Recommended Master's Program

[mdocfuture]

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So first of I'm a non-traditional student. My undergrad grades barely allowed me to graduate. After a one year attempt at majoring in Biology, I changed my major to History so I could graduate. Since then, I have worked (4 years now as a personal trainer) and I have taken my pre-med courses. In general I have scored As and Bs. However, I did have to retake Organic Chemistry 1 and 2 which really put back my GPA.

I haven't taken the MCAT yet and I have confidence I could pull a very high score (my motivation and study skills are at an all time high). However, I'm really really concerned that my GPA is going to hurt my chances. I was thinking that maybe I should do a one year Masters program (starting 2014 or 2015..I would like to enter Med School in 2015, but I know my chances maybe slim, so I'm considering trying to enter in 2016).

Any thoughts on a Masters program I could get into?

 

[Mr Avante]

Why not DO instead of master degree?

 

[Etyan]

Depends on your current total/sci GPA, your GPA trend, and your results on full-length practice MCAT (and eventually the real thing). It also depends on if you want to go DO/MD.

More details are needed if better advice is to be given!

 

[Plecopotamus]

In general, SMPs are not advisable unless you absolutely need to do them -- they cost a lot of money and they pay off is not guaranteed (even the good programs have as low as 65% success rates on first application cycles). The students are highly motivated and some programs have courses with the medical students, so they are not an easy or assured way of improving your application -- if your performance is mediocre, it might hurt your chances of med school.

How low is your GPA? This is needed to give you proper advice. Doing an SMP does not change your undergraduate GPA -- AMCAS does not combine the GPAs from undergraduate and graduate coursework.

Your better chance might be to apply to osteopathic medical schools. They use a different application system that calculates GPA differently -- if you retake a course, it replaces your prior grade, so for the sake of calculating GPA, your bad grades can effectively disappear (they'll still see them on your transcript, of course).

 

[tennisstar89]

I was in a similar boat to you with the low GPA/high mcat. If you go the special masters path then go to one that basically guarantees you acceptance upon successful completion. That way your grades don't really matter when they are evaluating you for acceptance to their med school, your performance in their program does. The only catch is they are hard to get into because they are so awesome, and you really need to want to go to that specific school. I ended up applying to Eastern Virginia's medical masters program, Tulane ACP program, and Temple ACMS. All have a really high acceptance rate. Just my 2 cents.

 

[occams_razor]

So first of I'm a non-traditional student. My undergrad grades barely allowed me to graduate. After a one year attempt at majoring in Biology, I changed my major to History so I could graduate. Since then, I have worked (4 years now as a personal trainer) and I have taken my pre-med courses. In general I have scored As and Bs. However, I did have to retake Organic Chemistry 1 and 2 which really put back my GPA.

I haven't taken the MCAT yet and I have confidence I could pull a very high score (my motivation and study skills are at an all time high). However, I'm really really concerned that my GPA is going to hurt my chances. I was thinking that maybe I should do a one year Masters program (starting 2014 or 2015..I would like to enter Med School in 2015, but I know my chances maybe slim, so I'm considering trying to enter in 2016).

Any thoughts on a Masters program I could get into?

what is your GPA?

 

[mdocfuture]

Thank you to all for such thoughtful input.

To be honest I'm already incredibly discouraged and embarrassed given my past GPA. (To answer the GPA question)

I have 4 more classes to take before planning to apply for MD school, DO school and Caribbean medical school in addition to the GEMS program and even perhaps some other Masters program as an alternative route all together.

I'm currently taking (I'm a nontrad, so I am working as well):

Anatomy & Physiology 1 with Lab--currently getting an A
(I already took Gen Bio1 and Genetics with Labs in both and got Bs plus a A in Genetics lab)
General Chemistry 2 with Lab--currently getting an A (got Bs in Gen Chem 1)

Next Semester I will be taking: of course I plan on getting all As
Organic Chemistry 2 (already took the lab and got a B..should I retake for a A? Or maybe retake the O Chem 1 lab that I got a C in...of course these labs are all only worth 1 credit)
Physics 2 with Lab

With the grade replacing that DO schools do, my GPA will be a 3.1 if all goes well and when all is said and done. My cumulative will probably be around the same or a little higher. Feeling doomed, but still persistent. :/

 

[CarlosDanger]

You sound like you're in decent shape to me. Doing a post-bacc is basically the same as what your doing now - you got a low undergrad GPA, and you're going back and re-taking the premed courses and doing well in them. I don't think you necessarily need an A in every single one. Did you fail O-chem as an undergrad or was that recent? As long as everything you've done after undergrad is solid, you may be ok with a good MCAT score.

SMPs are risky and crazy expensive. And if you don't get into med school, the degree is kind of worthless and you're $50K+ in the hole. I guess some programs have really high acceptance rates into that particular school's program, so that may be a decent option. I agree that DO schools would be a great option as well. Focus on your MCAT now and do as well as you can and then see where you're at. Try not to consider the Caribbean at all costs.

Actually it sounds like you've gotten mostly Bs....aahh, I dunno. I would say try hard for DO programs, there are some really good ones out there.

 

[mdocfuture]

Dumb question...SMP? Special Master's program? Are you referring to a post-bac program? I know about Georgetown's GEMS program which appears to basically feed you into Georgetown's Medical school providing you do well (I'm DEF applying to it). Other programs are just to basically get your premeds done like I'm doing.

If I were to do a Master's program it would be in the sciences but not to fulfill prerequisites. But I would only want to do a year program in hopes that I could reapply to Med school and get in given my new degree...but not sure if it would help. Doesn't sound like it based on the responses...

 

[tennisstar89]

Yes, SMP=Special masters program. I actually looked at the Georgetown program and didn't apply because 1. only the top 25% get an interview (not sure how many they actually accept), 2. its very expensive. I do think its a solid program, but it just wasn't for me. I wanted more of a guarantee of being accepted. At the programs I mentioned, EVMS/Tulane, you take actual med school classes and then TA them when you are a first year. I ended up doing the Tulane ACP, and I'm going to know anatomy/histology so well for STEP 1 because I've taken it and taught it. Also the program is only 12,500, which is a bargain for what it is. Every single person my year got into Tulane med, and thats been the case most years. Yes, these programs are challenging, but if you are motivated you will excel. I've learned that med students don't actually study as much as you'd think, we just talk about studying all the time 🙂