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I was wondering if one would not get into Med school first time around,what would be a better idea a Postbac or a Masters???? Just wondering
Postbac or a Masters...
- Thread starter Gutierrez001
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Postbac-only 1 year, better chance of getting in, especially at the school you are taking the postbac---if you don't get into med school, you have wasted your time
Master's-good if you aren't for sure you are going to go to med school no matter what
Master's-good if you aren't for sure you are going to go to med school no matter what
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I agree. I did lecom's post bacc and it was soo informative because we got the same notes and tests as the ms 1's, if not similar ones. It just really prepared me for what medical school is all about the first year. 🙂
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There's dozens of threads on this subject. There's no real answer, its an individual thing. Generally, if you do not have all the prereqs then a postbacc is the way to go. Also if you have taken all the science classes but your science gpa is low, like less than 3.0, then you should consider a postbacc to either re-take classes or take other classes to actually increase your undergraduate science gpa.
Masters can work for people who have decent grades but not so great MCAT scores or activities. People with heavy science backgrounds that just want to show they can excel at upper level material might consider masters programs. It also depends on the type of masters programs. Special masters programs where you actually take medical school courses with the M1's are usually favorably looked up so long as you do well. There are mixed feelings about getting an MPH.
You need to figure out whats best for you. Whatever you decide to do, doing well is all that matters, thats what will help you out.
Masters can work for people who have decent grades but not so great MCAT scores or activities. People with heavy science backgrounds that just want to show they can excel at upper level material might consider masters programs. It also depends on the type of masters programs. Special masters programs where you actually take medical school courses with the M1's are usually favorably looked up so long as you do well. There are mixed feelings about getting an MPH.
You need to figure out whats best for you. Whatever you decide to do, doing well is all that matters, thats what will help you out.
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I'd have to agree with public, it all depends on your situation and what works for you. I am going into med school with a master's degree, but thats only because I joined an entry-level master's degree program in physical therapy. Then in my sophomore year i decided it wasn't enough and i needed another 4 years of school after my 51/2 to really be happy and have as many loans as humanly possible. Seriously though, I feel like it helped me tremendously to prepare for med school and also allowed me some time to mature a little. So if you dont feel ready to reapply, either emotionally or mentally, and want to get some more real world, or classroom experience, then post-bac might be the way to go. And if you want a good back up plan just in case...probably masters. I have to say its been nice though having the opportunity to do contract PT work making ~$50 an hour between graduation from PT school and the start of med school. Then again, the extra years and money spent on school isn't all that appealing either.
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There is another thing to consider with the masters route. On the chance that you do not get into med school you will have a masters degree. This makes you more marketable. I agree that for the best chance you should look into the programs that allow you to take 1st year classes with the regular med students but I would also look to see if it has some application to the outside as well. Look into Tulane, they have a 1 year masters in pharmacology that looked pretty good.
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are 1 yrs program really crazy.is it basically two year worth of work in one year
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Hey guys,
I have a slightly different view on the subject... I earned my Master's in 13 months (doubled up on some courses) and it was worth it to come out with a graduate degree than a certificate from a post-bacc program. Yes, there is a thesis. Yes, it is more expensive. But, in the end, if you don't get into medical school you'll still have something to fall back on.
Best of luck.
I have a slightly different view on the subject... I earned my Master's in 13 months (doubled up on some courses) and it was worth it to come out with a graduate degree than a certificate from a post-bacc program. Yes, there is a thesis. Yes, it is more expensive. But, in the end, if you don't get into medical school you'll still have something to fall back on.
Best of luck.
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I did a semester of post bacc cause I wanted to get back into the swing of school after a layoff. I also wanted to learn business cause as a scientist I didn't know squat about budgets, finances, or administration.
Then someone talked me into a MPH program. I stacked up my classes and went to town on the program. I got my MPH in a year. Now I have a lot of knowledge in public health, administration, finances, medicare/medicaid, health systems, epidemiology, biostatistics, and health care managment.
One of the greatest things I have decided.
Now, I am finishing up an internship (which lets me post here on SDN) and I learn more cause of the hands on experience. Like yesterday I was working in a local health department with family planning clinic and STD testing. I really didn't know all the services and problems with our society until you go and look at it first hand.
Did it help with medical school apps? In my opinion hell yeah...not so much for the paper aspect but I was able to talk for great length in my interviews about multiple health related issues and had some great conversations.
Then someone talked me into a MPH program. I stacked up my classes and went to town on the program. I got my MPH in a year. Now I have a lot of knowledge in public health, administration, finances, medicare/medicaid, health systems, epidemiology, biostatistics, and health care managment.
One of the greatest things I have decided.
Now, I am finishing up an internship (which lets me post here on SDN) and I learn more cause of the hands on experience. Like yesterday I was working in a local health department with family planning clinic and STD testing. I really didn't know all the services and problems with our society until you go and look at it first hand.
Did it help with medical school apps? In my opinion hell yeah...not so much for the paper aspect but I was able to talk for great length in my interviews about multiple health related issues and had some great conversations.
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I have an MA in biology (went to grad school *instead* of med school--what was I thinking?). I did it in 2 years and because I was not planning to do research, I chose a path that didn't involve writing a thesis.
The thesis is the part of your degree that often takes the most time--doing the research, compiling it, defending it... My school had an option to take an extra class in advanced laboratory techniques, which involved a creative project--designing a project, but not actually doing the research. In the end, I received a Masters of Arts rather than a Masters of Science.
I'm sure there are some pre-grads who will look down on my choice! LOL But I had no trouble at all finding a job teaching college with my degree and isn't that all that matters???
Willow
The thesis is the part of your degree that often takes the most time--doing the research, compiling it, defending it... My school had an option to take an extra class in advanced laboratory techniques, which involved a creative project--designing a project, but not actually doing the research. In the end, I received a Masters of Arts rather than a Masters of Science.
I'm sure there are some pre-grads who will look down on my choice! LOL But I had no trouble at all finding a job teaching college with my degree and isn't that all that matters???
Willow
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There are a few true MS programs out there that are one year. The difference that I have found between those and the true 2 year MS programs is that there is no bench research. At our school (CSUSM) the masters in bio is 2 years including bench research and thesis. So its doable.
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Yeah, Master's can be unpredictable. At first I thought Master's program will take at most 2 years, but I end up spending 3 years in the program. My prof was a new prof and it took him a while to set up his lab (about a year) and once his lab was set up he needed to move to another lab that was bigger (another few months wasted there). Then my research got started, my first project failed (6 month down the drain) and then I need to spend extra time to practice for my second project and rush everything so I can finish in time for med school. So, I would suggest, only go for a master's program that have a thesis project/independent research if you have at least 3 years to spare. But then again, I know people who didn't finisht their Master's when they got accepted into a DO school, so I guess you can leave. But if you really want a Master's degree along with a DO, then I will say go for it if you have at least 3 years to spare. That's my personal opinion.
