For Those Contemplating a Masters Degree

[trauma_junky]

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Members don't see this ad.

For those contemplating a Masters Degree to help make you more competetive.

1. Make sure you have in writing from what ever dumb ass ADCOM recommended you do it that it will help you. I am about to graduate with a 4.0 in a MS Biology program. I went back to the ADCOM that recommended it and he started in on my undergraduate work. I feel S-M-R-T right now let me tell you.

2. Make sure it is something you want to do and that no one else in you family is making sacrifises for it as well. See #1 for reasoning

3. DO A POST BACH!!! Why ADCOMS think that graduate work is not equivalent to undergrad, I do not know. I know that my classes are 100x harder than my undergrad classes, but they focus in on my poor undergrad performance. Why did they tell me do graduate work! Should I bill them the 40K I have accumulated in debt, the extra stress on my family and the depression that has ensued on me because I find out that this was all done in vain!

In the words of Cypress Hill, "I could just kill a man!"

So, I write this to all of you who may have poor undergrad performance and above average MCAT (27, not great just above average). Don't be afraid to grill the adcoms on what they want to see. Get definitive, solid advise, not some fly by the seat of their pants BS that they feed their patients when they don't know what the answer is. Make sure they understand how serious you really are.

 

[XCanadianRagwee]

Originally posted by trauma_junky
For those contemplating a Masters Degree to help make you more competetive.

1. Make sure you have in writing from what ever dumb ass ADCOM recommended you do it that it will help you. I am about to graduate with a 4.0 in a MS Biology program. I went back to the ADCOM that recommended it and he started in on my undergraduate work. I feel S-M-R-T right now let me tell you.

2. Make sure it is something you want to do and that no one else in you family is making sacrifises for it as well. See #1 for reasoning

3. DO A POST BACH!!! Why ADCOMS think that graduate work is not equivalent to undergrad, I do not know. I know that my classes are 100x harder than my undergrad classes, but they focus in on my poor undergrad performance. Why did they tell me do graduate work! Should I bill them the 40K I have accumulated in debt, the extra stress on my family and the depression that has ensued on me because I find out that this was all done in vain!

In the words of Cypress Hill, "I could just kill a man!"

So, I write this to all of you who may have poor undergrad performance and above average MCAT (27, not great just above average). Don't be afraid to grill the adcoms on what they want to see. Get definitive, solid advise, not some fly by the seat of their pants BS that they feed their patients when they don't know what the answer is. Make sure they understand how serious you really are.

OK first question How the heck did you amass $40k at UTSA? Here in JHU land (private school mind you) I'm gonna have less of a debt than you are.

Secondly, A&M ain't all the it's cracked up to be, coming from another Aggie.

Third, why would you take a grad program in something if you're doing it jsut to get into medical school? I mean that's my purpose as well, but if I don't make it to med school, I know what I want to do with my master's degree as well.

Fourth, pay for your own tuition (through loans too) and you don't ahve to worry about the family aspect (yes, it's a tough to do, and I'm learning it as I go along, but if I mess up it's my fault and not going to affect my parents who would like to go into retirement.

Fifth, I'd much rather prefer to spend lots of money and come away with a Master's over a post-bacc any day. Why go to school an extra year and not have much to show for it?

No offense, but sometimes you have to be responsible for your decisions even if people advise you to do something. It's a hard lesson to take, but hopefully in the end a med school will be opening their doors for you.

 

[Spacekat]

Originally posted by XCanadianRagwee
No offense, but . . . .

Holy cow, guy! No offense? Are you sure? Nothing like reaching out a caring hand to rub salt in someone's wounds.

Are you sure you want to be a physician? There's this little thing called "compassion" that I hear is pretty popular with the adcoms . . . .



Hang in there, trauma_junky, if they didn't appreciate your effort, someone else will. They just get fixated on undergrad stuff because the forms tend to assume that's all you've done. With the masters you've gone on to prove that your undergrad record is not an accurate predictor of performance! You'll look back on this later and be able to joke at their expense, I swear it. My best friend was in your exact place six years ago and is now a whup-a** ER doc.

 

[trauma_junky]

Originally posted by XCanadianRagwee
OK first question How the heck did you amass $40k at UTSA? Here in JHU land (private school mind you) I'm gonna have less of a debt than you are.

Secondly, A&M ain't all the it's cracked up to be, coming from another Aggie.

Third, why would you take a grad program in something if you're doing it jsut to get into medical school? I mean that's my purpose as well, but if I don't make it to med school, I know what I want to do with my master's degree as well.

Fourth, pay for your own tuition (through loans too) and you don't ahve to worry about the family aspect (yes, it's a tough to do, and I'm learning it as I go along, but if I mess up it's my fault and not going to affect my parents who would like to go into retirement.

Fifth, I'd much rather prefer to spend lots of money and come away with a Master's over a post-bacc any day. Why go to school an extra year and not have much to show for it?

