Grad school if not admitted to med school?

[Slimy]

Hello,

Im in third-year undergrad program of physiology.

My marks were stable for past two years: 3.90 on OMSAS scale.

I have extracurriculars that are relatively similar to other pre-meds: exec positions, some volunteers: nothing really unique / no research.

I will be doing a thesis research project in 4th year.

I am going to write MCAT in the upcoming summer.

 

Would it be wise to apply to grad school as well in case I do not get into med school and reapply to med school after getting my MSc?

 

or

 

Should I take a year off from school after graduating with BSc Phys and reapply the following application cycle? (maybe improve on MCAT score if it doesn't come out too great)

 

These questions were stuck in my head for a long while.

Please help me out with suggestions

[future_doc]

It is only for you to make such a decision. As geting into med school is very such a lottery and with so many terrific candidates, it is always wise to have a Plan B. However, it you would want to consider taking a year off, doing some travelling, volunteering abroad or whatever, you will then be able to apply the following year. Any dcision is a good decision so long as you think it out well.

[AndreaM]

It sounds like you're a pretty competitive candidate already and it really comes down to preference. Do you like research? Do you want to try out new things that you can't really pursue while in school full time? Do you need a job to pay off loans?

 

Both taking a year off to do things like travel, and a masters program will give you things to talk about in an interview and give you more to put on your application. Something to consider is that if you go the MSc route there are many school that won't let you in until you finish (can apply in your last year).

[Slashsev01]

masters is a waste

[thereisnotry]

Don't do grad school on a whim. It comes with its own special challenges and considerations.

 

If you're only thinking of doing an MSc to bide your time before med school, you'd probably be better off travelling.

[shannn]

If you're only thinking of doing an MSc to bide your time before med school, you'd probably be better off travelling.

 

+1

 

Plus, it will delay your entrance into medical school (for the vast majority of Canadian medical schools at least) by a year or more (since most MSc programs are 2 years, unless you do a course based one, but that wouldn't be funded)

[rmorelan]

Hello,

Im in third-year undergrad program of physiology.

My marks were stable for past two years: 3.90 on OMSAS scale.

I have extracurriculars that are relatively similar to other pre-meds: exec positions, some volunteers: nothing really unique / no research.

I will be doing a thesis research project in 4th year.

I am going to write MCAT in the upcoming summer.

 

Would it be wise to apply to grad school as well in case I do not get into med school and reapply to med school after getting my MSc?

 

or

 

Should I take a year off from school after graduating with BSc Phys and reapply the following application cycle? (maybe improve on MCAT score if it doesn't come out too great)

 

These questions were stuck in my head for a long while.

Please help me out with suggestions

 

Are you at all interested in doing research as a backup to medicine, or have research a big part of your clinical practice when you are done?

[janny_jan]

only do a masters if you're interested in research. you want to enjoy it. its not for everyone...i love my masters work but have seen many a drop-out.

[astrogirl]

Don't go to grad school unless you really, really like research. I'm in grad school because I thought I wanted to be a professor (because I like teaching, not research), and I decided half-way through my Ph.D. that I wanted to go to medical school. I'm starting to really hate the research I'm doing. On a good day I feel like it's slowly sucking the life out of me. So don't do it unless you really think it'll be fun, and you have had enough experience with undergrad research to know that you enjoy it. And make sure you talk to actual grad students in the departments you are considering before you make any decisions. Professors are trying to recruit you, and only talking to them will not give you a balanced idea of what your life will be like in that department.

[Slimy]

Don't go to grad school unless you really, really like research. I'm in grad school because I thought I wanted to be a professor (because I like teaching, not research), and I decided half-way through my Ph.D. that I wanted to go to medical school. I'm starting to really hate the research I'm doing. On a good day I feel like it's slowly sucking the life out of me. So don't do it unless you really think it'll be fun, and you have had enough experience with undergrad research to know that you enjoy it. And make sure you talk to actual grad students in the departments you are considering before you make any decisions. Professors are trying to recruit you, and only talking to them will not give you a balanced idea of what your life will be like in that department.

 

Thank you guys all for ur suggestions.

I've been thinking of masters to boost up my chance to get into med school if not accepted after undergrad

I like teaching and I don't think I'd have problem TAing, running tutorials

But i wouldn't really want to spend time in labs, i mean i despise labs so far in undergrad

Then again, Im used to doing stuff I dun rele enjoy, get stressed out, but still pull decent marks i.e. going thru science undergrad.

 

Doesn't going to grad school put u on the edge than others during application process since u get TA, research exps since all schools want potential Nobel Laureate??

If it does, that's a good enough reason to go to master's. isn't it??

hmmm still confused.

[AndreaM]

Thank you guys all for ur suggestions.

I've been thinking of masters to boost up my chance to get into med school if not accepted after undergrad

I like teaching and I don't think I'd have problem TAing, running tutorials

But i wouldn't really want to spend time in labs, i mean i despise labs so far in undergrad

Then again, Im used to doing stuff I dun rele enjoy, get stressed out, but still pull decent marks i.e. going thru science undergrad.

 

Doesn't going to grad school put u on the edge than others during application process since u get TA, research exps since all schools want potential Nobel Laureate??

If it does, that's a good enough reason to go to master's. isn't it??

hmmm still confused.

 

A Master's doesn't give you much more of an edge and many schools don't give you much for it. For example, the only bonus you get for having a masters at McMaster is one extra percent point on your total score. Other schools don't give you anything for it. The big bonus to doing a masters is that you get more life experience to talk about on your essays and in your interview and you may have a publication to add as well. Other than the publication you can get those same benefits working, travelling or volunteering, which is why others have suggested not doing a masters if you don't like research.

