Does a Masters in Medical Sciences help?

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phillybabe

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I will be applying to med school this summer. For next year, I have the option of either working towards a Masters in Medical Sciences (MMS) or working in a hospital. I was wondering if having a MMS degree gives you a leg up when applying for good residency programs? Any input will help.
Thanks

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IMHO, the advanced degree you are considering will not be useful for the following reasons:

1) unless you plan on finishing it BEFORE you start medical school, it may actually hurt you to apply to medical school with the plan of dropping out of the graduate program. Medical schools do not like "stealing" students from other programs and it will appear as if you don't finish what you start.

2) it won't make a bit of difference in obtaining a residency program down the line. If you are considering a competitive speciality or an academic practice, medical research may come in handy and would be a nice kudo on your residency application. However, the MAJOR determinants of residency placement are USMLE, med school gpa and letters of recommendation. Things like AOA, research, extracurriculars and connections will be of value in varying degrees at varying programs.

My advice is to go ahead and get the advanced degree IF it interests you and you are planning on finishing the program, but don't do it if you are only doing it to bolster your application - it won't help much, if at all come residency time.

Best of luck.
 
Do you think an MBA will help my residency chances very much?
 
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P. What Kimberli says is sound. It will hurt you. Refer to her, above. No one is impressed with MPH, MS,MSeD, blah, blah. Oral surgery sure, JD a big yes. See other board. IMO. Did you know in the history of the graduate school, masters degrees' were given out to those who were flunked out of PhD programs?
Peace JD
 
Yikes!

What about people such as myself. I went through undergrad as a biochem major but didn't do as well as I would have liked. I ended up with a 3.3 (and was told not to bother applying). I ended up in JHU's Ph.D. program just thinking about becoming a physician all of the time. Well, I got sick of just thinking about doing what I have always wanted to do and I am old enough to not want to spend the next 3 years in grad school before I apply. If I leave with my master's does that look terrible? I have always wanted to be a physician, not a chemist! Hopefully my grad grades and my MCAT's (37T) will help me out. I am not a person who doesn't want to finish what I started. I am a person who wants the chance to pursue the only thing I have ever been able to see myself doing!
 
Hi Olsen,
I just wanted to say that I went through a similar experience. I thought I wanted to go into science and when I got a couple years into it I realized that I should have been in medicine all along. I am finishing my masters thesis as we speak and starting med school in the fall. If you think I might be of any help drop me an email.
 
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