After I finished my BS in biology (with a 2.89 GPA), I finished a master’s in psychology from University of Phoenix (waste of time? Maybe…) My GPA in that program was 3.94. Although it’s not necessarily relevant to a med school application and from an online program, what do people think about including that information on applications? I think it still shows dedication to a goal and the ability to master the class materials, but I feel that an admissions committee might ignore it altogether because of the nature of the degree. Opinions?
Regardless of how schools view it, you have to include it. I included a bunch of weird courses that I took at a community college. They were purely “hobby / interest” type courses: reupholstering and beginner sailing. I think that it shows that you are interested in continuing your own self education, which is an important element of being a physician so in my mind, as long as you have the prereqs from a “reputable” school, other degrees and courses just add another dimension to your application - neutral or positive for the most part. I can’t imagine a school assigning a negative to further education, regardless of the source.
As LJSimpson stated:
There is no “opinion” here as you requested. You are required to report ALL grades for every institution.
I understand that I am required to report all grades. The opinion I was asking for was how others in this forum though it would be viewed by an admissions committee.
Favorably since you earned a high GPA. Have an answer for “why not psychology?”
Well I’m still interested in psychology, but the MS degree through University of Phoenix does not prepare one for a clinical position. I would have had to have done a traditional grad program. My interest in medicine has never waned either, so a psychiatry track isn’t out of the question for me.