Help! Looking into Masters programs as a launching pad to med school!

[mrspooky]

Way back when I double-majored in two sciences when I was in college (genetics and cognitive science from an Ivy League university) but due to a plethora of issues that were personal combined the stress of academia, I graduated with a middling GPA of about 2.8.

I desperately want to get into a good medical school. My GPA certainly doesn't reflect my true academic ability: I took subsequently took several courses on human anatomy, infectious diseases, and developmental bio, scoring near the top of the class in each instance (all As). I studied my butt off and got a score of 37 on my MCAT. I even have a research publication to my name (2nd author) and did a 1-month internship in a neurosurgical ward where I shadowed the surgeons. However, to shore up my GPA I feel like I need to do a masters program before applying to med school. That 2.8 is just a big glaring black mark on my application, and I need to clear it out.

The trouble is whether I should do a nursing masters program or an academic masters program, or perhaps something else... I've applied to postbaccalaureate programs but they recommended I do a Masters instead given how GPA is apparently accounted for in a postbacc vs a masters. Any advice would be appreciated.

edit: Please note that I am from California. While I am not averse to studying out of state, I would prefer to remain in-state.

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[Prncssbuttercup]

Not sure what you consider a 'good' medical school...

Either way, look for a 1yr SMP, hopefully your MCAT will still be useful when you're done:

http://services.aamc.org/postbac/

 

[DrMidlife]

The postbac forum has tons of info for you. In particular, there are special masters programs (aka med masters or SMPs) where you effectively do the first year of med school as an audition for med school. Or you could just keep doing undergrad, anywhere you want, all the upper div science you can get, until you've got a couple years of 3.7+.

A nursing masters would not help you. Nor would a traditional bioscience thesis masters. You need academic assets that set up the admissions committees to choose you over squeaky clean youngsters - that means more undergrad or an SMP.

Your first undergrad transcript is never disregarded, no matter what you do. Don't believe people who are telling you that grad work wipes it out. You have to have a wicked powerful multiple-year counterexample for that 2.8. Your MCAT score is a HUGE help for this.

I suggest you should consider moving to another state, so that you have a chance at an instate school. You're in the most competitive state, and there's only one unproven SMP-like-thing there. By the time you can apply to a UC, for example, your MCAT score will likely have expired.

Best of luck to you.

 

[mrspooky]

The postbac forum has tons of info for you. In particular, there are special masters programs (aka med masters or SMPs) where you effectively do the first year of med school as an audition for med school. Or you could just keep doing undergrad, anywhere you want, all the upper div science you can get, until you've got a couple years of 3.7+.

A nursing masters would not help you. Nor would a traditional bioscience thesis masters. You need academic assets that set up the admissions committees to choose you over squeaky clean youngsters - that means more undergrad or an SMP.

Your first undergrad transcript is never disregarded, no matter what you do. Don't believe people who are telling you that grad work wipes it out. You have to have a wicked powerful multiple-year counterexample for that 2.8. Your MCAT score is a HUGE help for this.

I suggest you should consider moving to another state, so that you have a chance at an instate school. You're in the most competitive state, and there's only one unproven SMP-like-thing there. By the time you can apply to a UC, for example, your MCAT score will likely have expired.

Best of luck to you.

Thanks. I'll definitely look into out-of-state SMP programs then. How many courses do you think would be appropriate to demonstrate that "powerful multi-year counterexample" you mentioned? Because so far I've taken 2 undergraduate summer courses in anatomy, 2 courses from a local extension program (infectious diseases and devbio, separate terms since I was working at the time, meant for postbaccalaureate students), and am taking 2 more courses this coming fall semester in the same program (biostatistics and physiology).

EDIT: Additionally, what is the difference between a postbaccalaureate and an SMP?

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

PB work is UG work usually, SMP's are masters courses... Usually, that isn't 100%, some places have PB Masters but not usually

 

[DrMidlife]

How many courses do you think would be appropriate to demonstrate that "powerful multi-year counterexample" you mentioned?

You're doing the right thing by taking lots of upper div science and getting A's. Generally the recipe I endorse is to get your undergrad cumulative GPAs up over 3.0, or do 2 full time years of additional undergrad, which ever comes first. That maximizes undergrad effort; more isn't worth it. Usually you also have to have an above average (32+) MCAT and also do an SMP to be taken seriously, with a 3.0-ish GPA, depending on your state of residence and interest in DO.

EDIT: Additionally, what is the difference between a postbaccalaureate and an SMP?

Postbac:
Post = after
Bac = bachelors

Postbac means any additional undergrad coursework after a bachelors is earned. Fun fact: med school is considered undergrad. So some SMPs consider themselves postbacs.

Since the majority of people saying "postbac" mean a structured formal program which puts you through the prereqs after a non-science bachelors, I suggest it's not a useful term to use on a GPA comeback.

Best of luck to you.