Should I do a masters program to strengthen my application?

[screwedpremed88]

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Current stats:
Junior at top three UC school
5 more quarters left to improve GPA
Current GPA: 3.5 overall, 3.3 science GPA
Very weak extracurriculars

I think my GPA is too weak to be a competitive applicant to apply to an allopathic school. In addition, I've been very unsure about my career path lately. I'm pretty sure I want to be a doctor now, but I don't have really any good extracurriculars. I don't have any clinical experience, haven't shadowed a doctor, and haven't done any research since I finished high school. I don't think I have enough time to strengthen my extracurriculars and my GPA is kind of weak. I'm thinking I should do a Master in Public Health or Nutrition...or something kind of applicable to health before I apply to give me more time to do ECs and improve my GPA.

In addition, do you think doing my masters at a lower tier school is still okay? Will it significantly improve my chances if I do a masters at a top tier school?

What do you all think I should do?

 

[mediterranean]

Current stats:
Junior at top three UC school
5 more quarters left to improve GPA
Current GPA: 3.5 overall, 3.3 science GPA
Very weak extracurriculars

I think my GPA is too weak to be a competitive applicant to apply to an allopathic school. In addition, I've been very unsure about my career path lately. I'm pretty sure I want to be a doctor now, but I don't have really any good extracurriculars. I don't have any clinical experience, haven't shadowed a doctor, and haven't done any research since I finished high school. I don't think I have enough time to strengthen my extracurriculars and my GPA is kind of weak. I'm thinking I should do a Master in Public Health or Nutrition...or something kind of applicable to health before I apply to give me more time to do ECs and improve my GPA.

What do you all think I should do?

You're only a junior so you still have plenty of time to improve that GPA. Also you still have plenty of time to do extracurriculars. I am assuming you are halfway through junior year. That is plenty of time to get clinical experience, shadow, and volunteer in a hospital (not all at once). You might have already started winter break so first find a physician to shadow since that trumps all else as far as ECs. 27+ on MCATs will redeem you for DO and 30+ will make you competitive for MD. Volunteer work is what I found boring because all you do is run errands for staff but still looks nice on an app.

Master's for Public Health or Nutrition will kinda hurt you because it is not considered strong (hard) sciences and you have already been doing well in your classes even in sciences. If anything, plan more upper level sciences to bring up the science GPA. You still have a strong chance if you take my advice.

 

[Catalystik]

You have five more quarters to get your cGPA and BCPM GPA up. When you apply to med schools it is your undergrad GPA and MCAT score you are initially judged by. A masters GPA won't help you, and if it is low it could hurt you, since grade inflation is presumed at the grad school level. The main way a masters would help is if you really want to study the field and if the grad school gives you avenues to research experience.

As long as you start to gain your clinical experience 1.5 years before applying you should be fine. Add some research (even if only a summer's worth), teaching and/or leadership, and physician shadowing and you'll be set to be competitive in terms of experiences.

 

[JJMrK]

I'd take an extra year to graduate as opposed to doing a masters. As others have said, the masters GPA won't factor into your undergrad GPA, which is really the only GPA that matters. That will also give you some time to get your ECs in order.

I'm not sure what a "top 3 UC" is, but I doubt it's really relevant to your app.

 

[IDoIt4Love]

study your ass off and rock the MCAT. No less than a 30 if you wanna go M.D. but you're probably better off beating a 30. chances are you're better off making yourself more competitive by gaining clinical experience than by taking more classes. schools make a big deal about clinical experience because, if you haven't been around the environment, how do you know that this career path is for you? save your money; your grades aren't too bad and you can probably beef them up during your last couple semesters. don't do the masters, go out there into the clinical settings and get some real-world experience!

 

[ReApper24]

If you actually want to get a masters degree, then do it. If not, you are wasting a lot of money.
Taking an extra year to graduate is actually a pretty good idea. It would free up time to shadow/get a job at a hospital/do research, etc, while leaving time to study more for classes and raise your gpa.

If I were you, I would start shadowing, try to raise my grades, and look into ostepathic schools.