did anyone of you get a second degree?

[asdasd12345]

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did any of you do a bachelors in something totally irrelevant to medicine with your premed courses, and instead of completing just the premed postbac went on to do a second degree in biology or something? is there any advantage in doing this? or is it better to do the premed classes and then apply to a masters program in biology?

 

[LoneCoyote]

I had a history degree and then went back and got a second bachelor's in biology. The advantages for me were that it only took 1 semester longer than it would have taken to do the premed prereqs and some other upper division classes i needed to apply, it gave me more legitimacy within the bio dept/university so i had a much easier time getting research experience, and I think I got a more solid science background than I would have with just the basic prereqs. It also gave me more options because I was not 100% sure I wanted med school when I started. Having the 2nd degree made grad school a much more doable option had I wanted it. I am not sure if it really gave me any advantage in the med school admissions over just having done a post-bac with the prereqs. I am not sure if a master's in biology would really give you any advantage either.

 

[scota]

I have the option of getting a second bac, but I don't think it will necessarily help me. What I will do, however, is take some fluff science classes 😉 while I am completing the pre-reqs. SFSU offers courses like Disease! and Aids, which can't be too difficult . Will a second bac help? I'm not not sure...

 

[RoseLee]

I'm a second degree seeker - have BA in Sociology/Psychology and am now getting a BS in Microbiology...just wanted a back up plan. If don't get into med school (I will try two times), then CLS it is! (Clinical Lab Scientist)

Roselee

 

[roja]

I have a degree in Cinema.


I went back and was in a Masters of Aesthetic Studies program while I took my premed reqs. I did not entertain the idea of getting a second bio degree nor do I feel its necessary. However, all this advice is situational and you really ahve to look at your own application process to figure out what and why you are thinking about it.

The key thing to remember is that BIO degrees are not necessary for getting into medical school. What is much more important are strong grades in teh required classes and a good solid MCAT score. All the rest is gravy.

And just as an aside, I interviewed at all 5 schools I applied to and got into my first choice. I also did well in medical schoola dn matched to my first choice in residency.

 

[Scarlet_Fire]

I agree with roja. A second degree does not matter. I heard this directly from medical admissions directors. What *is* important is simply proving proficiency in the core required courses to get into medical school, and rocking the MCAT. If your GPA is less-than-desirable, and you end up having to take many courses, heck, it can't hurt to pursue a 2nd degree. I certainly would not delay my application to medical school by ANY time (e.g. an additional semester) just to obtain the extra degree. If medical school is what you want, keep your eye on the prize. If research is what you want, then surely a degree in the field could be helpful.