Pursuing a masters and then applying: special circumstance

[Mentens]

Hello.

I am a senior and have been working in the same lab for 3+ years now. In this time, I've made a lot of cool discoveries in our niche field culminating in a single research paper published to a respectable journal. I really like the field of the study and have been offered direct entrance + accelerated track (1 year completion) into the department's masters program by my PI (they run the program). I'd be receiving a stipend and continuing my research which my PI believes to be appropriate for a master's level thesis.

I don't have aspirations to be a career scientist in this field or to go into industry, but planning a 'gap year' around my masters to continue some of ECs and take the MCAT would be nice. This, however, would have little bearing any future career in medicine once I leave for a would-be med school after graduation. It's therefore very important for me to understand the time/benefit analysis of a masters for med school.

Most of what I see relates to SMPs. For someone actually passionate about a field, but not wanting to pursue a career in it, would a masters be a good use of a gap year? Mind you, the alternative is a collective 40+ hours a week I could spend being a scribe, possibly retaking MCAT, and doubling down on volunteering.

Not much info to work with, I know. I don't expect tailored responses, just some general info on how to weigh a master's degree into one's chances of acceptance.

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[Goro]

Nope

 

[AJS59]

Unless you'd be getting paid for this masters (you said you'd get a stipend, but is your tuition also covered?) I'd probably pass in this situation. Many better things you can do.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Without your profile, do what you want to do but as far as we know, you won't progress any closer to getting into medical school either way.

 

[Mentens]

Unless you'd be getting paid for this masters (you said you'd get a stipend, but is your tuition also covered?) I'd probably pass in this situation. Many better things you can do.

Tuition would be covered + stipend (approx 10USD an hour)

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

It's one year and you seem to want to do it and you'll break even. Just do it if you want to do it, you won't have another opportunity to do it in the future. Worst case scenario, apply at the end of your MS and work a clinical job in the glide year in case you don't get accepted the first time around.

 

[lioneljohn]

If you have more research under your belt, or if you’ve done a thesis, that might make your med school app stand out, especially if you are interested in schools that consider research experience a plus.

 

[LindaAccepted]

Hello.

I am a senior and have been working in the same lab for 3+ years now. In this time, I've made a lot of cool discoveries in our niche field culminating in a single research paper published to a respectable journal. I really like the field of the study and have been offered direct entrance + accelerated track (1 year completion) into the department's masters program by my PI (they run the program). I'd be receiving a stipend and continuing my research which my PI believes to be appropriate for a master's level thesis.

I don't have aspirations to be a career scientist in this field or to go into industry, but planning a 'gap year' around my masters to continue some of ECs and take the MCAT would be nice. This, however, would have little bearing any future career in medicine once I leave for a would-be med school after graduation. It's therefore very important for me to understand the time/benefit analysis of a masters for med school.

Most of what I see relates to SMPs. For someone actually passionate about a field, but not wanting to pursue a career in it, would a masters be a good use of a gap year? Mind you, the alternative is a collective 40+ hours a week I could spend being a scribe, possibly retaking MCAT, and doubling down on volunteering.

Not much info to work with, I know. I don't expect tailored responses, just some general info on how to weigh a master's degree into one's chances of acceptance.

If it's something you really want to do, I'd say do it. You won't have the chance in the future. It sounds from later posts that your expenses will be paid so while there will be some lost income it also sounds like an opportunity you won't necessarily have in the future. As long as you keep up the ECs and you are otherwise competitive, I don't see how this can hurt you.

 

[IlDestriero]

Think of it as a lost year of future attending income. Is it worth $300k+? Probably not