Accelerated Masters, or Graduate Early? HELP

[bcboo]

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I have a 3.95 GPA, with a cell and molecular biology major GPA of a 3.97, a chemistry minor GPA of 3.90 and a psychology minor GPA of 4.0. I came in to college with quite a few credits, and I am now in a position to graduate a year early, or I can participate in an accelerated masters program and still graduate on time. Which would you recommend? If I graduate early, I would work, possibly in a hospital and spend time shadowing and volunteering. I would not go to medical school early as I am not yet prepared to take the mcat.

 

[21Rush12]

Just graduate — don’t spend money on degrees that are going to get you nowhere. You only stand to make your GPA worse or the same, and graduate work wouldn’t be considered the same anyway.

Spend the time studying for MCAT and working and apply when you get your score.

 

[bcboo]

See, I don't have to pay for any of it, as I'm on a scholarship. I haven't done much research so I was looking at is as a way for me to get additional research for my application

 

[lakersince93]

See, I don't have to pay for any of it, as I'm on a scholarship. I haven't done much research so I was looking at is as a way for me to get additional research for my application

I would stay in school OP for two main reasons. 1) more education never hurt anyone besides cost 2) as you mentioned your in a unique situation where more education costs you nothing.

Now the only thing that would change my mind for your case is if you are lacking on your ECs for medical school. If you have no or very few pt hours/ minimal volunteering it would serve you better taking care of those

 

[grizzly1093]

A lack of shadowing/volunteer hours will make med schools question your interest in / commitment to medicine, so if you haven't spent much time on those, you should focus on that and MCAT prep.

If you already have those covered, then doing the masters would make you a stronger candidate for research-heavy med schools (WashU, Stanford, Michigan, Baylor, UAB...) assuming it's a research-based program. Since your undergrad GPA is already high, though, the masters could only hurt your GPA, so if you want research experience it might even be better to forgo the masters and find a full-time research position.

 

[Microbug]

Don’t do accelerated masters. It would not be very beneficial if you do well and could be detrimental if you do bad. The risk is not worth it, don’t mess up your GPA. If your education doesn’t cost you anything, just stay in school and take a less rigorous class schedule so you have time to do research, volunteer and study for MCAT.
I was in the same situation and I stayed in school instead of graduating early or BS/MS. Now I’m just chilling in my senior year. I have friends who went into BS/MS, which doesn’t really help their app for med or grad school. Most masters are classes and not research so no advantage for grad school. On the med school side, they care that you do well in your degree, an extra degree is not worth the risk.

 

[Robin-jay]

I have a 3.95 GPA, with a cell and molecular biology major GPA of a 3.97, a chemistry minor GPA of 3.90 and a psychology minor GPA of 4.0. I came in to college with quite a few credits, and I am now in a position to graduate a year early, or I can participate in an accelerated masters program and still graduate on time. Which would you recommend? If I graduate early, I would work, possibly in a hospital and spend time shadowing and volunteering. I would not go to medical school early as I am not yet prepared to take the mcat.

Don’t do accelerated masters. It would not be very beneficial if you do well and could be detrimental if you do bad. The risk is not worth it, don’t mess up your GPA. If your education doesn’t cost you anything, just stay in school and take a less rigorous class schedule so you have time to do research, volunteer and study for MCAT.
I was in the same situation and I stayed in school instead of graduating early or BS/MS. Now I’m just chilling in my senior year. I have friends who went into BS/MS, which doesn’t really help their app for med or grad school. Most masters are classes and not research so no advantage for grad school. On the med school side, they care that you do well in your degree, an extra degree is not worth the risk.

What's your accelerated masters in OP? If your masters is in most sciences, then you won't earn over 3.9 GPA anyway. Grad. schools don't want to hand out 4.0's.

I would say your chances of earning a higher GPA in your accelerated masters than your bachelors are almost 0.