Master or more undergrad?

[DD214_DOC]

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Is it better to enter a 1-year SMP or normal master's program or take additional undergraduate science work? Or even getting a more hardcore science major?

 

[Sundarban1]

Is it better to enter a 1-year SMP or normal master's program or take additional undergraduate science work? Or even getting a more hardcore science major?

Neither SMP nor normal master's grades factor into your undergraduate GPA as far as allopathic calculations are concerned. They do factor together in osteopathic calculations.

The only way to raise your undergrad GPA if your applying to allopathic schools is to take classes at a 4 year college either on your own or as part of a post bacc program.

 

[markboonya]

Neither SMP nor normal master's grades factor into your undergraduate GPA as far as allopathic calculations are concerned. They do factor together in osteopathic calculations.

The only way to raise your undergrad GPA if your applying to allopathic schools is to take classes at a 4 year college either on your own or as part of a post bacc program.

yeah just treat your extra undergrad year as if you are in a smp. if you need to raise your science gpa then load up on some easy upper division biology courses. i spent an extra year at undergrad specifically trying to raise my science gpa- all i took were upper div bio courses... the easiest ones i could find like astrobiolgy and medical ethnobotany.

tuition should be cheaper than smp too so thats another plus.

 

[DD214_DOC]

Well, actually I meant which of the two would be better for the adcom. It seems to be that taking a bunch of easy science classes isn't going to do much to improve an application. The GPA may be higher, but what does it matter if its due to a bunch of fluff classes?

 

[markboonya]

Well, actually I meant which of the two would be better for the adcom. It seems to be that taking a bunch of easy science classes isn't going to do much to improve an application. The GPA may be higher, but what does it matter if its due to a bunch of fluff classes?

i dont think adcoms take the time to look at the breakdown of what classes you earned your A in, at least not until secondaries. a fluff bio class still falls into ur bcpm. BCPM is BCPM, i seriously doubt that adcom will say hey, u took human sexuality (an easy upper div bio at my school) vs molecular genetics- i dont think we are going to accept u.

like the other poster said, another year in undergrad is the only way to raise the most important gpa- ur undergrad gpa. sure it looks good to do well in post bac, but that gpa isnt calculated into undergrad gpa. I think a good undergrad gpa (even if they are from fluffy classes) looks better than a good post bac gpa to adcom.

what is ur gpa breakdown right now and ur mcat score? if you are at a 3.3 science gpa right now and can bring it >3.4 with another year of undergrad, i say take the extra year. a >3.4 makes a world of difference. if you have taken so many units that an extra year of classes wont raise ur gpa significantly, do the smp. but it all depends on ur gpa situation right now and high it can go up with an extra year... and dont forget you can do gpa boosting ur summer semester too.