Should I get another undergrad degree or a masters degree?

[jeremmed77]

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I started going to college when I was sixteen (I am now eighteen and in my junior year) so I have the option of graduating a year from this summer if I want to. The problem is that I still have not taken all of the prerequisites to medical school yet, and have no experience shadowing or doing research. Since my chances of getting accepted with my stats are slim to none now, I would like to have the chance to build up my resume.

That is why I think it would be better if I attempt to get another degree or get a masters degree for the next two years. Which would you do and why? If I do not get into medical school, my back up plan is to go into graduate school anyway, which is why I am leaning towards the masters program. Someone also mentioned that I could do a post undergraduate degree or something, but that does not sound like it would help me.

My major is B.S. in Psychology if that helps. Thanks in advance.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

What are your stats? If you haven't gotten all of your pre-reqs done you can either do an informal post-bac at your undergrad or go do a formal post bacc which is a bit more expensive and complete all the pre-reqs and then some upper level classes.
If your stats are below 3.0 or around a 3.0. Then your best shot is either doing a SMP( Special masters program) after your post-bacc and mcat or doing grade replacement for DO schools after your post-bacc and mcat. Those are the best things you can do as a second bachelors would take too long and unless its a heavy science masters degree it will not help ( You wouldn't be eligible to enroll without having taken many other science classes anyways).

Also do know that graduate school in the realm of psychology is pretty competitive. If you're stats are low for medical schools they are probably low for most doctoral PhD's or Psy.D's.

 

[mtbtx]

I wouldn't go the master's route because you still need undergrad pre-reqs

 

[Catalystik]

Rather than graduating, consider staying at your undergrad school, where you have registration priority, and adding a second major or a minor. You will primarily be considered by med schools by your undergrad GPA, so get it as high as you can.

 

[MeowMeowCAT]

Rather than graduating, consider staying at your undergrad school, where you have registration priority, and adding a second major or a minor. You will primarily be considered by med schools by your undergrad GPA, so get it as high as you can.

What if you just take extra classes, without the intent to get it credited towards a second major or a minor, would that be a bad idea? Like after finishing the Bachellor's just take 2-4 classes over the summer or something. Or would it be better if you actually apply the classes towards a degree?

 

[jeremmed77]

Right now I have a 3.55 grade point average. My science gpa is not the best right now, it is a 3.0 but I have not taken the majority of my science classes so I am expecting that to go up considerably. So would medical school rather look at my undergraduate gpa versus graduate school gpa?

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

A 3.55 is fine, and a 3.0 with none of the pre-reqs taken is basically a blank slate. Take the pre-reqs and and 2 upper level courses and maintain a 3.5 average or higher and you'll probably be fine.

 

[st2205]

There are a lot of things to factor and since you haven't listed any possibilities of what second BS you'd get or what masters, it makes it difficult for anyone to give advice without superimposing their own opinions based on what they would be getting a second BS or masters in. For me, I'd say be practical and pick up some kind of skill you can use and make a career out of in case you a) don't get in to medical school b) change yourmind about medical school or c) spend a number of years applying. If your second bachelors is automechanics and your masters is art history, I'd tell you to do the automechanics. If your second bachelors is chemistryand your masters is physiology, I'd tell you to do physiology. If, however, you want to do a second bachelors in something you enjoy, say youwant to learn Arabic, or you're really interested in piano performance, then I'd say go ahead and do that. If you won't have all your prerequisites then that's a different story, but a lot of masters programs, to my knowledge (like physiology or something) you could easily take those prerequisites as part of your coursework (as opposed to taking them as part of an MPH or masters in clinical psych or something.

 

[Catalystik]

What if you just take extra classes, without the intent to get it credited towards a second major or a minor, would that be a bad idea? Like after finishing the Bachellor's just take 2-4 classes over the summer or something.

This is fine too.