Grad school before med school?

[Donig27]

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Hey guys. I was talking to my advisor and we were thinking of possibly doing a grad degree MS or MA maybe even PDT or MPH and I wanted to get some feed back from you guys on a few points! I do not have super stellar grades (3.1) but good Extras, letters, and a decent MCAT at 33. Thanks for helping me out!

-If I go to grad school will my chances increase for getting into med school?
-If so what are some possible fields that flow well into med school or ones that med schools look highly upon?

-other information would help greatly thanks!

 

[cliffhuxtableDO]

apply this cycle with your current numbers to med school. dont go to grad school unless you actually want to.

 

[jkmph]

Hey guys. I was talking to my advisor and we were thinking of possibly doing a grad degree MS or MA maybe even PDT or MPH and I wanted to get some feed back from you guys on a few points! I do not have super stellar grades (3.1) but good Extras, letters, and a decent MCAT at 33. Thanks for helping me out!

-If I go to grad school will my chances increase for getting into med school?
-If so what are some possible fields that flow well into med school or ones that med schools look highly upon?

-other information would help greatly thanks!

I earned my MPH and applied between my 1st and 2nd year (last summer) successfully. My undergrad GPA and MCAT were virtually identical to yours (strong MCAT, weak GPA) and my graduate GPA is >3.7.

If I were you, I'd apply to a couple masters programs as a plan B. Apply to medical schools this cycle with the hope of landing a spot somewhere. The masters (MS or MPH) should be a fall-back option, albeit a good one. You could also consider a post-bacc or SMP, although personally I think an MS or MPH is significantly more valuable over the course of a physician's career.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Do it if those fields actually interest you. If they do not, then don't bother doing them. Apply broadly and early to MD & DO and you should get a acceptance.

 

[Donig27]

I am interested in many fields but my overall goal is attending med school

 

[dancingdoctor13]

I am in the same boat...its gonna be a hard decision to make---given the higher amount of loans that will need to be paid back. I could also use the advice as to why people went for the masters degree or did forgo it to apply to medical school instead and just work.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

Do not waste time and money with grad school. Get this show on the road. You'll thank me later.

 

[Donig27]

I am in the same boat...its gonna be a hard decision to make---given the higher amount of loans that will need to be paid back. I could also use the advice as to why people went for the masters degree or did forgo it to apply to medical school instead and just work.

money and loans are not the issue i come from a wealthy family i have been making over 30k every year while attending a 4 year university full time as a tennis professional

 

[agnodice]

I actually was wondering the same exact thing. I've crunched the numbers and with a couple retakes I can easily make a 3.3 science/overall gpa over the summer. I'm wondering if this is good enough to get into a school like PCOM or DMU. Should I look into an SMP? My main concern here is that if I don't get into a very reputable DO program my chances for specializing are minimal. I'd really like to get into a neurosurgery residency, and I know it's tough even for an MD, but I really agree with the patient centered DO approach. Am I putting myself at a significant disadvantage by seeking admission to a DO school? I saw the anything's possible thread, but it still doesn't quite tell us what we're up against. Would I be better off applying to an SMP to try to get into a better DO school or an MD school? If I should forego the SMP, what should I do for this gap year? As far as ec's I have some leadership, shadowing, research, and clinical, but no significant awards, and I'd probably guess my LOR's are weak. On the bright side, I do have a 33 MCAT. I really need some direction.

 

[sshashid87]

To the OP, I'm probably doing a Masters' Bioethics during my 2nd (imposed upon me by lack of admissions) gap year, but I love the subject and if medicine wasn't an option, I would aim for a PhD in bioethics. So, in the end, I'll be happy (I think).

To agnodice, you can do neurosurgery from either school, but if I were in your position, I would do an SMP, go to an MD school because there are simply more allopathic neurosurgery spots. Yes, there are more applicants overall, but I think your chances are still better from an MD school. Once you are into med school, your other GPA doesn't matter, it's all about how you perform in classes, boards, and clinicals. Again though, there are DO and MD neurosurgery residencies, and DOs can apply to both. Every year there are a couple who match into ACGME spots from DO schools. Either way is a good option...

But first you need to get strong LORs...before you do anything else, find professors who can help you out, who know you well. You don't even say they are neutral, you just say weak, which is never a good sign..

 

[DocHomer]

Don't go to grad school. Retake the undergraduate courses that hurt your GPA.

 

[Kramerica]

I got into med school with very similar stats to yours (32mcat, 3.2gpa). I'd apply early (submitted AACOMAS in June, interviewed September, Accepted October) and to Nova (they seem to love relatively high mcats).

 

[RELAX11]

I actually was wondering the same exact thing. I've crunched the numbers and with a couple retakes I can easily make a 3.3 science/overall gpa over the summer. I'm wondering if this is good enough to get into a school like PCOM or DMU. Should I look into an SMP? My main concern here is that if I don't get into a very reputable DO program my chances for specializing are minimal. I'd really like to get into a neurosurgery residency, and I know it's tough even for an MD, but I really agree with the patient centered DO approach. Am I putting myself at a significant disadvantage by seeking admission to a DO school? I saw the anything's possible thread, but it still doesn't quite tell us what we're up against. Would I be better off applying to an SMP to try to get into a better DO school or an MD school? If I should forego the SMP, what should I do for this gap year? As far as ec's I have some leadership, shadowing, research, and clinical, but no significant awards, and I'd probably guess my LOR's are weak. On the bright side, I do have a 33 MCAT. I really need some direction.

Note: If you have the board scores and grades you can get into any specialty from any US med school, MD or DO. Questions however may come into play if you are seeking the top residency programs. Remember also that DO have their own residency programs as well in addition to those for MDs.