion was fine, but I was failed on my proposals twice and was given an MS for my efforts. I've learned a lot from this experience and I know that my academic ability will not be a problem in medical school. I apparently can't write a good proposal in an area of this science that wasn't related to my research.

I'm worried that this will look really bad to ad coms, but having to leave the program, work in the industry for a few years, and reflect on what I really wanted to do where huge factors in driving me to want to become a doctor. I hope that this can be a strong enough narrative for my application as well (I do have clinical and non-clinical volunteering to back this up). I also have no interest in applying MD/PhD but I'd still like to apply to research heavy schools since I have the background, though I also worry that my research experience is too old (3 years ago).

I would also consider this to be my biggest failure, but I've read that academics is not a good topic for the biggest failure essays and I fear that this is too recent (and my latest academic endeavor if my two bio post bacc classes don't really count) to not be concerning.

Does anyone have any advice on how to spin this in my favor?

If I were you, I'd focus on "why do you want to be a doctor?" for your PS instead of explaining your grievances that no one would be really aware of anyway unless they stumbled upon the details of your masters (for example, if you spent 6 years in grad school and all you got was a masters and they noticed that) and pointedly asked you about it. Otherwise, if you were to mention your previous training, it might be best to talk about it in the light of what you got out of it, what you accomplished, etc. I.e. focus on what makes you an awesome applicant and don't preemptively start making excuses.

 

[HKSZYU]

Leaving PhD programs with just a masters isn't all that uncommon. A lot people master-out for all sorts of reason. Since this isn't an ABD situation, I don't think just listing the MS (and not the PhD) on your AMCAS would be a problem. I probably wouldn't use your PS space to address this because I don't think it really needs to be addressed.