No offense, but sometimes you have to be responsible for your decisions even if people advise you to do something. It's a hard lesson to take, but hopefully in the end a med school will be opening their doors for you.

There is no way you are an Aggie speaking like that. A&M is hard if you were a science major (Biomedical Science) whose parents make 800K a year, don't help you one bit and you don't qualify for loans due to their success. Second off, I moved to San Antonio with a 3 week old baby. If you don't know this already, THEY ARE EXPENSIVE. My total debt includes living expenses because I wasn't going to repeat the same pattern I did as an undergrad. I also wasn't going to put my son in day care all day and send my wife off to work.

I was told to do a Science Masters if I wanted to get attention for adcomms. So, that excludes anything that is usefull for the world outside of science, say an MBA. If I wern't white and my parents wern't rich, I'd fit all the profiles for a URM.

Plus this is just a piece of advice for those out there that are in my same situtuation. So take it or leave it, no other response is really necessary.

 

[XCanadianRagwee]

Originally posted by trauma_junky
There is no way you are an Aggie speaking like that.

This ring on my finger says Texas A&M University and has a little '01 below the eagle and shield. I have a diploma from A&M too. I have my former student ID card, would you like to see any of the above?!?

A&M is hard if you were a science major (Biomedical Science) whose parents make 800K a year, don't help you one bit and you don't qualify for loans due to their success.

Waaa...i know several others, including myself, that put themselves through college and who had parents earn less than 800K...By the way I did the whole Bio Sci thing. It ain't a cakewalk, but it ain't the hardest major out there either.

Second off, I moved to San Antonio with a 3 week old baby. If you don't know this already, THEY ARE EXPENSIVE. My total debt includes living expenses because I wasn't going to repeat the same pattern I did as an undergrad. I also wasn't going to put my son in day care all day and send my wife off to work.

That explains the debt. Thanks for clearing it up because I was like UTSA's tuition was $40k...that I wouldn't buy.

I was told to do a Science Masters if I wanted to get attention for adcomms. So, that excludes anything that is usefull for the world outside of science, say an MBA.

There's a lot of non-science related jobs that you could get with a Sci Masters or a BS in Biomed Sci...you have to go hunt for them and apply.

If I wern't white and my parents wern't rich, I'd fit all the profiles for a URM.

What the heck?!? So you are saying that you would automatically be admitted to med school if you were a URM? Wow...can't believe you want to play the race card.

Plus this is just a piece of advice for those out there that are in my same situtuation. So take it or leave it, no other response is really necessary.

I'm leaving it, because your advice stinks (and I'm not saying mine is any better). Besides I needed to respond.

 

[Jet915]

I did a master's and although I found out doing research is not for me, I sucked it up and finished it. Whether it helped me in getting into med school, I'll never know but I did get into med school so I'm sure getting an M.S. didnt hurt. As for grad. school gpa's vs. undergrad gpa's, I dont think grad. school gpa's are as important cause alot of people seem to come out of grad. school with pretty high gpa's (I had a 4.0). I would do a master's in anything over a post bacc cause like a previous poster said, atleast you are spending a year (or two) to get something out of it. If you do a post bacc, there is no guarantee you will get anything and you might be out of a lot of money. Plus, having a master's (especially one that involves a thesis) helps out for residency I heard while post bacc wouldnt.

Jetson

 

[Robz]

I am finishing up an MPH and I am happy that I did it, cause it was something I wanted to do in medical school anyway. This way, I get it done before I enter the school and I will have that much more time to concentrate on my work.

 

[BerkeleyPremed]

Originally posted by trauma_junky
For those contemplating a Masters Degree to help make you more competetive.

1. Make sure you have in writing from what ever dumb ass ADCOM recommended you do it that it will help you. I am about to graduate with a 4.0 in a MS Biology program. I went back to the ADCOM that recommended it and he started in on my undergraduate work. I feel S-M-R-T right now let me tell you.

2. Make sure it is something you want to do and that no one else in you family is making sacrifises for it as well. See #1 for reasoning

3. DO A POST BACH!!! Why ADCOMS think that graduate work is not equivalent to undergrad, I do not know. I know that my classes are 100x harder than my undergrad classes, but they focus in on my poor undergrad performance. Why did they tell me do graduate work! Should I bill them the 40K I have accumulated in debt, the extra stress on my family and the depression that has ensued on me because I find out that this was all done in vain!

In the words of Cypress Hill, "I could just kill a man!"

So, I write this to all of you who may have poor undergrad performance and above average MCAT (27, not great just above average). Don't be afraid to grill the adcoms on what they want to see. Get definitive, solid advise, not some fly by the seat of their pants BS that they feed their patients when they don't know what the answer is. Make sure they understand how serious you really are.

