Hi all!
This is my first post. I am scheduled to begin an MFA program in the fall which I’m excited about (I saw another MFA’er on the board). My master’s program will last 2 years. I’m wondering how feasible it would be to try to complete all of the prereqs (I have a BA in English) while completing my MFA. Would that be trying to do too much?
Also…I’m 31 and I went back to school 2 years ago to complete my BA. I graduated with honors with a 3.66 from my degree granting institution. But I just calculated my cumulative GPA and it is only a 2.9! So graduating with honors means nothing, huh? Do they really not care about the GPA from the degree granting institution?
- writergyrl Said:
Hi all!
This is my first post. I am scheduled to begin an MFA program in the fall which I'm excited about (I saw another MFA'er on the board). My master's program will last 2 years. I'm wondering how feasible it would be to try to complete all of the prereqs (I have a BA in English) while completing my MFA. Would that be trying to do too much?
Also...I'm 31 and I went back to school 2 years ago to complete my BA. I graduated with honors with a 3.66 from my degree granting institution. But I just calculated my cumulative GPA and it is only a 2.9! So graduating with honors means nothing, huh? Do they really not care about the GPA from the degree granting institution?
This is my first post. I am scheduled to begin an MFA program in the fall which I'm excited about (I saw another MFA'er on the board). My master's program will last 2 years. I'm wondering how feasible it would be to try to complete all of the prereqs (I have a BA in English) while completing my MFA. Would that be trying to do too much?
Also...I'm 31 and I went back to school 2 years ago to complete my BA. I graduated with honors with a 3.66 from my degree granting institution. But I just calculated my cumulative GPA and it is only a 2.9! So graduating with honors means nothing, huh? Do they really not care about the GPA from the degree granting institution?
Hi wrytergirl and welcome to OPM!
Now my first question...why medicine?
Well, I'm not sure about the cGPA, but if you attending other institutions and didn't do as well as in your degree granting school, that would explain it. All (and I mean all) post-secondary grades are calculated.
The upside is if you haven't taken any sciences, particularly the prereqs, you can work hard and get a high GPA.
I think you really need to figure out what you want to do and go forward. You need to really ask yourself why you want medicine.
Thanks Kriss17 for the thoughtful response! I haven’t really said my thoughts out loud so this will help.
I want medicine because I want to serve, I have a passion for humanity (which I express in my writing so that’s why the MFA), and I have a strong desire to know the ins and outs and why’s of the body and mind. Medicine fascinates me.
I’m doing the MFA because I’m a passionate poet who wants the foundation for my writing that an MFA will give. I can take that foundation with me whether I become a physician, a mechanic, or whatever. So that’s why I’m doing this master’s and wanting to start my prereqs.
Poetry is not likely to be a career. Medicine can be a career. I can do both.
Does anyone have experience completing the prereqs while doing a master’s program that isn’t related to medicine? Care to share how you managed?
Oh…and thanks for the confirmation about the GPA. Yeah, I only have 1 semester of bio/lab and I got an A in that. I did horrible in my first stint of college years ago and did great when I went back to school as an adult. So I’ll just ace those prereqs to boost the GPA and hope it’ll do the job lol As if it’s just that easy. Thanks!
I’m not saying that it can’t be done. I’m sure if you work hard (and you’ll need to), it an be done.
The challenge will be that your cumulative GPA is 2.9, and in order to raise it to a more competitive level is going to require you to ace all of the prereqs, and even then I’m not sure out high it would really go. Unfortunately, your MFA will not be calculated into your uGPA even if you ace that.
As you can see from the many different threads, just taking care of the prereqs, preparing for the MCAT, taking care of shadowing and volunteering, etc., is a pretty full schedule and many are also raising a family.
The best advice I can give to you is to speak with an advisor…they might be able to give you a more realistic plan.
Rule 4: “Don’t Bite Off More Than You Can Chewâ€
there are few things you should be aware of:
- you haven’t taken/much science, which may be a different “mind set” than the majority of courses/work you have done in the past
- you have a simple time factor while doing a masters and trying to do pre-reqs at the concurrently, which you must do very well in
- There is the narrative that you will need to explain in admissions is why you u chose to concurrently do the above. There is something of a “rule” that medical admissions committees want to see to things completed (like an MFA).
I would suggest that working hard at the MFA with perhaps a few pre-reqs but really would reconsider your timeline
How much weight to med schools place on grades earned early on in your undergrad education? I was doing the math on my gpa and if I completely eliminated my first year of study (out of 6 years) my overall gpa would raise from a 3.4 to a 3.61. None of those courses were sciences, just college basics. I know that a 3.4 is borderline for what a lot of colleges say is the average applicant. I’m obsessing over it because I want to place myself in the best place possible and I want to show I’ve matured in my studies since freshmen year so long ago. Should I be concerned?
No. Just get VERY good grades from here on out. 3.4 vs. 3.6 is not going to be noticed as long as the recent grades are all or almost all A’s.
Mary