Master's 2 Med

[AndyDude]

Hello

I am currently an undergrad student. My undergrad GPA is not stellar because I did horrible in 3rd year (had multiple surgeries). I am OK with the fact that I won't secure an interview despite a 35+ MCAT score. I am thinking of applying to medical schools after my master's. Just a few questions. Is my undergrad GPA forever to haunt me? (suppose I end up with a 3.5 after fourth year). Does good performance in MSc tackle poor undergrad GPA provided I get sufficient publications/references?

 

Will I be taken as a more determined applicant if I apply after gaining masters? As an inside scoop I do know UfT prefers it's own post-graduate students for medicine than others.

 

Thanks

[Satsuma]

Hey,

 

My advice for what it is worth...have a look at the requirements for each school you are considering. Make sure you will meet the minimum undergrad GPA for grad applicants (some have these but I have no idea what range they might fall into). Also, make sure the schools you want to apply to actually have a grad applicant stream to apply to.

 

I completed grad school but I entered med school via the undergrad stream, so I cannot comment specifically on the grad applicant process.

 

But I suspect that getting in via the grad stream is a bit trickier than the undergrad stream given that you will be judged on grad productivity (scholarships, conference presentations, publications etc..) which is possibly somewhat of a subjective process, as well how "productive"you are depends largely on your field and what lab you are in. Some fields lend themselves well to lots of publications in relatively short periods of time and others don't. Some supervisors are great at getting those publications submitted and out there and others drag their feet. And it is possible to work very hard for 2 years of your Masters (if that is what you plan on doing) and not get any publications at all.

 

If your ulitmate goal is to enter med school and your GPA is what is holding your back, doing another year or 2 of undergrad could be a more "sure" way of becoming more competitive. And imo alot easier to just do well in undergrad courses than to become an outstanding and productive grad student.

 

If you WANT to go to grad school cause research interests you and you could see yourself in academia as a second career choice then go for it! Grad school can be challenging but you can come out of it feeling pretty good about the work you have done. I personally really value my grad school experience...just turns out academia wasn`t for me. Keep in mind schools generally don`t consider your grad GPA when applying to meds.

 

Good luck!!

Sats

[Julie]

Great advice from Satsuma!

 

Just a side note : Ottawa does consider your grad GPA, in that your average for grad school has to be at least A. Because you usually have very few courses in grad school, a single lower mark in grad school could disqualify you... so if you do chose that path, make sure it's possible (and likely) for you to get an A in every course you take. I know courses where profs generally don't give high marks no matter how hard you work and some where they just seem to give relatively random marks to everyone. It's rare, but it happens. Although generally this would be lame advice, try to avoid those courses... This is only for Ottawa as far as I know, so if you don't end up getting this A average, then all is not loss.

[haiku_guy]

A search of the forums for specific schools will turn up a lot of information regarding grad applicatants. Here's what I can remember off the top of my head:

 

UofC: Counts grad GPA as part of your 2 best years calculation, this will help mitigate poor undergrad GPA in order to get an interview, however, all your marks (and other factors) are considered in assigning you a "mark" for your academics.

 

Queens: Will count grad degrees in academic evaluation, evaluates graduate applicants in a separate pool from undergrads. The criteria by which you are evaluated is not clear.

 

UBC: Gives no special consideration of graduate degrees, but will count your grad courses as part of your last 60 credits. Will give points for the things you do in grad school, such as research, TA-ing, etc.

 

U of T: Requires grad students to submit a current CV including abstracts and publications etc. Allows graduate applicants to submit extra reference letters (relating to grad school) if they so desire.

 

Ottawa: See Julie's post.

 

Other schools: ???

 

Is getting in with a grad degree difficult, yes, especially with lower ugrad marks. But it is possible, I did it, albiet after 3 years of applications. The key thing is being committed, working hard, and keeping up the EC's and making it all into an interesting story that will make admissions committees have you as a colleague.

 

Cheers!

[cary_fan]

A search of the forums for specific schools will turn up a lot of information regarding grad applicatants. Here's what I can remember off the top of my head:

 

UofC: Counts grad GPA as part of your 2 best years calculation, this will help mitigate poor undergrad GPA in order to get an interview, however, all your marks (and other factors) are considered in assigning you a "mark" for your academics.

 

Queens: Will count grad degrees in academic evaluation, evaluates graduate applicants in a separate pool from undergrads. The criteria by which you are evaluated is not clear.

 

UBC: Gives no special consideration of graduate degrees, but will count your grad courses as part of your last 60 credits. Will give points for the things you do in grad school, such as research, TA-ing, etc.

 

U of T: Requires grad students to submit a current CV including abstracts and publications etc. Allows graduate applicants to submit extra reference letters (relating to grad school) if they so desire.

 

Ottawa: See Julie's post.

 

Other schools: ???

 

Is getting in with a grad degree difficult, yes, especially with lower ugrad marks. But it is possible, I did it, albiet after 3 years of applications. The key thing is being committed, working hard, and keeping up the EC's and making it all into an interesting story that will make admissions committees have you as a colleague.

 

Cheers!

 

That's a great post by haiku_guy. I'll just add that Queen's has separate criteria for GPA cutoffs for graduate students.

 

http://meds.queensu.ca/undergrad/admissions/graduate_students

 

Graduate applicants that have met the MCAT requirements but not the undergraduate GPA, will be reviewed separately, by a subcommittee of the Admissions Committee, from the general pool of applicants.

 

1. Applicants must have completed their graduate degree by the August 1 prior to the commencement of medical school;
   
2. Marks for undergraduate years must be considered satisfactory or demonstrate a rising trend;
   
3. The subcommittee will assess the suitability of the candidates performance and if the graduate degree was completed at an accredited university;
   
4. If the subcommittee determines that the applicant is suitable, they will be invited for an interview.
   

[Orchid]

Can doing a graduate degree actually HURT one's chances of getting in though? :S