How much does taking one year off make a big difference

[IgweEmeka]

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I am very interested in Neuroscience and would like to take a year to do a masters in the field before applying to med school. I have good stats and everything and would most likely be accepted to a medical school on my first try. However, I want to take more time to explore in Neuroscience and have some fun for a little bit. Plus, the pay grad students get is not too shabby at all. I am most likely going to be going to Northwestern for this. Do you guys think it is just a waste of time. I have an interest in Neuroscience, but I am not an aspiring neuroscientist or anything like that. Any feedback is greatly appreciated...only the good ones ofcourse.

 

[bigneonglitter]

This is just my opinion, but I say go for the neuroscience thing. It definitely won't hurt you. There are a bunch of people in my class that either took a few years off after college to either work or pursue a passion other than medicine. I think it will show a lot of maturity and dedication on your part if you can do the neuroscience thing for a few years and then still come back to medicine in the end.

 

[BerlinNeuro]

I am very interested in Neuroscience and would like to take a year to do a masters in the field before applying to med school. I have good stats and everything and would most likely be accepted to a medical school on my first try. However, I want to take more time to explore in Neuroscience and have some fun for a little bit. Plus, the pay grad students get is not too shabby at all. I am most likely going to be going to Northwestern for this. Do you guys think it is just a waste of time. I have an interest in Neuroscience, but I am not an aspiring neuroscientist or anything like that. Any feedback is greatly appreciated...only the good ones ofcourse.

Sounds like a good plan to me....oh wait, I just finished my master's degree in neuroscience. 😉 I did a two year MSc program, but am now heading of to med school in August. Best two years of my life.

 

[PiccoloPlaya]

Apply to medical school. That way if you get rejected, you have the neuroscience masters as a back-up plan. If you do get accepted, tell them you're doing your neuro degree and ask if they can defer your acceptance. Some places are stingy, so if they won't let you defer, ditch the neuro masters idea, lay around drunk by the pool (try not to fall in) all summer before medical school, and go to med school that fall. You can even combine your MD with a masters in most places, it's like an extra year. The one that takes really long is the MD/PhD route. Or you can just ditch the neuro masters idea, ditch the ridiculous med school idea, and become a rock star playing drunken gigs to horny groupies every night. Oh yeah, I'm a girl, so if you're a guy, hit me baby one more time and I'll come backstage to your show...

I am very interested in Neuroscience and would like to take a year to do a masters in the field before applying to med school. I have good stats and everything and would most likely be accepted to a medical school on my first try. However, I want to take more time to explore in Neuroscience and have some fun for a little bit. Plus, the pay grad students get is not too shabby at all. I am most likely going to be going to Northwestern for this. Do you guys think it is just a waste of time. I have an interest in Neuroscience, but I am not an aspiring neuroscientist or anything like that. Any feedback is greatly appreciated...only the good ones ofcourse.

 

[DarksideAllstar]

As someone who took a year off prior to med school to do research, I highly recommend it. I was drunk several nights per week, got some solid snowboarding in, took a lot of weekend trips, etc. All this while my friends were slaving away as MS I's. I dont regret it one bit. If I was in my mid-30s I might think differently in terms of trying to get through it as fast as possible. Experiencing a little life (that doesnt involve being in school or a training program) before retirement age is pretty sweet. Plus, it sounds like you would be doing something you would be into. I say go for it.