little rock Posted July 26, 2008 Report Share Posted July 26, 2008 Gosh I didn't think of that before. Thank you for opening my eyes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted July 27, 2008 Report Share Posted July 27, 2008 One or two years of a masters program will be painful and, maybe, expensive. You need to have the motivation and interest to do it (successfully). Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little rock Posted July 27, 2008 Report Share Posted July 27, 2008 I'm curious as to where you got the idea that I would ever do a Master's Program if I wasn't interested in the subject matter. Who the hell would do that? That's two years of pure torture, not to mention enough tuition to feed a small country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted July 27, 2008 Report Share Posted July 27, 2008 Applicants seem willing to do almost anything to get into medicine.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unknown user 7 Posted July 27, 2008 Report Share Posted July 27, 2008 ^^^^ Is that always such a bad thing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alastriss Posted July 27, 2008 Report Share Posted July 27, 2008 Don't do a masters just because....do one because you are interested in the subject and want to do the work One of the extreme examples of how Premeds like to throw out shreds of idealism and beauty to other premeds to make themselves sleep better at night. its up there among the ranks of "Take courses that you are interested in" and " Do ECs because u enjoy them, not because you want to improve your application". I hate it when people throw this crap out when it has nothing to do with anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ploughboy Posted July 27, 2008 Report Share Posted July 27, 2008 One of the extreme examples of how Premeds like to throw out shreds of idealism and beauty to other premeds to make themselves sleep better at night. its up there among the ranks of "Take courses that you are interested in" and " Do ECs because u enjoy them, not because you want to improve your application". I hate it when people throw this crap out when it has nothing to do with anything. Haven't read the whole thread and I'm not a premed so maybe your criticism doesn't apply, but I am a firm believer in telling people to take courses that they're interested in and doing ECs because they enjoy them. I don't say it to help myself sleep better, 'cuz quite honestly I don't have a problem falling alseep (staying awake, on the other hand...). I say it because imho it's true. Do what you enjoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siobhansiobhan Posted July 28, 2008 Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 double post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siobhansiobhan Posted July 28, 2008 Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 The States has one-year masters programmes designed to improve application to medical school. what is offered is attendance at that medical school's first year classes (usually 40-70% of the curriculum) plus a bunch of grad classes. These are called SMPs (special master's programmes) and you can look them up through the aamc website. the columbia programme is like that - the nutrition one (i.e. known as an SMP, but not attendance at the med classes, so not a typical SMP, but those who do it are using the columbia name to access that cohort of 'name-brand' which is big in the u.s. university system) . usually mcat score can replace a gre. applications open around jan/feb are due around may/june and it's what many folks in the states use for the 'glide year' to overcome a lower kind of gpa or to show ability to do med curriculum even when out of school for a while, or coming from an arts background. canadian advantage is to show some u.s. involvement. i think eventually we'll have something similar for nontrad paths into medicine, i think these programmes give a tiny bit of interest to cdn schools at this point, maybe a few subjective points here and there, but not the fix-it that they are in the states. i think that may change, as they do help promote diversity in the med class because they bring 'non-trad' applicants up to speed. smps are different from some structured 'post-bac' programmes, which are for folks who have not done the prereqs yet. these two kinds of programmes have ones that have good 'linkages' i.e. smooth glide into a particular u.s. med school afterwards. the drawback: the states, you need some family assets to fall back on, in order to get the cosigner loans, etc. the post-bac/smp is doable, but the med programme afterwards will be a huge money suck, which requires assets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alastriss Posted July 28, 2008 Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 Haven't read the whole thread and I'm not a premed so maybe your criticism doesn't apply, but I am a firm believer in telling people to take courses that they're interested in and doing ECs because they enjoy them. I don't say it to help myself sleep better, 'cuz quite honestly I don't have a problem falling alseep (staying awake, on the other hand...). I say it because imho it's true. Do what you enjoy. I am a firm believer in all those things as well. Of course the truth value behind those statements holds truth, BUT NOT when it has nothing to do with the topic at hand, which is what I meant with my comment. It's very often that people throw idealistic advice in the most irrelevant of times to make themselves feel better and this is definitely one of them. Little rock never alluded to the fact that he was doing it regardless of his interest in the subject matter. Ah ploughboy, it always seems as if we are picking sides against one another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siobhansiobhan Posted July 28, 2008 Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 I'd like to second what Alastriss is saying. Sometimes what a person wants is to do the thing that will best allow them to proceed on to doing what they want to do, which is medicine. There are some master's programmes that are better designed for improving med applications, specifically, and they are good to know about. unfortunately, they're still a u.s. phenomenon only. in hearing 'follow your heart', i'd like to say that that led to a dead-end before my heart learned how to love practically, with all the pragmatic info on hand. so, here's a vote for pragmatism, to balance the vote for 'follow your heart' and i believe that somewhere there is a good balance. because being pragmatic/formulaic/wanting to know the game in order to best engage may to some seem distasteful, but i'm pretty sure that most going to med in some way do their own investigations into the pragmatic lay of the land before deciding on a range of options that the heart can choose from - i.e. most won't give the heart free range without some investigation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siobhansiobhan Posted July 28, 2008 Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 Applicants seem willing to do almost anything to get into medicine.... getting a grad degree that is most suited to better the application is hardly a compromise of integrity or independence implied in the 'willing to do almost anything' - it's not lying, cheating, selling your body, taking drugs to perform better, or a whole host of things that can be involved in that 'do almost anything' kind of approach. and hey, as doctors, we're asked by our societies to be willing to do a lot more than i like - this kind of macho approach to availability and sleep deprivation and cramming in patient visits is over the top. is there anyone willing to not do almost anything and to stand firm in that? in a way, willing to go the extra mile and put one's preferences on the backburner would fit better into how medicine is these days! