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Are these essentially the same? Will they both fix your gpa and thus looked upon similarly? I need help picking one over the other. Thnx
1st, you need to differentiate between an SMP and a masters...programs which have you take med school courses will be referred to as 'SMPs' in my post, whereas a typical science graduate degree is just a masters. A 'Master of Science in Medical Science' is not a hard science masters...it's an SMP.Wow thank you so much for the thorough and structured response. I'm not seeking a post bacc/masters because I did horribly in undergrad. I did decent; had a crappy GPA (~3.4) but a decent MCAT (32). But I fluctuated a lot in undergrad. First year 3.0, second year 3.7, third year 2.9, fourth year 3.8.
My inkling is to go with a masters in some kind of hard science. For instance, Drexel has a program called Master of Science in Medical Sciences. I'm not looking to retake pre-requisites or anything because I never did that bad in them. I just want to improve my candidacy.
This is so far from being true that there are no words.They are the same thing
Masters: Do something which can't really be used to demonstrate med school competitiveness, for a longer time and more work than the other two options.
Interesting. I have literally never heard that take before.I would disagree with this statement. Some programs won't do a lot, some will do a ton. I've had ADCOM members tell me that my PhD program is "the closest to an inside track to an admission that an applicant can get." As with everything in life, YMMV.
Interesting. I have literally never heard that take before.
Regardless, I still believe that it is a terrible idea to sign up for a research degree unless you are, you know, actually interested in research.
I would also point out that the difference between a Masters and a PhD is a lot larger than some people realize, however.This I entirely agree with. In my case, it's working out, but the fact that I want a PhD and really like this program regardless of what it may mean for my future career as a physician is incredibly important. Working for 40 hours a week in a lab on top of 20 class hours a semester isn't something you can do if you don't love it. I know people like to think they'll just suck it up for a few years because it's getting them where they want to go, but the reality is that few people if any can do so that intensely for that long. And frankly, the few people who can aren't going to be in a situation where they need a graduate program in the first place.
As to my program, I don't want to get masturbating over the matter, but I've heard a lot of good things. I recently talked to my mentor about it and he actually berated me a bit for worrying about my chances (my undergrad record sucks). His response was that I need to realize that when you apply with a PhD, the people reviewing your application and interviewing you are your peers. It's not discussed much because the number of people with PhDs who apply to medical school is minute, but it changes the game significantly.
1st, you need to differentiate between an SMP and a masters...programs which have you take med school courses will be referred to as 'SMPs' in my post, whereas a typical science graduate degree is just a masters. A 'Master of Science in Medical Science' is not a hard science masters...it's an SMP.
Honestly, I don't think a masters is a good choice, EVER, unless you would have gotten one in a world where med school did not exist.
It takes a surprising amount of commitment and self-motivation to complete a research graduate degree...and it doesn't help your GPA in any way, whatsoever. So you sink several years of hard work into something which is essentially a nice bow on top of your messy application package.
Taking uGrad courses (a postbacc) improves your GPA, gets you past auto-screens, and gives you a chance to show that you can indeed do well in courses which adcoms use to compare students.
An SMP, on the other hand, is a completely different case. It is 'do med school to show you can do med school'...it's a backdoor for low-stats applicants. If you do well, you have greatly improved your chances. If you do poorly, you're done. Also, expensive.
So, yeah...
SMP: Do med school to show you can do med school. Go big or go home.
Postbacc: Do uGrad courses to show that you can compete academically with other med school applicants
Masters: Do something which can't really be used to demonstrate med school competitiveness, for a longer time and more work than the other two options.
This is so far from being true that there are no words.
I can't do a PhD because I don't have the money or time
Again, no.A structured PB can be the same as a masters. OP quoted Drexel's Masters of Science in Medical Science, which is a masters program - but it serves the same purpose as a structured PB.