Masters Programs for Pre Med Students

[Tigers0814]

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Hey guys,

I didn't get accepted this year, but I want to look for Masters programs preferably something accelerated that I can focus on while waiting to matriculate for the following year.

Does anyone have any suggestions?


Thanks!

 

[DrMidlife]

In the postbac forum there's a ton of these programs under discussion.

 

[7starmantis]

Not trying to start anything but I have an honest question.

Do you guys really believe a post bac changes your application that much? I mean, I'm only coming from my own experiences, and I'm sure its different for every applicant. But, what exactly does another couple of years do for your app beside show that you can handle material (if you had a poor gpa or something)? I hear people say a lot that they got rejected once and so they aren't going to apply again until they complete a masters programs or something. Why spend the two years not applying? Is it that big of a deal for adcoms?

Just curious.

 

[DrMidlife]

Not trying to start anything but I have an honest question.

Do you guys really believe a post bac changes your application that much? I mean, I'm only coming from my own experiences, and I'm sure its different for every applicant. But, what exactly does another couple of years do for your app beside show that you can handle material (if you had a poor gpa or something)? I hear people say a lot that they got rejected once and so they aren't going to apply again until they complete a masters programs or something. Why spend the two years not applying? Is it that big of a deal for adcoms?

Just curious.

What's the point in reapplying immediately without improving your app? Generally reapplicants are expected to describe what they've done to improve. If you find out in May that you're not getting in anywhere, and you haven't used your app year to collect more app assets, then yep, a "2nd" year is going to pass before you can realistically apply again.

With a GPA around 3.0, no eyeballs ever see your app. Improving GPA by taking more undergrad, retaking the MCAT, and/or doing a special program are steps that can get that app farther into the cycle. No guarantees, but a whole lotta SDN folks are doing these things.

Come browse the postbac forum. You'll see that one of the most heavily trafficked threads on SDN is called "The **NEW & IMPROVED** official low gpa thread...", running since May 2004, with about 1750 posts and a quarter million views. The forum mod, and about a dozen other frequent posters, got in after doing a special masters program, in which you do the first year of med school to prove you can do med school. Other folks got in with a large assortment of app improvement strategies.

 

[7starmantis]

What's the point in reapplying immediately without improving your app? Generally reapplicants are expected to describe what they've done to improve. If you find out in May that you're not getting in anywhere, and you haven't used your app year to collect more app assets, then yep, a "2nd" year is going to pass before you can realistically apply again.

If your not continuing to "better" your app even while interviewing your making a huge mistake. That being said, the whole process is a crap shoot. I reapplied immediately without (considerable) change and got three MD acceptances my second try. Not applying at all seems counterintuitive to being accepted. In your scenario then you will enter a 2 year program so 3 years would pass from first application cycle.

I'm not arguing against them by any means, just curious how much of a difference they really make.

With a GPA around 3.0, no eyeballs ever see your app. Improving GPA by taking more undergrad, retaking the MCAT, and/or doing a special program are steps that can get that app farther into the cycle. No guarantees, but a whole lotta SDN folks are doing these things.

Come browse the postbac forum. You'll see that one of the most heavily trafficked threads on SDN is called "The **NEW & IMPROVED** official low gpa thread...", running since May 2004, with about 1750 posts and a quarter million views. The forum mod, and about a dozen other frequent posters, got in after doing a special masters program, in which you do the first year of med school to prove you can do med school. Other folks got in with a large assortment of app improvement strategies.

I believe lots of people do them, that was my point. Also I'm not arguing against them at all. I just wonder if its worth not applying for two years while doing a program than taking a more clinical (rather than academic) approach to improving your application. Just one of those philosophical differences people have to make I guess. Would love to know how adcoms view them.

 

[DrMidlife]

I just wonder if its worth not applying for two years while doing a program than taking a more clinical (rather than academic) approach to improving your application. Just one of those philosophical differences people have to make I guess. Would love to know how adcoms view them.

Congrats on your successful reapp; perhaps you might consider whether your situation compares to that of a ~3.0 applicant. If you have a reasonably competitive GPA, say 3.4 or greater, then don't you think something other than your GPA is why you weren't successful the first time? By contrast, it's very safe imho to assume that a ~3.0 candidate didn't get in because of their ~3.0. Get all the clinical exposure you want, you're still a 3.0, don't let the door hit you on the way out.

There are students with 3.4's or higher doing SMPs, which makes no sense to me. Is this the case you're baffled by? That I would understand.

I don't think there's philosophy behind an adcom's decision to not accept a 3.0, over a pile of better-numbered applicants, all else being equal. Adcoms want to admit students who are going to thrive under enormous academic pressure for a very long stretch of time, before there's any real opportunity to exercise non-academic assets. Not even a solid MCAT to go with a ~3.0 is going to give an adcom much confidence in a student's ability to make it through a 2 year death march. Not with thousands of better-numbered apps to choose from.

In other words, if academics are an obvious app problem, then academics are an obvious app solution. Without an obvious app problem, an immediate reapp makes sense.

 

[7starmantis]

Congrats on your successful reapp; perhaps you might consider whether your situation compares to that of a ~3.0 applicant. If you have a reasonably competitive GPA, say 3.4 or greater, then don't you think something other than your GPA is why you weren't successful the first time? By contrast, it's very safe imho to assume that a ~3.0 candidate didn't get in because of their ~3.0. Get all the clinical exposure you want, you're still a 3.0, don't let the door hit you on the way out.

There are students with 3.4's or higher doing SMPs, which makes no sense to me. Is this the case you're baffled by? That I would understand.

I don't think there's philosophy behind an adcom's decision to not accept a 3.0, over a pile of better-numbered applicants, all else being equal. Adcoms want to admit students who are going to thrive under enormous academic pressure for a very long stretch of time, before there's any real opportunity to exercise non-academic assets. Not even a solid MCAT to go with a ~3.0 is going to give an adcom much confidence in a student's ability to make it through a 2 year death march. Not with thousands of better-numbered apps to choose from.

In other words, if academics are an obvious app problem, then academics are an obvious app solution. Without an obvious app problem, an immediate reapp makes sense.

Thanks. Yeah, I guess your right. I always compare the "app problem" threads to my own situation because I was a re-applicant. But in truth my situation was weird I guess. That being said, I have absolutely no idea why I wasn't successful my first time but was reasonably successful my second time. I do have a high gpa, but my file review from first cycle only mentioned getting more clinical experience, as in length of time not necessarily hours. However I didn't even get an interview from that school second time around. I'm convinced its a crap shoot 😀

I guess I am asking more about competitive gpa people doing them. However, it doesn't change your undergrad gpa, correct? So does the new gpa look good enough to overcome your poor ugrad gpa? I guess its obvious it does since so many are doing them. But I have heard people with decent gpa and MCAT better than mine doing them, thats whats perplexing. I guess there is a lot more to an app than gpa and MCAT though. Each is pretty individual.

Yeah, I was thinking more of the philosophy of re-applicants on whether they should focus more on academics or clinical improvements. So, a low gpa re-applicant would get a lot from an SMP or any post grad program? I know of a few people in ugrad who are convinced they wont even apply until they finish a post-grad program. That is stupid in my opinion. Also, wouldn't "non-degree-seeking" academic work be just as helpful as a formal post bac?