Hello everyone!
I am considering pursuing a masters program before I apply to med schools. I have looked at a few and I am mostly interested in a 1 year masters. Do med schools look more favorably on 1 year or 2 year masters? Or do they base it on how well you do, not the length of the program?
Also, I am from a state with no medical school. Therefore would it be better to apply to a masters program outside of my state schools? By that I mean apply for a masters program at a school that has a medical school.
Thanks for your help!
I don’t think adcoms care how long it takes to complete the degree, just makes sure your GPA is 3.7 or above espeically if you’re doing GPA damage control.
I’d also say get the Master’s at a school with a med school since often times, the classes you’ll take are taught by med school faculty/adcom members.
If you are studying for a master’s degree purely to improve your chances in getting into medical school, then doing well in Georgetown’s Special Master’s Program (SMP) in Physiology (or something similar) would be ideal because you would prove your ability to handle medical school by actually taking medical school courses.
If you studying for master’s degree primarily for personal or professional development (e.g education, engineering, et cetera), then choose a program you feel you’ll do the best in. A prestigious but crappy GPA isn’t very helpful.
I have looked into Georgetown’s SMP and I wanted to try to go there. But it seems like the chances of getting in there are about as good as medical school itself. I have a 3.3 gpa and no MCAT score as of yet (still waiting for scores). They take students that have MCAT scores in the 30’s. Are there any other programs out there that are like Georgetown’s?
Thanks for the site! You are awesome!
Be careful in what you’re looking at. Programs like the ones at Georgetown and the programs that we typically refer to when we say “Master’s Degree” are really different beasts. The Georgetown program is a specific get-into-med-school program. It isn’t particularly valued when you’re applying for jobs in science that list “Master’s-level degree” as a requirement. On the other hand, you traditional Master’s degrees (two years, research, coursework) will get jobs, but aren’t as valued by ADCOMs.
- Fedaykin Said:
Be careful in what you're looking at. Programs like the ones at Georgetown and the programs that we typically refer to when we say "Master's Degree" are really different beasts. The Georgetown program is a specific get-into-med-school program. It isn't particularly valued when you're applying for jobs in science that list "Master's-level degree" as a requirement. On the other hand, you traditional Master's degrees (two years, research, coursework) will get jobs, but aren't as valued by ADCOMs.
There are several types of graduate programs that are promoted as preparation for medical school.
1) non-degree postbacc programs with both formal certificate and non-certificate. Often these are graduate only in catalog course listings. You sit in the same classes as UG but pay graduate prices.
2) degree with traditional masters with thesis and/or hard science.
3) degree special masters program (SMP) with applied/medical science, some have thesis.
It is the last category that many students focus on as they are designed to show abilities at a medical school level. Often these have linkage with medical schools (take a breath everyone). Since there are no standards this or other aspects on the programs, each linkage than an SMP has is separate agreement with a medical school. It could nothing more that a blurb saying something like "students with 3.5 and 30 MCAT will be granted interviews" or it can be "students with a 3.5 and 30 MCAT are guaranteed acceptance).
BTW, the former director of the Georgetown Program, now an associate dean of the medical center, Dr. Adam Myers, has been a long supporter of OPM. We have had several people go thru the program.
- gonnif Said:
BTW, the former director of the Georgetown Program, now an associate dean of the medical center, Dr. Adam Myers, has been a long supporter of OPM. We have had several people go thru the program.
Dr. Myers is VERY supportive. Unfortunately, Dr. Mulroney his replacement is NOT.
I was looking at this program. So are you saying that they are less inclined to accept mature students?
- LCSULLA Said:
I was looking at this program. So are you saying that they are less inclined to accept mature students?
With all due respect, I think my statement is pretty clear about the two individuals mentioned previously. That said, EVERYONE knows you can't openly discriminate against anyone for any reason. So proving what I said to be true would probably be impossible.