iam new to this....

[Femtochemistry]

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hey guys,

well, instead of going right into med school, iam going to work on a masters in biochem (2 yr program either at mellon or pitt). My questions are can i just take the biochem GRE and not the general GRE and still get into one of these schools? How does the application process work in grad schools? is there something like an AMCAS?

Sorry for the dumb questions. Since no med school will accpet me at my age (20) and a subpar mcats, i need some time to build up my application.


BTW, what do u think my chances of getting into mellon (my dream school) with a GPA of 3.69 and a science GPA of 3.8ish and lets say average GRE scores.


thanks all!

 

[ATLien1224]

Hey femto,

My impression is that master's programs in the sciences are for the most part are pretty easy to get into. With your GPA you should be fine. Most master's programs just want your money and are not nearly as competitive as PhD programs. As far as the GRE, most likely none of us ever took it (not required for MD/PhDs) and I don't know about the nuances (that also goes for the grad app process). But I would assume that you need to take the general GRE for any type of graduate program you apply to (anywhere from a biochem masters to a history PhD) in addition to the subject-specific GRE.

Oh also just to address what you said: plenty of med schools will accept you at age 20 (one of my good friends in my first year class just turned 20 a week before classes started). And hell, UChicago took a 12 year old for their MDPhD program this year.

 

[Femtochemistry]

hey,

thanks for the response. I might go for a PhD in biochem. The three big schools in pittsburgh: Mellon, Pitt, and Duquesne dont offer a masters in biochem only PhDs.

So, any suggestions? What should i do? PhD will take me at least 5 years, but i want to do it in 4 years. Do i have a better chance getting into med school with a PhD?


I am also looking in a masters in BME. What can you tell me about a degree in BME? I want to do something i can enjoy, thats why i am not looking into a MPH, etc.

thanks!

 

[Sonya]

what do you want to know about BME?

(sorry, it just seemed like a vague question).

there is more point to an engineering maters (eg, bme) then a science masters...

BME can often be difficult to get in... (school dependent though).

BME's do lots of different things from purely engineering (eg, building MRI), to computational bio. or sometimes, plain bio where engineering/computational background is useful.

I did my BS in BioE.

Sonya

 

[Femtochemistry]

I was just reading up on a BME degree, and i dont think its for me. 🙁


I really want to get into biochem, but i dont want to do a PhD, and i want to stay near to pittsburgh. Damn it! I am not sure what to do!!

 

[Sonya]

what do you see yourself doing with biochem? Do you want to be in research? industry? somehow relate it to patient care?

yeah, MS in biochem will be rare, but it also doesn't meant they don't exist.

Sonya

 

[Femtochemistry]

I really would like to help design proteins or drug synthesis, but I also would like to be a doctor. That is why I want to get a masters first, I want to see if I do truly like biochem to continue to get a PhD or stop (after MS) and go to med school.

I have an interview tomorrow with a biochemist at Pitt. And I will see what he recommends.



thanks guys!

 

[ATLien1224]

Yo femto an option you have:

you could apply to PhD programs but then leave with a Master's after your qualifiers (usually after 2 years). I had a friend of mine at college (actually my gen chem TA) who left his PhD program despite doing some great research with just a Master's in order to go to law school and do patent law (for which you usually need some extensive science experience...hence the master's in chemistry). Of course, he had this intention the whole time but didn't tell them that when he was applying. Kind of deceptive, yes, but assuming you are in it for the science you could always end up liking it enough to want to stick around for the PhD. Also I know a few people in my first year med class who already had PhDs before they came in, so it's not that unusual.

Of course, the previous caveat still applies: getting into PhD programs is definitely more competitive than M.Sc. programs (and as you found, many schools don't even do M.Sc.'s in the basic sciences while they do have them in engineering). I would say that one of the best things to do is actually talk to people at Pitt/Mellon in the biochem dept. and see what kind of qualifications most students usually have (and ask about the American students...there are usually higher standards for international ones).

And your last option: you could apply to MD/PhD programs and see how you do. You could do a shorter PhD program (4 years max) as well as get med school paid for. Of course, this is the most competitive as well. But it could be worth it perhaps to retake MCATs (if you don't like your score) and apply to both PhD programs and MD/PhD programs simultaneously (I know people who have done this with no problems). good luck.

 

[DoubleDoctor]

I think Miami University offers a MS in Biochem. Having gone there for undergrad, I can tell you their chemistry dept is top notch. I have worked with people from other programs (some with big names) that didn't seem to have that great of a knowledge base. It really has made me realize and appreciate the quality of the education I received at Miami. It's a tough program and I wouldn't expect to inflate your GPA there but I would highly recommend the quality of the education. They pay their grad students about 18,000/year. Good luck on your decision!!!!!!!