MS then PhD?

[NatBChem]

Hello, I am currently an undergrad in biochemistry but wanted to ask in this forum concerning pursuing a MS in pharmaceuticals first. I might be stuck in VA for two years following my graduation with a bs, I wanted to pursue a phD in medicinal chemistry and pharmaceutical sciences from UNC but don't want to wait two years to get back in school. It's getting time for me to apply and I'm really behind because I thought I wasn't going to be able to even go. So, here I am, no GRE taken, no applications started, freaking out. I saw an online MS in pharmaceuticals with a spec in cosmetic science that I'm very interested in at univ of cincinnati that I can complete with only a few visits to OH. Then, I thought I would apply to the phD at UNC after that. Besides the cosmetic spec, is this going to be a whole bunch of extra work? Should I just stay in undergrad another semester to raise my gpa (at 3.2 ATM and falling slightly with p Chem, biochem and analytical this semester)? And use the extra time to rock my GREs? Or, should I get my but in gear and pursue a MS in the mea n time. I wish there was a phD in pharmacy here at va tech. Any advise would be greatly helpful! Thanks so much

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Rouelle]

Hello, I am currently an undergrad in biochemistry but wanted to ask in this forum concerning pursuing a MS in pharmaceuticals first. I might be stuck in VA for two years following my graduation with a bs, I wanted to pursue a phD in medicinal chemistry and pharmaceutical sciences from UNC but don't want to wait two years to get back in school. It's getting time for me to apply and I'm really behind because I thought I wasn't going to be able to even go. So, here I am, no GRE taken, no applications started, freaking out. I saw an online MS in pharmaceuticals with a spec in cosmetic science that I'm very interested in at univ of cincinnati that I can complete with only a few visits to OH. Then, I thought I would apply to the phD at UNC after that. Besides the cosmetic spec, is this going to be a whole bunch of extra work? Should I just stay in undergrad another semester to raise my gpa (at 3.2 ATM and falling slightly with p Chem, biochem and analytical this semester)? And use the extra time to rock my GREs? Or, should I get my but in gear and pursue a MS in the mea n time. I wish there was a phD in pharmacy here at va tech. Any advise would be greatly helpful! Thanks so much

In my opinion, I would recommend getting an MS under any one of the following circumstances:

1) You are wanting to get a job in industry as an MS level scientist. In the present economic situation, it can possibly be easier to get a job at the MS level than at the PhD level. The down side, obviously, is that the ceiling on your advancement in the company would be lower.

2) You are wanting to go for a PhD, but feel under-prepared. In this case, taking a bit of time to gain some lab skills and taking a few advanced courses to shore up any academic deficiencies can help, both academically and psychologically.

3) You are not sure whether you want to commit to a PhD program. These can be long and stressful and you may not have as much control over your graduation timeline as you would like.

If you do go for a MS, I would recommend looking at traditional programs as opposed to online programs, at least if you're looking at a science discipline. I think laboratory experience is critical for scientific training.

Finally, in my opinion if you KNOW that you will be going for the PhD and #2 above does not apply to you, I think overall an MS would be a waste of your time and resources.

Just my opinion, others may disagree...

 

[chemguy79]

In my opinion, I would recommend getting an MS under any one of the following circumstances:

1) You are wanting to get a job in industry as an MS level scientist. In the present economic situation, it can possibly be easier to get a job at the MS level than at the PhD level. The down side, obviously, is that the ceiling on your advancement in the company would be lower.

2) You are wanting to go for a PhD, but feel under-prepared. In this case, taking a bit of time to gain some lab skills and taking a few advanced courses to shore up any academic deficiencies can help, both academically and psychologically.

3) You are not sure whether you want to commit to a PhD program. These can be long and stressful and you may not have as much control over your graduation timeline as you would like.

If you do go for a MS, I would recommend looking at traditional programs as opposed to online programs, at least if you're looking at a science discipline. I think laboratory experience is critical for scientific training.

Finally, in my opinion if you KNOW that you will be going for the PhD and #2 above does not apply to you, I think overall an MS would be a waste of your time and resources.

Just my opinion, others may disagree...

TRUTH on all accounts.

Getting a MS prior to pursuing a PhD is an EPIC. WASTE. OF. TIME. (I should know, I did the same thing.) Nothing carries over and you'll be starting from scratch at your new program. Unlike the humanities or music, your MS is not a stepping stone to your PhD. It's a completely different beast and frankly, you should attack one beast instead of both.

Furthermore, a rather hefty percentage who start on their PhD opt out after receiving their Master's (at my former school, it was considered a consolation prize ... which is one of the most denigrating comments that I would hear from colleagues because you worked your butt off for 60+ hours/week, blah blah blah, #graduatestudentproblems), so you could still get your MS if you decide that your PhD is not for you. I chose to start off with a terminal MS program because I wasn't sure that I wanted a PhD in Chemistry. Of course, after finishing my MS, I didn't think that I had suffered enough, so I went after a PhD. *shrug*