masters vs boosting GPA

[lozza86]

I just applied to to medical school this year and unfortunately did not get in. I applied late in the process and my GPA is lacking, its a 3.15 (but my MCAT is pretty good). I know that I need to boost my GPA to be considered competitive, and I was planning on taking some upper division bio classes to raise my uGPA. However, one of the medical schools I applied to gave my application to their school of public health and I was accepted. I have always been interested in public health; my ideal education would be a M.D and a MS in public health, but my priority is medical school. I have read somewhere that some med schools don't take graduate work into consideration. Is this true, and if so about how many schools have this attitude/opinion. Overall, I would like to get a MS in PH, but would it make me more competitive ? Please help I don't know what to do!!!

 

[njbmd]

An MPH degree isn't going to make you more competitive for medical school. Your uGPA killed you and it needs to go up. Graduate degrees outside of SMPs do not enhance application to medical school. If medical school is your priority, then do what you have to do to get in and leave the MPH until you are either in medical school (after third year) or during residency (preventive medicine).

 

[ODorDO]

An MPH degree isn't going to make you more competitive for medical school. Your uGPA killed you and it needs to go up. Graduate degrees outside of SMPs do not enhance application to medical school. If medical school is your priority, then do what you have to do to get in and leave the MPH until you are either in medical school (after third year) or during residency (preventive medicine).

thats not exactly true, I have friends who did MS/MA in Bio/chem rocked the upper div sciences and eventually got in