Masters Program - Applying to Medical School

[dobby112]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

I need some pre-med advice!

I just finished my 4th (out of 5) year of undergrad. For my first two years of undergrad, I got low grades. For the past two years, I have significantly improved and managed to get my cum GPA up to a 3.0 (still quite low, but not low enough to make me give up on applying to med school!).

I'm trying to plan the next couple years of my life to be to my advantage when applying to medical school. Here is what I have come up with:

Fall: Take GRE
Winter: Take MCAT and apply to graduate school (1 year masters program in neuroscience)
Spring: Graduate undergrad with BS in biological sciences and BA in philosophy. My GPA will be around a 3.2.
Summer: Apply to medical school
Fall: Attend graduate school

What do you think?! Any advice/comments would be appreciated. 😀

 

[iceet]

Seems like I solid plan. Just make sure you ace the MCAT.

 

[kmp0410]

I would recommend spacing things out a bit more. GRE + MCAT + applying to grad school + I assume a normal course load = a very busy semester. You want to kill the MCAT with a low gpa and that doesn't seem likely with that type of schedule.

So if that means applying to med school a year later then I would do that. Or taking the MCAT in the spring.

 

[Goro]

Sounds like a plan, but with SMP's, you probably won't need the GRE. So, do your homework.

I need some pre-med advice!

I just finished my 4th (out of 5) year of undergrad. For my first two years of undergrad, I got low grades. For the past two years, I have significantly improved and managed to get my cum GPA up to a 3.0 (still quite low, but not low enough to make me give up on applying to med school!).

I'm trying to plan the next couple years of my life to be to my advantage when applying to medical school. Here is what I have come up with:

Fall: Take GRE
Winter: Take MCAT and apply to graduate school (1 year masters program in neuroscience)
Spring: Graduate undergrad with BS in biological sciences and BA in philosophy. My GPA will be around a 3.2.
Summer: Apply to medical school
Fall: Attend graduate school

What do you think?! Any advice/comments would be appreciated. 😀

 

[VictorAlpha]

I have to second the spacing it out idea. It seems like you haven't applied before which means you could just take the MCAT and apply. But it seems like you want a master's to help with your GPA and demonstrate proficiency in higher level classes. If that is the case, the best way to do that is to have the graduate classes on the app which would mean applying after you have some or all of the classes on your transcripts for the med school app.

I had to do it this way and it took longer but it worked out. I knew I needed more classes and they had to be on the app otherwise the admission committee would be looking at me maybe knowing I was taking the extra classes but wouldn't have anything to judge me on about it because they weren't on the app transcripts. I would either take the MCAT and apply or think about waiting and apply later...maybe both. So apply now if you want, all the while planning to do the master's anyway. If you don't get in build your ECs, do the master's, prep for the MCAT again (if the score isn't good or you think you can do better). Then apply AFTER the master's is "on the books".

If you have any option I would either use a previous MCAT or take one in march or april...bottom line have everything set when applications open in June.