Unrelated Masters then Med School

[MDegos]

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Hi all,

I'm a college student and the time to start worrying about grad school is approaching. I will have my pre-reqs done with a decent GPA 3.7+ in a top 25 university's honors program. I have yet to take the MCAT and am contemplating the GRE so I can apply to other grad programs.

I do not intend to apply to med school right away. I want to either work for one or two years or go to an unrelated grad program. Given the job market, I will be applying to both.

If I were to work in an unrelated field or get a Masters in something that was not a hard science, would I have to explain myself? Would it count against me? Don't tell me it's a waste of money or whatever like many of your parents would say. It would be to learn about a field I'm interested in and possibly be related to whatever I did besides my future 9-5.

I know many people do not go to med school right away, but often they are trying to remediate their GPA or have been working in a different field for a long while before deciding to make the switch.

😍
Thanks.

 

[bucks2010]

I can't say that it would hurt you. Just be sure to keep doing medically-relating things on the side to convey your continued interest in medicine.

I think the general consensus around here is that you really need to have any graduate degrees completed before you apply to medical school. Even if you have your faculty mentor assure adcoms that you'll have your degree done before the next school year begins, an adcom will still be hesitant to admit someone who hasn't finished their current program yet. So, that could delay your matriculation to medical school if time is something you're concerned about.

 

[MDegos]

Thanks for your speedy response. That's a good point. I do know some people who got in while in the middle of MS in a post-bacc med like program (it was degree rewarding), but I suppose that's different? Or maybe, they were the exception? I do intend on completing it, but I see what you are saying.

 

[RedWheelbarrow]

I say go for it if it's what you want to do. Just take mental or actual notes while you're in school of how the experience and skills gained will help you as a doctor. I also agree that some shadowing/volunteering on the side would be good. My current Masters degree is in the humanities and I worked it to my advantage. And FWIW I applied before graduating...I'm not sure why it would need to be completed. Most med students haven't graduated from undergrad when they apply but the expectation is you will graduate and move on to med school.

 

[MDegos]

I say go for it if it's what you want to do. Just take mental or actual notes while you're in school of how the experience and skills gained will help you as a doctor. I also agree that some shadowing/volunteering on the side would be good. My current Masters degree is in the humanities and I worked it to my advantage. And FWIW I applied before graduating...I'm not sure why it would need to be completed. Most med students haven't graduated from undergrad when they apply but the expectation is you will graduate and move on to med school.

YAY Someone like me 😀

Have you heard back from them yet? I wouldn't think it would make a difference especially if no thesis is required (I realize PhDs are a bit different).

But if med schools think a certain way, you can't really do anything.

 

[RedWheelbarrow]

YAY Someone like me 😀

Have you heard back from them yet? I wouldn't think it would make a difference especially if no thesis is required (I realize PhDs are a bit different).

But if med schools think a certain way, you can't really do anything.

I got into 3/9 schools (I really targeted my apps). Really, what you have to do is be able to articulate how the experience works to your advantage. You can do almost anything and argue how it will make you a better doctor and is aligned with your interest in medicine. You just have to think about it some and be prepared to defend your actions in a logical, or at least heartfelt, manner. I talked about the formative experience of waiting tables in one of my interviews. No, really.

Best of luck to you! Also - in whatever Masters you may end up pursuing, it may help if you can at least write a paper or two on a medical issue.

 

[bucks2010]

Maybe it's dependent on a thesis requirement then. If you know for sure you'll graduate in x years, then you can apply accordingly.

 

[MDegos]

I got into 3/9 schools (I really targeted my apps). Really, what you have to do is be able to articulate how the experience works to your advantage. You can do almost anything and argue how it will make you a better doctor and is aligned with your interest in medicine. You just have to think about it some and be prepared to defend your actions in a logical, or at least heartfelt, manner. I talked about the formative experience of waiting tables in one of my interviews. No, really.

Best of luck to you! Also - in whatever Masters you may end up pursuing, it may help if you can at least write a paper or two on a medical issue.

3/9 is great! Especially if you got into a school you want to go to. I don't plan on going ballistic with 40 or so apps either. Most premeds annoy me. Hee hee.

Thanks for your advice! 👍

 

[Torr]

IMO this shouldn't hurt you at all. Get your MCAT done with and do well. Remember that MCAT scores expire. I think it lasts 3 years for most programs but someone else can correct me if it's changed.

It's okay to be interested in other things but as someone said earlier, you might want to stay involved in the medical/health field during this time for 2 reasons.

1) It strengthens your application to have more health related experience

2) If someone questions your loyalty to medicine you won't have any trouble defending it. You don't want this to look like a sabbatical from science/health.

It will make you stand out and might make for more interesting interviews.

Good luck.

 

[gravitywave]

go for it! med schools love it when people explore the other things that make them tick before they start on medicine. also good fodder for interview banter.

although

the time to start worrying about grad school is approaching.

makes me lulz. only on SDN would people speak of the appropriate time to start worrying.

 

[hopefuldoc97239]

In my humble opinion...

The issue of the MCAT is of critical importance. If you take it and do not so well, then I think it will be a negative if you do the masters because it will look like you get defeated easily and didn't stick to the med school plan.

So I think you only have two options:

1) Take the MCAT now and do really well. Your decision to do a masters instead will obviously be a choice rather than a matter last resort.

2) Don't take the MCAT, just get a masters.

Remember that even though a school may say they only "look" at your most recent MCAT for selection purposes they actually get a print out of all scores (even past their "expiration" date). So doing badly now is going to hurt you. In fact, I think if you do even mediocre now you have little choice but to try to take it again and keep acting as though you have no other desire other than to be a physician.

Good luck!