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unknown user 7 Posted July 28, 2008 Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 ^^^^^ Unless the poster was being open to the suggestion of unethical means of getting in...i.e., trying to bribe others, amongst other things...use ur imagination... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gavanshir Posted July 28, 2008 Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 I think the thread is unneccesarily going off topic because of what some random poster said. In regards to the actual topic, I also am considering this pathway although I threw out all MS options except a Master's in Public Health since as I found out most medschools wont see your grad GPA as compensating for a lower undergrad GPA. I saw a second bachelor degree as a better choice since it would only take 2 years (here in QC) if you already finished an undergrad. However, I am now planning on only giving myself 1 more year by remaining an independant student and taking elective classes while retaking the MCAT and generally improving my stats. 2 years would be too expensive and if I dont get in after 1 year then i'd rather go the carribean rout and stop wasting time here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ploughboy Posted July 28, 2008 Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 I am a firm believer in all those things as well. Of course the truth value behind those statements holds truth, BUT NOT when it has nothing to do with the topic at hand, which is what I meant with my comment. It's very often that people throw idealistic advice in the most irrelevant of times to make themselves feel better and this is definitely one of them. Little rock never alluded to the fact that he was doing it regardless of his interest in the subject matter. Ah ploughboy, it always seems as if we are picking sides against one another. Fair enough, my bad for jumping in the middle of the thread. Also not meaning to constantly be on the opposite side to you Alastriss. It just kinda happened... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siobhansiobhan Posted July 28, 2008 Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 ^^^^^ Unless the poster was being open to the suggestion of unethical means of getting in...i.e., trying to bribe others, amongst other things...use ur imagination... which I don't think they were, given they started a thread about graduate work, which is the point i was making... shmoozing the 'who you know' and having informal chats about the admissions process over dinner could also be considered unethical advantage, and i'm sure that happens all the time.... getting a grad degree to me seems more honest. that being said, grad degrees do not fix undergrad gpas in canada, which must be considered. part-time post bacs also don't fix ugpas, only going back full-time for a year or two. i considered carribean but decided against it. americans can easily go back to the states, but canadians cannot easily come back to canada or go to the states, and most likely join doctors without borders, or other kinds of avenues afterwards. even though imgs are able to match into first round, it's still going to be very difficult. worth it to take the extra year or two here, targeting what can transform the application into something that's a go either here or in the states. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gavanshir Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 hi again siobhan, im continuing our talk from the top3 thread since it didnt belong in there! hehe but i just wanted to say that i think it's hard to correlate your success of entry into medschool with the SMP program because you mus thave already been a very good candidate to have been waitlisted at Yale, so I think the SMP program may have just given you a bit more time to strengthen your app but didnt necessarily get you into medschool. I think these programs are most useful for career switchers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alastriss Posted August 1, 2008 Report Share Posted August 1, 2008 Fair enough, my bad for jumping in the middle of the thread. Also not meaning to constantly be on the opposite side to you Alastriss. It just kinda happened... It was a comment with the recipe of : 1/2 joke a dash of truth and absolutely no ill intent. When I was writing that, I felt like I should have clarified that I was alluding to when people throw those comments in when it has nothing to do with anything. Which is the only time I am against it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angelia Posted December 9, 2008 Report Share Posted December 9, 2008 Are one year master programs even seriously considered by medical schools? Or are they more interested in two-year researched based programs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hastin11 Posted December 9, 2008 Report Share Posted December 9, 2008 I will likely be doing a 2-year masters in something I like, but not enough to pursue as a career. I have not heard any compelling case for a good, not too difficult, semi-interesting 1 year masters, especially around toronto. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KennethToronto Posted December 9, 2008 Report Share Posted December 9, 2008 I know someone doing the one year masters at Columbia. Frankly, I think it's a cash grab by the school and probably doesn't help your application that much. To each their own though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerroger Posted December 10, 2008 Report Share Posted December 10, 2008 Just a side note: I think if there are any real benefits to a one year MSc it is reaped during CaRMS not during med apps. A few residency programs indicate postgrad work as being "highly advantageous". But considering the numbers of PhDs etc. that apply to med school I wouldn't hold my breath on thinking this will get you into meds. For the vast majority the time is probably better spent doing an extra undergrad year to beef up the old GPA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyro Posted May 8, 2009 Report Share Posted May 8, 2009 What happens if you don't finish by June like planned? Does anyone know how strict this policy is? I remember reading on this board that some people were defending in like September... I emailed them but havn't heard back.... I think they say 12 months if you do it in one year, meaning you wouldn't be done before the common June cut offs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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