Degrees you can get in 1 year

[vicinihil]

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I can graduate from college a year early and wait to goto med school. However I was wondering what I can do during this year off such as what degrees to get or what to do so i can optimize my chances of getting into a great med school. This is just an option i am considering because most likely I will stay the 4 years and get another major.

 

[patelakshar]

ummm...possibly an accelerated associates?...but i doubt that an additional degree will help your chances....volunteer, shadow, or get that extra major...

 

[Jeffy]

Dartmouth MPH

 

[tinkerbelle]

You could get a masters (mhs) in reproductive bio at the Hopkins School of Public Health. This program is cool cause you combine science & public health.

 

[watiswati]

it could be a great opportunity for you to pursue your non-science interests. get that other major that you've always wanted but never really had time for......econ, or IR, or govt.....
😉 i think i know you well enough 😛

 

[CanuckRazorback]

I am getting an MBA.

 

[Sundarban1]

I can graduate from college a year early and wait to goto med school. However I was wondering what I can do during this year off such as what degrees to get or what to do so i can optimize my chances of getting into a great med school. This is just an option i am considering because most likely I will stay the 4 years and get another major.

Consider your application as a whole. You don't necessarily need an extra degree to better your chances for admission if you've done well in undergrad. It could very well take up valuable time, especially if you have no genuine interest in the area of study. If you lack healtcare, research, or volunteer experience I would think about those options instead.

 

[vicinihil]

You could get a masters (mhs) in reproductive bio at the Hopkins School of Public Health. This program is cool cause you combine science & public health.

would it be weird when applying to med schools with an extra mhs or mph...would they question your intentions of getting such a degree?

 

[CanuckRazorback]

would it be weird when applying to med schools with an extra mhs or mph...would they question your intentions of getting such a degree?

I get that a lot in interviews actually. I have a MS and getting my MBA right now so I am asked why the heck I want to get an MD. I have a legitimate reason for it so as long as you can defend why you got the extra degree, it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[skypilot]

would it be weird when applying to med schools with an extra mhs or mph...would they question your intentions of getting such a degree?

I think it would be a huge plus if you say you intend to use your combined degree to work on public health crises. Remember that lots of med schools allow you to get a dual degree in public health along with your MD anyway.

 

[SugarPhosphate]

I had a friend get an MBA from the London School of Economics is one year. He loved it. London is a beautiful and vibrant city !

 

[Brain]

would it be weird when applying to med schools with an extra mhs or mph...would they question your intentions of getting such a degree?

It depends. I want to do public health as a physician so I went into a MPH program first so that I wouldn't be fast-tracked through it and could work at CDC. It allowed me to get some great extra experiences and helped me develop more specific goals. I was asked about it but was complimented on it by several interviewers and told that we need more people with my interests. So if your extra degree is relevant to medicine and you were a competitive applicant before getting the degree, I think it'll help. If the extra degree is to boost a mediocre gpa or you can't say why it'll help you as a physician, then it won't really give an advantage.

 

[CanuckRazorback]

If the extra degree is to boost a mediocre gpa or you can't say why it'll help you as a physician, then it won't really give an advantage.

ADCOMs look at the undergraduate GPA anyway. An awesome grad GPA might help, but it won't make up for a poor undergrad GPA.

 

[faradayampere]

I don't know ... if you're an engineer in undergrad, you can get a MS in mech eng at Berkeley for 1 yr ... my TA in thermo class got it within 1 yr ... so I think it's possible ... not sure if that's what you want ....

it seems that lots of ppl do MPH before med school ... is MPH required 2 yrs though???

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

You can go to BYU and get your MRS degree within four months. It's worth a look 😉

 

[MeowMix]

Increase your clinical experience/improve your skills, and learn to speak Spanish. Get away from school and learn from the rest of the world.

 

[vicinihil]

so say I get my mph or mhs or something....and i get into med school going in saying i want to do public health...however i just want to be a doctor working in a state research hospital seeing patients and doing research and really have no intentions of using my degree in any way? does getting the degree still hurt me because I don't want to get screwed over when it comes to residency and I hend up working for the country.

 

[ASDIC]

I am getting an MBA during my deferral.

 

[AnotherDork]

I remember seeing something on the Albert Einstein or Mt. Sinai websites that specifically said an MPH is not considered a plus unless a student intends to go into public health.

And I agree with most of the other people on this thread... you don't need a degree if your grades are fine. If not, I would recommend the Boston U. master's in medical sciences, which you can finish in 1 year if you bust your ass (although, med schools won't even see the grades until the year after due to the timing of the application process). I am finishing that program right now, and I have only good things to say about it (though it has taken me 2 years). I would be happy to give you any more information about the BU program if you would like.

 

[tinkerbelle]

would it be weird when applying to med schools with an extra mhs or mph...would they question your intentions of getting such a degree?

Most interviewers are impressed with the additional experience I have picked up. When interviewers ask me why I pursued a masters instead of directly applying to medical school, I say: i wanted to take more bio classes (i'm an engineer), i am really interested in reprodutive health, and i wanted the opportunity to learn more about public health.

so say I get my mph or mhs or something....and i get into med school going in saying i want to do public health...however i just want to be a doctor working in a state research hospital seeing patients and doing research and really have no intentions of using my degree in any way? does getting the degree still hurt me because I don't want to get screwed over when it comes to residency and I hend up working for the country.

Getting an extra degree never hurts. And you'd be surprised how public health applies to every day life. You learn to think about your patients in a different way- from a public health point of view.