I am currently a Senior student-athlete with a 3.2 GPA, recently decided I want to do medical school instead of PA school. I am planning on applying to both DO and MD schools. I cannot apply in the current cycle, so I will be applying in the spring/summer of 2016. My advisor recommended me to do a 1 year masters program to try to make my low GPA not look as bad. Since DO schools do grade replacement, I was thinking about doing an extra semester of undergrad and retaking 2-3 classes I got C's in to help the GPA. If I retook those classes and finish out this year well I can probably have a 3.4-3.5. Would that be more beneficial than doing the masters in biomolecular science? I plan on taking the MCAT in January. Thanks!
Gap Year MS vs Undergrad
- Thread starter Heavyd84
- Start date
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AnatomyGrey12
Yes. If you don't care whether MD or DO and just want to be a physician it would be easier and not to mention way cheaper to just retake those classes in another semester. This would put you in a competative range for all of the DO schools (with a solid MCAT of course). I think this would be way more beneficial to you and your future than wasting time and money in a masters program. Not to mention a faster route to medical school. What is your science GPA?
Alright, that's what I was thinking. My science GPA is 2.9, but after this year should be around 3.2. I still haven't taken Physics, so that will help the science GPA and if I retake 2-3 easy C's that would get me close to 3.5 probably. It seems like GPA and MCAT are the things that get interviews, not as much grad programs. I would still like to graduate Spring 2016, but I could retake those classes after graduating and still count right? Thanks!
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AnatomyGrey12
Absolutely. To save money you could even take them at a CC if that's what floats your boat. Ideally get that science GPA up to above 3.25 and you should be good for an acceptance. If you could get it up above 3.4 then you will have your pick of a couple schools I think. Also prep hard for the MCAT and rock it. DO schools are a little more lenient in letting a good MCAT make up for a mediocre GPA, but a bad MCAT can sink you. Think 508+. If you get your GPAs up to where you want them and with a good MCAT you should be golden for DO.
Sounds great. The plan would be done with all my classes and have a competitive GPA by the end of the summer after I graduate. I plan on applying this spring/summer, so in that waiting time what is the best thing to do? More volunteer/shadowing hours? retake MCAT? I'm thinking if I want to stay engaged in biology stuff the masters program would be good just to stay busy if it's not super $, but it also sounds like to just relax and travel a little during that time. Thanks again!
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AnatomyGrey12
If you mean the time between sending in your application and when you hopefully matriculate then that is really whatever you want to do because it probably won't ever be in front of an admissions committee. Personally I plan on finishing my degree and then just working and doing things I really like to do like spend time with my wife, hunt, fish, whatever I want really. It is going to be like the calm before the storm called medicine.
There isn't really any benefit whatsoever to doing a masters after you have applied other than saying you got a masters..
There isn't really any benefit whatsoever to doing a masters after you have applied other than saying you got a masters..
