Admissions member at state school said to quit research job and do full-time masters?

[babyelephants3]

Graduated last May, currently working as an RA at Harvard while working on the MCAT and taking classes after as I graduated with a 2.9 gpa. I recently got the chance to call an admissions member at my state school who suggested that I quit my research job and emphasized doing a full-time masters. This goes against what my undergrad advisor (not an admissions member) said, who encouraged me to take this job while I do transcript repair. I'm confused on who to listen to, any advice?

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[Med Ed]

What was the reasoning for doing a full-time MS?

What is the trend on your 2.9 GPA? Doing post-bac work and then taking the MCAT is more common advice for someone in your situation.

 

[cincincyreds]

Graduated last May, currently working as an RA at Harvard while working on the MCAT and taking classes after as I graduated with a 2.9 gpa. I recently got the chance to call an admissions member at my state school who suggested that I quit my research job and emphasized doing a full-time masters. This goes against what my undergrad advisor (not an admissions member) said, who encouraged me to take this job while I do transcript repair. I'm confused on who to listen to, any advice?

The average GPAs at US medical schools runs between 3.7-3.8. You really need to get that up.

 

[candbgirl]

You really need to get your GPA up to a 3.2+ at least. And the only way you can do this is through a post bacc. What is your sGPA? By doing a DIY post bacc or a formal post bacc those grades will be counted in your cGPA for MD (or DO.) Masters grades aren’t heavily considered for MD schools because students are expected to get As. ( Grad grades are included forvDO,schools).

 

[Mr.Smile12]

If you find a solid SMP that would take you in spite of the GPA, that is the fastest way to get you into contention for medical school. Some SMPs require that GPA to be 3.0+. Thus, both pieces of advice can be correct.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Agree. You need an SMP (not an MS), but you may not qualify for these until you repair via a DIY post bacc first.

 

[LizzyM]

The research job is not helping you move toward med school admission aside from helping you earn money. I agree with @GoSpursGo that you will need to bring up your GPA with DIY postbac then go into a SMP (special masters program) if you feel confident enough to bet $50,000 you could out perform most medical students in med school coursework.

 

[Goro]

Graduated last May, currently working as an RA at Harvard while working on the MCAT and taking classes after as I graduated with a 2.9 gpa. I recently got the chance to call an admissions member at my state school who suggested that I quit my research job and emphasized doing a full-time masters. This goes against what my undergrad advisor (not an admissions member) said, who encouraged me to take this job while I do transcript repair. I'm confused on who to listen to, any advice?

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