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I'm trying to consider back-up options if I don't get into an MSTP this year. Researching for another year is always an option, but I was hoping folks here could give me some suggestions if I decided to pursue a short post-bac educational program instead. (Also, any opinions on whether pursuing a post-bac degree in a gap year would make me more competitive as a re-applicant than pursuing an extra year of research?)
What options exist for a 1-year master's program focused in health policy/public health/another medical-related field that is NOT centered in the hard sciences and bench research? I am not seeking a biomedical program for a post-bac because 1) my science and research background is fairly strong, 2) I will be spending plenty of time pursuing a PhD in pharmacology/microbiology during my MSTP research years, and 3) I'd like a program that's feasible to complete in one year so that I can apply for the 2010-11 MSTP cycle. I am open to applying for an SMP if it would help me be more competitive to the kind of MSTPs I'm applying at this cycle.
Some background (see my MDapps profile for more): I want to go into academic medicine (hence a medical policy/public health/medical administration program would be ideal for me). I currently go to a top 20 university and will graduate in spring 09 with a BS in biochemistry and a BA in English. My institutional GPA is in the mid-3.8s range and has trended upward since my freshman year, and I have strong research (4 years), teaching (2 years), and leadership experiences. What is hurting me for MSTPs is my MCAT (32 S). I currently don't plan to apply to more programs than currently listed on my MDapps profile because I much prefer MSTPs over non-MSTPs, and I have a strong geographic preference for my MSTP education (midwest, specifically IL where I'm from) and have already applied to most midwestern MSTPs. I'd rather work on making my app more competitive to an MSTP with strong research programs in my fields of interest in the midwest than apply to lots of schools this year that lack strong research programs and are in areas of the country in which I wouldn't really care to live for 8 years.
Any suggestions would be much appreciated. If my current MD/PhD application cycle is unsuccessful, I absolutely plan to re-take the MCAT (when I scored a 32, I had taken it right after my sophomore year finals and less than two weeks after starting a stressful full-time job...and it was a self-study, so I know I can do better with more study time and the knowledge I've gained since then).
Thank you so much for your help 🙂.
(I also posted a less-fleshed out version of this in the SMP info thread, but figured a re-working of the post here was merited to get a broader range of opinions.)
What options exist for a 1-year master's program focused in health policy/public health/another medical-related field that is NOT centered in the hard sciences and bench research? I am not seeking a biomedical program for a post-bac because 1) my science and research background is fairly strong, 2) I will be spending plenty of time pursuing a PhD in pharmacology/microbiology during my MSTP research years, and 3) I'd like a program that's feasible to complete in one year so that I can apply for the 2010-11 MSTP cycle. I am open to applying for an SMP if it would help me be more competitive to the kind of MSTPs I'm applying at this cycle.
Some background (see my MDapps profile for more): I want to go into academic medicine (hence a medical policy/public health/medical administration program would be ideal for me). I currently go to a top 20 university and will graduate in spring 09 with a BS in biochemistry and a BA in English. My institutional GPA is in the mid-3.8s range and has trended upward since my freshman year, and I have strong research (4 years), teaching (2 years), and leadership experiences. What is hurting me for MSTPs is my MCAT (32 S). I currently don't plan to apply to more programs than currently listed on my MDapps profile because I much prefer MSTPs over non-MSTPs, and I have a strong geographic preference for my MSTP education (midwest, specifically IL where I'm from) and have already applied to most midwestern MSTPs. I'd rather work on making my app more competitive to an MSTP with strong research programs in my fields of interest in the midwest than apply to lots of schools this year that lack strong research programs and are in areas of the country in which I wouldn't really care to live for 8 years.
Any suggestions would be much appreciated. If my current MD/PhD application cycle is unsuccessful, I absolutely plan to re-take the MCAT (when I scored a 32, I had taken it right after my sophomore year finals and less than two weeks after starting a stressful full-time job...and it was a self-study, so I know I can do better with more study time and the knowledge I've gained since then).
Thank you so much for your help 🙂.
(I also posted a less-fleshed out version of this in the SMP info thread, but figured a re-working of the post here was merited to get a broader range of opinions.)