I definitely understand your frustration. I completely agree with you about the ADCOM thing. I do think that it's wrong to inform a prospective applicant that doing **insert a master's/doctoral program here** would improve their chances of admission...and then going back on what you said and focusing on their undergraduate performance which they tried to supplant with the graduate work. The adcom should've stuck by it's original advice...otherwise they should not have given the advice at all. I definitely feel bad for you and I suggest talking to the admissions director at this adcom to explain your situation and how the adcom members were deceptive.

However, you mentioned that your baby was driving you into your $40k debt. It was your decision to have that child and it's your responsibility to support it...it's not the adcoms fault that you're being driven into debt. As for your comment about how you fit all the profiles for being a URM (except your skin color of course)...that's not true at all. I'm pretty certain that the vast majority of URM applicants are probably not married and are probably not raising a child while juggling all that with graduate work and their medical school applications. Playing the race card here is pretty ridiculous...I'm not an URM...but I know that the label alone will not make up for a poor undergraduate BCPM GPA and a 27 MCAT. I do agree with you that URMs do get an advantage in the admissions game, but it's not a free pass into any med school.

Whatever path you choose to take, best of luck and I hope that you are admitted to the medical school of your choice! Just keep applying and work on rounding out your applications (you might want to retake the MCAT...your score isn't bad..but you can probably bring it up). Remember...you can't keep a good man down!

 

[spinestudent]

You might want to look at that 27 mcat as well if you want to assign additional blame. 27 MCAT is a few points above the average for all test takers, but it is 3 points below the average for all matriculating students(and 4 points below the average for matriculating students who are non URM).

I think you really want to see if you can raise the 27 to a 31-32. A 31-32 certainly isn't required to get in, but depending on how low your undergrad gpa was, it may make all the difference.

 

[ndi_amaka]

Originally posted by trauma_junky
\ If I wern't white and my parents wern't rich, I'd fit all the profiles for a URM.
\

Poor, poor, poor rich little white kids. The world is unjustly harsh. 🙄

 

[trauma_junky]

I must say I am sorry for the URM comment, I was EXTREMELY pissed off at the time and I would rather vent here then at the adcoms. I am going to call him again tomorrow and see what they have to say about it.

As far as giving me parental advice, stop patronizing me! 7 years of dating not a single accident, 4 months after marrige we get pregnant. I don't believe in fate so it is what it is. I wouldn't trade it for the world though. I explained these issues to the adcom and he said, "I would want to see you do some graduate work. Now, once you start a program you have to finish it," YADA YADA YADA.

Sorry again about the URM thing it was uncalled for.

 

[swankydude]

trauma_junky.. I agree with you and I extend you my sympathy.

spinestudent: a 4-5 point increase on any MCAT composite score is not good advice... It is very hard for anyone who seriously studied for the MCAT and had a relatively good test day to increase by such a large jump... NOT impossible, just not very likely.

 

[elin]

Originally posted by trauma_junky
There is no way you are an Aggie speaking like that. A&M is hard if you were a science major (Biomedical Science) whose parents make 800K a year, don't help you one bit and you don't qualify for loans due to their success. Second off, I moved to San Antonio with a 3 week old baby. If you don't know this already, THEY ARE EXPENSIVE. My total debt includes living expenses because I wasn't going to repeat the same pattern I did as an undergrad. I also wasn't going to put my son in day care all day and send my wife off to work.

I was told to do a Science Masters if I wanted to get attention for adcomms. So, that excludes anything that is usefull for the world outside of science, say an MBA. If I wern't white and my parents wern't rich, I'd fit all the profiles for a URM.

Plus this is just a piece of advice for those out there that are in my same situtuation. So take it or leave it, no other response is really necessary.

Did you talk to the adcoms from a variety of schools, or just one? There are no gurantees in this process. You're acting like you should have an interview in your hand just because you got a 4.0 in grad school, even with a mediocre mcat and a poor undergrad GPA. I would suggest that you raise your mcat, because many adcoms are cautious of applicants with the double whammy, mediocre/low mcat and a low undergrad GPA; it seems easier to take a prep class and raise the mcat than to enroll in an expensive post bacc program. Grad school GPA
tends to be inflated- everyone and their mother has >3.8. In addition, I couldn't help but notice the comment you made about your wife and son. If you are going to last throughout this process (medschool-residency), your family will probably have to make some sacrifices i.e. your wife may want to get a job to offset some of the debt.

 

[Robz]

Originally posted by swankydude
a 4-5 point increase on any MCAT composite score is not good advice... It is very hard for anyone who seriously studied for the MCAT and had a relatively good test day to increase by such a large jump... NOT impossible, just not very likely.

I had a 4 point increase on my MCAT. I busted my tail for it though. I unplugged my TV, Playstation 2, DVD, and only went on my computer to check email with no websurfing for for 6 months straight. I also put in 40 + hours studying a week on just the MCAT alone. It was hard but yeah swanydude is right, it can be done. Just pretty tough.