Masters in nutrition and MD/DO applications

[dedicate]

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First of all, I'm very interested in nutrition so that's partly why I pose this question. Basically, I'm wondering how useful will a masters in nutrition strengthen my application when applying to MD and DO schools?

During the time I would be working as well so essentially it would be work experience and a masters in nutrition. How significant would this be in strengthening one's application?

 

[DrMidlife]

If you have a strong, balanced application, then a masters in nutrition gives you an interesting extra-curricular that you'll be able to talk about with passion in interviews.

If you have a weak GPA or MCAT, that weakness is not offset whatsoever by a masters in nutrition. Graduate work is not standardized; the undergrad science prereqs combined with the MCAT are a standard. Admissions committees can't use your grad work to compare you to other students. In particular, nutrition isn't viewed as rigorous science, and I think the bias would be that it's about the same as nursing or psych. If you still need to demonstrate that you can handle rigorous science, that degree won't help.

But in general I think it's a net positive that you have a strong interest in nutrition and that you want to study it more. That interest, along with a strong app, could set you apart.

Best of luck to you.

 

[dedicate]

Thanks for the input. I would probably agree that nutrition is not nearly as rigorous as pure science for obvious reasons. The flip side to this, for me, is that spending time on a masters in nutrition seems more appealing than taking science courses that will be trumped by med school shortly after. Not that taking it the first time wouldn't be helpful, but biochemistry isn't going to change a whole in 1 year.

 

[DrMidlife]

I see it as that you have two goals, which overlap somewhat:
1. study nutrition
2. get into med school

Correct?

If your undergrad GPA is low, as I've said, studying nutrition at the graduate level doesn't help your app. But you can take whatever you want at the undergrad level, not just science, to bring up that undergrad GPA. Is there a school near you that offers a BS in nutrition, maybe? Would a couple more years of undergrad put your GPA around, say, 3.5? That would be compelling.

If you're looking to minimize how much biochem etc. you have to take, that's fine. But I took my first med school exam this last Friday, and I can't even tell you how glad I was to have taken a bunch of upper div science. It's not at all like I was relearning the same old tired material that I could get A's on in my sleep. It's so much harder than that.

Again, study nutrition if you want to study nutrition. Just don't be fooled that this will get you into med school if your app is missing traditional assets.

Best of luck to you.

 

[gman33]

A master's in nutrition will do next to nothing to strengthen your application.

If you need to boost a weak GPA, either take more UG classes or do a SMP. If your gpa is already strong and you are just doing it because you are interested, then go for it.