masters before med school.

[jwtaylor]

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lately ive been giving thought to going for a masters in neuroscience, maybe a phd and then applying to med school. ive been reading about the md/phd program, but i dont know if id wanna do them both at the same time. lets suppose i was getting my masters, when would be a good time to take the mcats, and would this graduate work confer any advantages to me when applying to med school?

 

[Zailynn]

At latest, you take the MCAT the year before you apply (preferably in April). If you take it before you start your masters program, keep in mind that most schools won't accept scores that are more than 3 years old.

 

[richarms]

I'm finishing up my last year of my masters program, and am in a similar situation. I would advise against taking the MCAT until the year before you apply.

Do not get a masters solely because you think it might help your chances getting into medical school. It is an advantage, but a very small one. Many schools are unconcerned with your graduate GPA. In fact, you must be ready to explain why you desired a graduate degree instead of immediately applying to med school. If you are interested in the field you are considering getting your degree in, by all means do it. If you want it to simply add "padding" to your med school application, you should find a more productive way to spend 2+ years.

 

[jwtaylor]

im definitely considering my masters because im interested. i love the brain, im only considering med school because it seems that having an MD is a really powerful option as far as research is concerned, better employment outlook too. but let me get this straight, say my masters is 3 years long, id take the mcats my second year?

 

[richarms]

im definitely considering my masters because im interested. i love the brain, im only considering med school because it seems that having an MD is a really powerful option as far as research is concerned, better employment outlook too. but let me get this straight, say my masters is 3 years long, id take the mcats my second year?

Yes. Mostly because the majority of med schools don't accept MCAT scores older than 3 years. Some schools don't accept scores older than two years. So you run the risk of taking the exam too early. On a more practical note, you'll also have a greater knowledge of biology and chemistry at that point, which can only help you. You might need to brush up on physics, if you don't deal with it in your graduate program. Be sure to still study MCATs in the traditional way, even if you're in grad school.

 

[jwtaylor]

ive always had a problem with the time line of applying to med school anyway. i wasnt even sure when to take them as an undergrad. im only a sophomore now, but ive always been confused about when i was traditionally supposed to take them and how long the process takes and when things are supposed to happen.

 

[diosa428]

ive always had a problem with the time line of applying to med school anyway. i wasnt even sure when to take them as an undergrad. im only a sophomore now, but ive always been confused about when i was traditionally supposed to take them and how long the process takes and when things are supposed to happen.

If you're only a sophomore, why don't you try doing some research at your school or over the summer to see if you like it before you worry about getting a masters.

 

[DropkickMurphy]

I'm finishing up my last year of my masters program, and am in a similar situation. I would advise against taking the MCAT until the year before you apply.

Do not get a masters solely because you think it might help your chances getting into medical school. It is an advantage, but a very small one. Many schools are unconcerned with your graduate GPA. In fact, you must be ready to explain why you desired a graduate degree instead of immediately applying to med school. If you are interested in the field you are considering getting your degree in, by all means do it. If you want it to simply add "padding" to your med school application, you should find a more productive way to spend 2+ years.

Any suggestions for a "more productive" way to spend a couple of years? It's easy to tell someone to do something, more "productive" but it's a very rare thing to see someone have suggestions as to how to do this.

 

[richarms]

Any suggestions for a "more productive" way to spend a couple of years? It's easy to tell someone to do something, more "productive" but it's a very rare thing to see someone have suggestions as to how to do this.

Research experience, volunteer healthcare, missionary work, blah blah blah.... almost anything is more productive than working 2+ years for a graduate degree if you only want it in order to get into med school. A medical school would value 2 years in the Peace Corps much more than a master's degree.

 

[synapse lapse]

Why would you do a 3 years masters when you could do MD/PhD in 3-4 extra years depending on the school? Also, why not just do some research as the others mentioned instead of a masters. You will have plenty of time to explore your research interest in/after medical school. And what do you mean by saying that an MD is a really powerful option as far as research goes? If you want to do research you should get a PhD, if you want to practice medicine or do both you should get an MD. A masters in the sciences is not a very practical degree, it really wont give you any benefit in getting a job or making more money.

 

[docsuz]

Go for a PhD/MD, often you can receive funding for that also. It is spread out and the combination it sounds like you would enjoy. You are the ideal person for it!

 

[jwtaylor]

the reason i say the MD is a powerful option for research is because you can do research and also get into the clinic, and thats what i want to do. it just seems that with an MD you can be in the lab and clinic whereas with a phd you're limited to the lab. im aware that for research a phd is definitely the way to go, but either way i plan on doing graduate work in neuroscience. i have a little while to make up my mind. another reason im considering an MD is because my interests have been leaning towards neurosurg topics. and the md/phd is an option for me, but i really think i just want to study neuroscience for a while after i graduate, i dunno if id want to enter med school right after graduation. im considering the masters because i dont know if id wanna wait 5-6 + years before entering med school because i was getting a phd. and when it came to the masters id be careful to look for one of the few programs that has the option of completing a phd.
sorry for the disorganized rambling but im on my way out the door, 🙂

 

[richarms]

Go for a PhD/MD, often you can receive funding for that also. It is spread out and the combination it sounds like you would enjoy. You are the ideal person for it!

Agreed. If you don't want to go straight to medical school, take some time off after undergrad to do medical missions or work in a research lab. Getting a seperate masters and Ph.D. before applying to med school would take much longer, and you seem like an ideal candidate for M.D./PhD programs. Of course, the admissions for these programs are even more competative than M.D. programs, so make sure that your stats are top-notch.