5th year masters?

[BeastfromthEast]

Where I go to college, there is a program where I can get a master's degree in bio in 5 years. Because I have lots of AP credit, my counselor says I could be able to finish in 4 years.

What do you guys think? Good idea or not? Also:

1. If I do decide to get the masters, would i apply during my junior year and I normally would? Or should I apply during my senior year to reap the benefits of having a masters?

2. Is it worth it?

3. If my GPA is lower due to the difficulty of classes, will adcoms understand that I am taking grad level courses?

THanks!

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[dragon529]

Only do the masters if you're genuinely interested in that subject. A masters won't dramatically help or hurt you in the admissions process. It's generally viewed as an extra EC, mainly because the grades are calculated as grad status and grad classes are way different from undergrad classes. However, if you're able to get more research experience and publish papers/attend conferences, then it will be beneficial. Another option is to grad early and do something else for a year. If your GPA will suffer because of the masters, then I don't recommend doing it. It's just not worth it. Deciding when to apply depends on if you're ready by junior or senior year (factors include GPA/MCAT/ECs/LOR).

 

[Catalystik]

You are judged by most med schools on your undergrad GPA. If yours is on the low side, the masters coursework won't help repair it. You'd be better off taking the same classes (or others) but not as a masters candidate.

If your GPA is good, then getting the masters won't hurt you in the med school application process, unless you really get terrible grades. It will help you more when it comes time to apply to residency programs. Having the masters on your application would be viewed as a nice EC, but probably not one worth waiting an extra year to apply unless you need to beef up your ECs further.