Masters program Vs. Post bac

[glrandal]

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I am currently a Senior Biology BS major at Syracuse University. My overall GPA is not that good because when I first started I was not that focused. I left and worked for a pharmaceutical company for a year, decided I didn't like that and returned to Syracuse U. Since I have returned, 2 semesters so far on my 3rd and final, I have made the deans list every semester, re-took O-chem I and II and got B and B+ in the class. I volunteered last semester at ambulance, hospital and hospice and worked part time, this semester I had to drop the volunteering and pick up another job. so I am taking 19 credits, 2 part time jobs and taking a Kaplan MCAT course. Thats the quick and dirty background. My question is this, I have applied to several post-bac programs, LECOM, PCOM GA, Harvard extention and a couple others. Along with this I began to think about possible careers if I dont get accepted into medical school, so I applied to Johns Hopkins for a M.S. in Bioinformatics and I have been accepted. I really want to go to medical school so would it be more beneficial to take the hopkins program full time then apply or would it be better to attend a post bac program?

 

[gl0baltrader]

I am somewhat in a similar situation as you are currently in. Graduated with a BS in engineering worked in a pharmaceutical industry as a process engineer and didn't quite like it. I am taking some classes to boost my science GPA and I'm applying to some SMP for this Fall of 2009.

I personally think you should apply to SMP programs that has a high % in getting their students into medical school instead of a post-bac. A lot of post-bacs are geared to putting students without any background in science and since you have taken o-chem and such you would not qualify or it would not do you any good. Unless your GPA is on the borderline 3.5 ish..

I think an MS in bioinformatics is good but it might not count towards your BCPM grades (unless you already have a high undergraduate BCPM). I talked to admission committee at Stanford and they view BCPM as a good predictor of academic success, especially for people with less than competitive undergraduate GPA.

I am currently a Senior Biology BS major at Syracuse University. My overall GPA is not that good because when I first started I was not that focused. I left and worked for a pharmaceutical company for a year, decided I didn't like that and returned to Syracuse U. Since I have returned, 2 semesters so far on my 3rd and final, I have made the deans list every semester, re-took O-chem I and II and got B and B+ in the class. I volunteered last semester at ambulance, hospital and hospice and worked part time, this semester I had to drop the volunteering and pick up another job. so I am taking 19 credits, 2 part time jobs and taking a Kaplan MCAT course. Thats the quick and dirty background. My question is this, I have applied to several post-bac programs, LECOM, PCOM GA, Harvard extention and a couple others. Along with this I began to think about possible careers if I dont get accepted into medical school, so I applied to Johns Hopkins for a M.S. in Bioinformatics and I have been accepted. I really want to go to medical school so would it be more beneficial to take the hopkins program full time then apply or would it be better to attend a post bac program?

 

[glrandal]

Yea I worked in downstream processing and I did not like it. What I was also thinking was a post-bac program helps your undergraduate GPA and a SMP doesn't right? If I am on a upward trend ith my GPA wouldnt it be more adventageous to show that I can get a 3.8 and a master's degree from Hopkins comparred to getting a 3.8 and no degree in a post bac program? Also, if by some chance I do not get into medical school I can alsways fall back on the Master's I did get. what do you think?

If I could choose my ideal path it would be this: I graduate in may with my BS in Biology. I am taking the MCAT on may 28th and have taken a kaplan course and I am studying with a group intensely for the exam. So hopefully I get a 30 or above on the exam. I have applied to some post bac programs (harvard, and some offered by DO schools, ) Hopefully I can get into an "upper" level post bac program and start that in september, and since the hopkins program can be done online part time, register for onc class so I dont loose my acceptance. apply to medical schools this summer before the post bac begins with emphasis on the fact that I am taking a post bac and classes through JHUand this will help my application. What SMP would you recommend?

Thanks

I am somewhat in a similar situation as you are currently in. Graduated with a BS in engineering worked in a pharmaceutical industry as a process engineer and didn't quite like it. I am taking some classes to boost my science GPA and I'm applying to some SMP for this Fall of 2009.

I personally think you should apply to SMP programs that has a high % in getting their students into medical school instead of a post-bac. A lot of post-bacs are geared to putting students without any background in science and since you have taken o-chem and such you would not qualify or it would not do you any good. Unless your GPA is on the borderline 3.5 ish..

I think an MS in bioinformatics is good but it might not count towards your BCPM grades (unless you already have a high undergraduate BCPM). I talked to admission committee at Stanford and they view BCPM as a good predictor of academic success, especially for people with less than competitive undergraduate GPA.