Does it matter where you do your MS?

[NonTraditional3]

So, obviously there are programs that have a strong track record of getting students into medical school. If you are not doing traditional post-bacc, and you are not doing SMP where you take classes with medical students, is doing a traditional MS okay? 2 years vs. 1 year means more time to improve on other parts of the medical school application, like volunteering, shadowing, research etc. Does it matter where you do your MS if you have a low uGPA (<3.3) but you earn really great grades in an MS where you take medically related courses (histology, physiology, etc.)?

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[alexrgross]

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[alexrgross]

So, obviously there are programs that have a strong track record of getting students into medical school. If you are not doing traditional post-bacc, and you are not doing SMP where you take classes with medical students, is doing a traditional MS okay? 2 years vs. 1 year means more time to improve on other parts of the medical school application, like volunteering, shadowing, research etc. Does it matter where you do your MS if you have a low uGPA (<3.3) but you earn really great grades in an MS where you take medically related courses (histology, physiology, etc.)?

Today I talked to an admissions director about this. The verdict was that you should try to do a Masters taught in a medical school, by medical school faculty. Within that context, and with good grades, one cannot infer that taking classes with medical students is any more significant...at least from the perspective of the ad com I questioned. So not doing and SMP is okay, but try to stay within medical schools for the masters.

 

[NonTraditional3]

Today I talked to an admissions director about this. The verdict was that you should try to do a Masters taught in a medical school, by medical school faculty. Within that context, and with good grades, one cannot infer that taking classes with medical students is any more significant...at least from the perspective of the ad com I questioned. So not doing and SMP is okay, but try to stay within medical schools for the masters.

Thanks alexgross. Yes, I will be doing my MS at a medical university, but it is sponsored by a basic science department in that universities graduate school; though a number of the professors for the core classes also teach core classes in the preclinical curriculum for the medical school of the university.

Just out of curiosity, which school said this to you?

 

[alexrgross]

Thanks alexgross. Yes, I will be doing my MS at a medical university, but it is sponsored by a basic science department in that universities graduate school; though a number of the professors for the core classes also teach core classes in the preclinical curriculum for the medical school of the university.

Just out of curiosity, which school said this to you?

The benefits of medical school faculty were also mentioned by Creighton's ad com member. You can call and ask too, I think - Creighton open hours.

I think the MS is okay, as long as you take at least one year of those "medical school" like courses, and do well in them. Most people stress that the most useful tool for medical admissions is the "1st year medical" curriculum with medical students SMP. There are a variety of reasons why or why not one would go that route...personally, I look for linkage, class format, and also how I am treated when I visit a school.

 

[NonTraditional3]

The benefits of medical school faculty were also mentioned by Creighton's ad com member. You can call and ask too, I think - Creighton open hours.

I think the MS is okay, as long as you take at least one year of those "medical school" like courses, and do well in them. Most people stress that the most useful tool for medical admissions is the "1st year medical" curriculum with medical students SMP. There are a variety of reasons why or why not one would go that route...personally, I look for linkage, class format, and also how I am treated when I visit a school.

Yeah, I did not take the MCAT when I was applying to programs, and I wasn't going to take the MCAT until I felt prepared enough; this limited my choices to programs that didn't require MCAT (my program would accept MCAT or GRE....)
The core courses for my program are: Physiology (year long), Biochemistry (year long), Cell Biology or Histology (will try to take both) and then there are electives in Immuno, Pharma, Path, Physio. I feel like these would represent M1 type classes right?

It sounds like you are currently researching programs?

 

[alexrgross]

Yeah, I did not take the MCAT when I was applying to programs, and I wasn't going to take the MCAT until I felt prepared enough; this limited my choices to programs that didn't require MCAT (my program would accept MCAT or GRE....)
The core courses for my program are: Physiology (year long), Biochemistry (year long), Cell Biology or Histology (will try to take both) and then there are electives in Immuno, Pharma, Path, Physio. I feel like these would represent M1 type classes right?

It sounds like you are currently researching programs?

So yes, those represent M1 classes pretty well. M1 commonly take MCB (molec cell bio) which combines cell and biochem. Histo, pharma, immuno, all standard m1 material.

I researched programs, yes, and chose one that improves credentials for access into professional schools med, dent, pharm, or vet. The success rate is 65% for medical/dental, VCU CERT - GRE accepted. I prefer the BU MAMS program though I did not get an offer there.

 

[NonTraditional3]

Yeah; my concern is that I am doing my MS at not such a well known school, and it also DOESNT have any kind of linkage into it's own MD program - I was planning on just commuting and living at home, but the program director is very insistent students live either on or very close to campus (it would be a 1 hour commute for me...); I chose this school because it wasn't very far from where I live, but now it seems that since I am relocating anyway, I could have applied to other programs that either have linkage or a strong record of student turnover to medical school...I really hope that I don't end up regretting the decision of not going elsewhere....I really hope this helps me get into Medical School..

 

[alexrgross]

I understand and I agree. Anytime you always have the chance to break off your agreement with your current MS program and re-apply elsewhere...maybe wait until next cycle...a number of programs have July 1 app deadlines.

 

[NonTraditional3]

At this point, I'm just going to bite the bullet. I've already made arrangements to leave my job, scheduled start-dates for shadowing with some really great doctors in the area for when I start; found a lab I'm interested in joining at the school where I'm doing my MS, set up the necessary things so I can volunteer in a really wonderful department at one of NYC's best academic hospitals, but most importantly I guess, I'm taking the MCAT soon, so I don't want to postpone doing an MS by another year because I'll lose a year of validity of my MCAT score. So, I just need to see where this road takes me....