[Prion]

A Master's doesn't give you much more of an edge and many schools don't give you much for it. For example, the only bonus you get for having a masters at McMaster is one extra percent point on your total score. Other schools don't give you anything for it. The big bonus to doing a masters is that you get more life experience to talk about on your essays and in your interview and you may have a publication to add as well. Other than the publication you can get those same benefits working, travelling or volunteering, which is why others have suggested not doing a masters if you don't like research.

I need some clarification on this actually - would there be any circumstances where a master would give you a disadvantage? (of course I don't mean like accidentally setting the lab on fire or something similar during the masters)

 

 

For some schools, you are put into a seperate pool if you have a Msc or Phd, so you'll then be competing against a different pool of students correct? (i.e. you are not compared to undergrad applicatns at all since there are spots designated to each pool of applicants) Does this shift in competition mean that maybe you won't even get an advantage for having done the graduate studies since someone could outperform you during the graduate studies eventhough you outperformed that person during undergrad? So my point is event hough you "improved" yourself in terms of your application but you inadvertantly move yourself to a seperate compeition pool,which might be tougher than the pool you were in?

[AndreaM]

I need some clarification on this actually - would there be any circumstances where a master would give you a disadvantage? (of course I don't mean like accidentally setting the lab on fire or something similar during the masters)

 

 

For some schools, you are put into a seperate pool if you have a Msc or Phd, so you'll then be competing against a different pool of students correct? (i.e. you are not compared to undergrad applicatns at all since there are spots designated to each pool of applicants) Does this shift in competition mean that maybe you won't even get an advantage for having done the graduate studies since someone could outperform you during the graduate studies eventhough you outperformed that person during undergrad? So my point is event hough you "improved" yourself in terms of your application but you inadvertantly move yourself to a seperate compeition pool,which might be tougher than the pool you were in?

 

I'm pretty sure only one school has a separate graduate student pool and I don't think you would be put at a disadvantage as a grad student, but in terms of academic scoring it doesn't give a big boost. For example, at Mac having your masters will give you an extra 1% on your total which is probably enough to break a tie, but not much else and a PhD will give you 4%. Many schools don't consider marks from your graduate degree in your gpa calculation, but will give you points for publications, so a graduate degree will help you if you get something published, but if your research doesn't work out and you don't get a publication then you're still where you were academics-wise before you applied. I'm not an expert on schools in Ontario (I'm a BC resident), but I would say the biggest advantage of doing a graduate degree is the greater breadth of topics to cover in an interview and in your non-academic criteria.

 

One big disadvantage that I could see is that many schools won't let you apply until you are in your final year, which means that you take 2 years between applications, whereas working for a year or travelling or taking a 5th year or volunteering would only be for 1 year. Which is why others have said that if you aren't into research then a grad degree probably isn't a great idea.

[Slashsev01]

Don't go to grad school unless you really, really like research. I'm in grad school because I thought I wanted to be a professor (because I like teaching, not research), and I decided half-way through my Ph.D. that I wanted to go to medical school. I'm starting to really hate the research I'm doing. On a good day I feel like it's slowly sucking the life out of me. So don't do it unless you really think it'll be fun, and you have had enough experience with undergrad research to know that you enjoy it. And make sure you talk to actual grad students in the departments you are considering before you make any decisions. Professors are trying to recruit you, and only talking to them will not give you a balanced idea of what your life will be like in that department.

 

well said!

[asem26]

OP. learn french. i promise you, it will help you more than a master's. it is also do-able in 2 years.

 

i wihs thats what i did.

[Jochi1543]

Doesn't going to grad school put u on the edge than others during application process since u get TA, research exps since all schools want potential Nobel Laureate??

If it does, that's a good enough reason to go to master's. isn't it??

hmmm still confused.

 

Disagreed, at least at U of A. Only like 4 people in our class of 189 have master's or PhDs. I actually think there might only be MSc people in our class, no PhDs.

[Real Beef]

OP: I am nearing the completion of my masters program and believe it will give me an edge compared to if I hadnt done it. For example I received two research grants (CFDR New Researcher award, and Indigenous Health Research Award) as well as a Scholarship all of which I can put on my application now, I am also looking to publish and present at conferences. Also my thesis supervisor is faculty at the med school that is my first choice so I will have an excellent academic reference compared to a weaker one the first time I applied.

 

All things considered I didnt do my Masters for Med school but rather for plan B as in my field (I work as a health professional FT, grad school PT) there is a fairly decent raise ($15-20,000 year extra) if you are masters prepared, so if a Masters helps you in plan B, you enjoy the process like I have and ALSO helps you towards med school than do it. But as others have said if you are ONLY doing it for Med School that is a poor reason. At some point you have to let go of the 'Pre-med Syndrome' where you do everything and kiss anyone's ass who may be helpful towards med school entrance and just do things you like and if it helps towards med school than thats a bonus but dont be controlled exclusively by the pursuit of medicine because if you never get in you'll be pretty resentful that you wasted part of your life sacraficing so much.

 

Beef

[Star1234]

 

All things considered I didnt do my Masters for Med school but rather for plan B as in my field (I work as a health professional FT, grad school PT) there is a fairly decent raise ($15-20,000 year extra) if you are masters prepared, so if a Masters helps you in plan B, you enjoy the process like I have and ALSO helps you towards med school than do it. But as others have said if you are ONLY doing it for Med School that is a poor reason. At some point you have to let go of the 'Pre-med Syndrome' where you do everything and kiss anyone's ass who may be helpful towards med school entrance and just do things you like and if it helps towards med school than thats a bonus but dont be controlled exclusively by the pursuit of medicine because if you never get in you'll be pretty resentful that you wasted part of your life sacraficing so much.

 

 

That is such awesome advice. I couldn't agree more!