Flirting with the Idea

[SM8806]

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Hello. In my senior year. Just been considering other options besides my current path. Nothing serious right now.

My major is for clinical sciences, but I've basically taken all the pre-med courses. Only one that I would need to take would be OChem II.

Stats:

• 3.6 GPA - Health Sciences major, Biology minor
• Few shadowing hours/volunteer hours
• No research

Would it be worthwhile to get a Masters, do some research, and then apply? Has anyone else done that path? Also, how much of an impact is your major? From what I understand the majority of applicants are Bio, Chem, and Physics. Would my major be looked down upon?

Again, I'm only flirting with the possibility. Any help is greatly appreciated, thank you.


ALSO, I do have a few questions regarding a physicians scope of work/lifestyle. Not sure if this is the best forum to ask about those.

 

[bobsmith]

So if I read your post correctly, you're not currently pre-med, but you're flirting with the idea of it?

Your major doesn't really matter, but I think before you worry about doing a Masters/research or anything else, I would recommend getting more clinical exposure (things like shadowing a doctor more formally or working as a volunteer where you have some actual clinical contact) and seeing if medicine is right for you

 

[Catalystik]

It doesn't matter what your major is. Your GPA is the important thing, and doing well in the prerequisites, and getting a good MCAT score. After you pass the cut based on these factors, your extracurriculars, letters of recommendation, and essays will be evaluated.

About 40% of those applying do not have a research experience. If you plan to apply to research-strong schools, then getting in a substantive experience is a good idea. You could do this via a traditional masters degree, or you could get a job as a research assistant, or you could volunteer to help with research while you're working at something else. The masters degree itself does not help you get into med school. Access to teaching and research opportunities can help beef up a weak application, though.

To help you decide on a path to medicine, continue with your clinical volunteering and shadowing. Applicants are expected to have a fair amount of this exposure to show adcomms that they know what they're getting into. Clinical research (as long as you interact with sick people) is another good source of clinical experience, BTW. But it does not go toward community service if you volunteer to do it as it's self-serving.

I agree that your last question would be better asked in the PreMed Allo Forum. I'd tell you to do a search first, but that function isn't working right now.

 

[SM8806]

Thanks for the tips guys, I will definitely keep up the shadowing. I'm young and still have plenty of time.

I was also surprised that many applicants don't have research experience. I thought that was basically required. Where did you get your statistic from? Is there a journal or website with info like that available?

Thanks.

 

[Catalystik]

AMCAS can track that data since every applicant lists a research experience if they had one. Their publication, the MSAR (Medical Student Admission Requirements), lists the percentage of applicants applying to each school that have a research experience.

If you don't have one easily available, give me three schools you're interested in and I'll look them up for you, if you like.