MS Bio...will it help??

[MountainClimber94]

Will a MS in Bio help me? Or will it raise some questions? My LONG TERM goal is to become a pediatric oncologist. The program that I had been accepted to will allow my research to be focused on immunotherapy.

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[brew]

Will a MS in Bio help me? Or will it raise some questions? My LONG TERM goal is to become a pediatric oncologist. The program that I had been accepted to will allow my research to be focused on immunotherapy.

Are you doing it because you have a low GPA and can't get into medical schools directly? Then that might be a problem... If not, medical schools will think of it as a cool EC.

 

[MountainClimber94]

Are you doing it because you have a low GPA and can't get into medical schools directly? Then that might be a problem... If not, medical schools will think of it as a cool EC.

Sadly...it is the former

 

[holdthemayo]

An MS in Bio won't hurt you, unless you do poorly in it. I'm not sure how doing well in an MS in Bio would look compared to rocking an SMP.

What type of GPA are you working with?

 

[brew]

Sadly...it is the former

I don't want to discourage you from doing anything and some schools might think differently, but the general thought from SDN for getting into DO schools is either do 1-2 years of postbacc work to show that you are a changed person then apply with a good MCAT score or if you need more repair then do a SMP. Usually a SMP is not advised right away because 1. you might not be able to handle it right away being thrown in hard science classes (so it helps to build your studying stamina and methods first in a postbacc) and 2. they are really expensive and DO schools are a lot more forgiving than MD schools so you might not need it.

Before the change in the grade replacement policy, a SMP was hardly ever recommended for DO schools, but if your GPA is really bad, there are some DO ones that guarantee admission should you receive a certain GPA in the program combined with a decent interview and MCAT score.

The newer DO schools would definitely be your main targets, if you apply after a postbacc but also apply to the older ones too! Best to cast a wide net and you might surprise yourself which schools come calling. Good luck!