Is it worth wrapping up a MS?

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Darrow O'Lykos

Hail Libertas! - Medical Student
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Hi y'all,

I'll be starting at TCOM next summer EY21. I'm a non-trad who has 15 hours of post-bacc work in a remote learning graduate certificate program at an MD school (cert is in Human Anatomy & Physiology). This school has expanded their remote learning capacity to allow for an entire MS degree that I can roll my credits into and wrap up with just another 18 credits. I can begin in the Spring and could wrap up the summer after MS1.

Clearly this is all content I'm going to learn anyway, so my question is it worth it to wrap up a MS degree that is in reach? Here are my pros/cons:

Pros:
- Quality of the education in this program is high level. It's the same faculty teaching their MS1 lectures.
- Tied to the previous point: ramp up studying graduate-level anatomy and physiology this Spring leading into MS1 (I've been out of school a few years and completed the certificate a year ago).
- I can knock out 9 hours in the Spring pretty easily while continuing to work my full-time job that pays well, then only need to do another 9 hours to complete the MS.
- Tied to the previous point, it'd be less burdensome than doing my school's DO&MS path since I'm already halfway through the MS at the MD school.

Cons:
- I'm paying a couple grand either out of pocket, or adding to my loan total (although in the grand scheme of things, it isn't that much more than what my total DO costs will be. Luckily it's TCOM so tuition is dirt cheap).
- Questionable added value to my residency apps having a MS in Anatomy/Physiology. Like, congratulations Mr. Doctor, you are a master of anatomy and physiology? (This is the point I probably need the most input on).

Although my interests may change, I anticipate most likely applying EM, Ortho, or GenSurg (I've worked the past 5 years at a Level 1 Trauma Center which has really motivated my path). Will having a MS add any substantial value trying to match into any of those specialties beyond all of the things I'll need to do through med school to stand out anyway (especially ortho obviously, along with the fact that everyone and their mother are starting to apply EM)?

Thanks y'all!

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I don’t think you should continue with the program. You’d be wasting your last year of freedom tied up doing classes. Then in the summer after M1 you’ll be using your time taking unnecessary classes instead of doing research which actually would help you for residency applications. A research based MS could be helpful for residency. But it sounds like you’re doing a SMP program (grade boosting) which doesn’t help with residency. If you decide to leave the program, make sure to check with TCOM that it wouldn’t affect your admission status. As a fellow non-trad, you will get the hang of medical school after a month or two. You can always pre-study in your own if you really want, but I don’t think it’s necessary. Good luck!
 
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I don’t think you should continue with the program. You’d be wasting your last year of freedom tied up doing classes. Then in the summer after M1 you’ll be using your time taking unnecessary classes instead of doing research which actually would help you for residency applications. A research based MS could be helpful for residency. But it sounds like you’re doing a SMP program (grade boosting) which doesn’t help with residency.

I've already got a few pubs under my belt managing research trials, but that brings up a good point that I could continue my current research efforts/expand into new efforts during summer after MS1 rather than taking classes. I guess I was just trying to gauge how advantageous it'd be to have that MS given how easily I could knock it out between now and the end of next summer. If PDs see right through it basically being a SMP style MS and don't give any weight to it, that's good to know.

If you decide to leave the program, make sure to check with TCOM that it wouldn’t affect your admission status. As a fellow non-trad, you will get the hang of medical school after a month or two. You can always pre-study in your own if you really want, but I don’t think it’s necessary. Good luck!

I'm technically not enrolled in the program currently so it won't impact my admission status at TCOM if I decide not to opt in. If I wanted to proceed with the MS coursework in the Spring, I'd have to submit my application by the end of next month. But that's good to hear you re-tuned your study habits pretty readily as a non-trad! I'm really not at all worried about starting med school, but re-establishing that studious discipline is the only thing thats crossed my mind a time or two.

Thanks for the input! Excellent username btw, lol.
 
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