leaving phd program for med school--how to treat on AMCAS?

[267688]

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Hi everyone! (first time posting here)

here's my situation: i'm currently finishing my second year in a 5 or 6-year phd program (in a science field, but not medicine-related). I've been unhappy with it basically since I got here, and I'm planning to apply to med school this year--i've been doing a lot of clinical volunteering this year and feel very confident that this is the right decision for me.

i'm going to switch to a masters and be finished by June 2010. i've discussed all this with my phd advisor, and he's been incredibly supportive (he's fantastic) and will likely be writing me a letter of rec. however, i'm not sure exactly how to treat this situation on my AMCAS application.... i address my desire to switch from a research career to patient care very thoroughly in my ps, but i'm not sure about how to enter the school in the "school info" section.

right now i have it (haven't submitted yet, but planning to very soon!) as degree objective: MS/date: June 2010.....BUT my official transcript from the school still lists my degree objective as PhD, because while i've ok'ed the situation with my advisor, i haven't officially changed objectives with the dept or university. Is this going to be a big red flag? I was thinking of writing a very short, clear summary of the degree situation in the PS field (separate from and after my PS)--would this, plus the LoR from my advisor, be enough to make the situation not look shady? Can anyone think of a better way to represent this, or do I need to bite the bullet and tell the school I'm switching?

Thanks!

 

[fahimaz7]

If I was you I would get your degree objectives changed before you apply. Quitting a program is a big red flag... If you get it changed, prior to applying, then you can say that you were in graduate school, and you expect to defend your MS thesis in May 2010.

 

[Mattabet]

Yeah, I think the best way to go about it on the medical school front is to change objectives with the university first. I don't really know all the details, but it strikes me as though there are two options.

1) Switch with university now, med schools see the master's transcript which makes sense

2) Switch later. At some point, you'll probably have to go through some explanation with the medical schools about how even though it used to say Ph D, now it says masters, and really that was planned all along.

Either way, you have to tell the university at some point, and if you do it now I think it simplifies things.

 

[267688]

that makes sense. thanks, guys!

 

[OncoCaP]

The suggestions above make a lot of sense, with one minor comment: I would not worry too much about it. Finishing your masters will put a nice finish on your graduate school work in preparation for medical school. You seem to have some concerns or negative feelings about the situation, but I don't think others will see it the same way. If someone asks about it, it should not be difficult to explain why you prefer medicine over your other Ph.D. field. If someone really grills you about it (highly unlikely), you can say that your advisor thinks you did good work and is very supportive of your decision.

 

[Stratego]

Your PS should be about why you want medicine and what led you there, not why you don't want research. Avoid negatives. If you change your status with the university so your transcript reads correctly, the issue need never come up.

 

[Caprica6]

I'd get the transcript changed before having it sent out. Question, does the school/program you are in offer a Master's program and a PhD program? At the school I work at there are only PhD programs, but people have the option of mastering out. In a case like this I don't think it would matter what the transcript said because you would have to explain why you decided on the masters and not the PhD anyway.

I disagree with Stratego. I have an exstensive research background, and I think it would be weird to not to discuss what I have spent most of my professional career doing. ADCOMS see this in your experience list and I can explain what I did in detail here, but I've worked in a lab since I graduated and I feel I need to explain why I want to go from research to medicine. I definately have more research experience than shadowing,volunteering,etc. combined because it is a full time job.