why does 1 year masters program help with gpa for gap year?

[fastfingers]

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I hear a lot that it's a good idea to do a masters program if your gpa is low. how does a one year masters program help with your gpa if you only take 1 gap year? don't you apply the end of your senior year, and thus med schools will not even see the grades you get in a masters program?

 

[WeAreNotRobots]

I hear a lot that it's a good idea to do a masters program if your gpa is low.

where do you hear this? not here.

you may hear about SMPs here, but they don't help your GPA either; they just allow you the opportunity to prove yourself.

 

[Perrotfish]

I think you're confusing two different things:

1) There are one year programs, called special masters programs, where you take medical school classes with medical school students. Since these programs show your ability to succeed in medical school in the most direct way possible applicants who do well in well known SMPs almost always get into medical school on their next application cycle, which makes them amazing options for people that graduate with lots of credits and low GPAs. However, unless you were already a marginal candidate, you do basically need to wait until the end of the program to apply, so you get a new gap year after the program. A few programs save you the gap year by taking almost all of the successful applicants from their program into the next years medical school class, these are called high linkage programs and there aren't many of them. That might be what you're thinking of.

2) If all you want to do is fill time in a gap year, a lot of people will recommend a 1 year MPH. This is NOT to improve your GPA. The goal is instead much more farsighted: to improve your residency applications and your chances in academic/administrative medicine. It's not the only option for your year by any means, but it's not a bad option either. However, again, the focus here is NOT on your medical school application.

 

[theWUbear]

I hear a lot that it's a good idea to do a masters program if your gpa is low. how does a one year masters program help with your gpa if you only take 1 gap year? don't you apply the end of your senior year, and thus med schools will not even see the grades you get in a masters program?

Perrotfish is spot on as always 👍 I will add that many people who are in need of a SMP to prove their worth end up applying after the year of graduate level work, because you are right - applying before those courses won't give you the effect of having those grades completed.

Many do apply before the SMP year if their GPA is borderline but acceptable, and update with SMP grades during/after the fall

 

[makauzi]

I hear a lot that it's a good idea to do a masters program if your gpa is low. how does a one year masters program help with your gpa if you only take 1 gap year? don't you apply the end of your senior year, and thus med schools will not even see the grades you get in a masters program?

I am not sure but i am doing a 1 year MS. This is the info I have so far for my school: each lab/quarter I can take it for a max 12 units, and as long as I am doing work as scheduled and getting results, I get an A. so 3 labs, 12 units each, A in all of them, can really boost a low GPA.

 

[Avoidthetiger]

I am not sure but i am doing a 1 year MS. This is the info I have so far for my school: each lab/quarter I can take it for a max 12 units, and as long as I am doing work as scheduled and getting results, I get an A. so 3 labs, 12 units each, A in all of them, can really boost a low GPA.

Yes - but you are in a graduate program (masters). graduate GPA is separated from undergrad GPA. ADCOMs look primarily at your undergrad GPA b/c many grad school programs (like yours) are not tough graders, and ADCOMs know this. Your program will not "boost" your low undergrad GPA. It will still be low.

Additionally, I hope you are not paying for this masters program

 

[fastfingers]

Ohhh, this clears up a lot of stuff.

So would this basically mean that the best way to spend only 1 gap year and make that gap year helpful towards your application would be to do some very meaningful volunteering?

 

[fastfingers]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=346106

i just read there and it says you should apply right after graduating HS. how does the SMP help if med schools can't see how well you're doing?

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

Smp ftw

 

[LizzyM]

For a gpa repair you take a 2 year break and do a masters in the sciences to show you can do the hard science stuff.
Alternately, a SMP but that is expensive and relatively useless in the job market so you have to do well or you've wasted a small fortune for nothing.

It is very hard to find an accredited MPH for people right out of college that is only 1-year in length. (see www.ceph.org for a list of accredited schools and programs) Furthermore, except for biostatistics, AMCAS is not likely to count the courses toward your science gpa so it doesn't prove you can handle hard sciences but it does give you an additional skill set and if you are required to do a field project, you have an additional "experience" for your application. If you do a two year MPH, you apply for med school during the second year.

A masters can also be an answer for the question "what are you doing this year"? It is good for international students who want to stay in the country during a gap year before starting medical school. It also keeps your loans at bay and can be a source of very affordable insurance (if you aren't insured through your parent(s)).

Rather than stay in school, some applicants get a job in a clinical setting, in a medical school (clinical research coordinator is a popular job), or as a substitute teacher or tutor. Some graduates of the top schools do a year or two of management consulting (e.g. The Advisory Board Company) or I-banking. Another alternative is a two-year service program in the US and apply during the 2nd year.

 

[LizzyM]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=346106

i just read there and it says you should apply right after graduating HS. how does the SMP help if med schools can't see how well you're doing?

"Senior year" refers to senior year of college, not HS.

 

[MeowMeowCAT]

Edit: Apparently I did not have my coffee yet. Misread the whole thing. Mmmm...SMP sure does sound nice.

 

[fastfingers]

thanks soo much for the advise. I meant college, dunno why I still say HS. I guess from what it seems, SMP doesn't realy help people whose only taking 1 gap year.

i noticed that you mention that some graduates do jobs in consulting or i-bank before med schools. how do med schools usually perceive this since it has almost nothing directly to do with healthcare? Do they usually want to see that they did it to help support family, do it for perhaps md/mba potential, or do it to check other interest? Ive always been given the impression from advisors that a gap year should be used to do medically related things.

 

[Avoidthetiger]

Ive always been given the impression from advisors that a gap year should be used to do medically related things.

Do whatever you want during your gap year. Just don't sit at home and watch TV. Go out, make money (doing whatever), volunteer if you want (in health care or not)... just don't sleep everyday for 12-hours.

 

[SoccerDocker]

thanks soo much for the advise. I meant college, dunno why I still say HS. I guess from what it seems, SMP doesn't realy help people whose only taking 1 gap year.

i noticed that you mention that some graduates do jobs in consulting or i-bank before med schools. how do med schools usually perceive this since it has almost nothing directly to do with healthcare? Do they usually want to see that they did it to help support family, do it for perhaps md/mba potential, or do it to check other interest? Ive always been given the impression from advisors that a gap year should be used to do medically related things.

There is a wealth of knowledge on here about SMPs and advice on improving a low GPA, and even a great list compiled about the different SMPs (linkage and non-linkage) and MS in Medical Science programs that exist around the country. If I'm not mistaken, the SMP GPA will count as a Graduate Level GPA on your AMCAS?

I'm looking into the SMP as an alternative myself, but with the intentions of applying to MDs again while in the program. I am doing this in part because of impatience, and partly because I received interviews this past year

 

[kwantiko]

is a requirement for most SMPs a rejection from a medical school?

 

[SoccerDocker]

is a requirement for most SMPs a rejection from a medical school?

Check out this thread:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=346106

It contains just about everything you want to know about SMPs

 

[NightGod]

Do whatever you want during your gap year. Just don't sit at home and watch TV. Go out, make money (doing whatever), volunteer if you want (in health care or not)... just don't sleep everyday for 12-hours.

Just seconding this. Adcoms will just want to see that you were doing something to get life experience during this time. Being medically related might be a bonus, but is by no means required.