So....M.Sc or 2nd undergrad?

[FML.]

Hey everyone,

 

I'm at my last semester here at McGill and it is now time to choose. I'm a bit confused about what to do, so here's my situation :

- 3.0 cGPA

- Good volunteering experience (1st responder, volunteered at psych hospital too)

- Some research experience (no publications as of now)

 

With my cGPA, I don't have many options at McGill but I can definitely do a Master's degree at UdM. I am more than determined to get into medical school and recently got my things straight. I wasn't willing to put in the effort before and had major family issues (which, unfortunately, are still around but I guess the situation stabilized a bit).

 

Last semester was way better for me, got a 3.58 (3B+s and 2As), and I know I could have done way better. I think I am finally on the right track, so maybe a 2nd undergrad is the way to go?

 

I'd definitely feel like I'm stalling though if I do it like that, but I guess I'll go with the one that'll give me more chances of getting into medicine.

 

What do you guys think I should do?

 

Thanks a lot!

[jojoluvsu2]

I'd say 2nd UG is your only option, if you're sure that you can get better marks.

 

Most schools that add a 0.2 to the GPA for those with a masters degree only do so if your undergrad GPA meets the cutoffs. Even for those who don't require that, a 3.2 still isn't competitive.

[phosgenic]

I'd say 2nd UG is your only option, if you're sure that you can get better marks.

 

Most schools that add a 0.2 to the GPA for those with a masters degree only do so if your undergrad GPA meets the cutoffs. Even for those who don't require that, a 3.2 still isn't competitive.

 

Your answers are quite informative and succinct! You should post more often

[preppy038]

Even if not a whole undergrad,

 

but maybe 1 or 2 more years to boost up that grade (with a minor or a double major)

 

Getting a M.Sc is nice but generally it's recommended for people who have a bit less than borderline GPAs (~3.6, 3.7) or people who genuinely want to get an MSc before going into Med school (just cause you'll probably have to get a MSc anyways after).

 

[nwo4life2011]

If you truly are deadset on getting into medical school someday, I would do a 2nd undergrad (like me ). Your GPA won't cut it during the application process, no matter how well you do in your Masters. Like people have said, a Masters degree only adds to your application but doesn't replace any negative aspects that really stand out (i.e. low GPA/MCAT).

 

That being said, make sure you really think about this decision before undergoing a second degree. There is a great post in the Non-Trads section about this, so I won't go into too much detail. I will say that no matter what you choose to go into, make sure you can actually excel in your second degree (I'm talking 3.9+).

[future_doc]

I agree. ..

[blizzah]

Don't all med schools (besides the ones who look best 2 or last 2 etc.) take into consideration ALL your marks for all university education?

 

In that case, even if you reach 4.0 later on, you can only bring up your GPA so far.

[thehumanmacbook]

Don't all med schools (besides the ones who look best 2 or last 2 etc.) take into consideration ALL your marks for all university education?

 

In that case, even if you reach 4.0 later on, you can only bring up your GPA so far.

 

Yes, but those schools that look at cGPA (Mac and NOSM for ex.) don't base their evaluation as heavily on GPA. So for instance, CaSPER @ Mac can compensate for a weaker GPA, as well as the rural index score for NOSM.

 

So there are ways around it.

[mikeb88]

As someone who's done an MSc and is currently doing a 2nd BSc to compensate for a low GPA (~3.3), hopefully I can offer some words of wisdom to help you make your decision. Before I do, I want to emphasize that you should NOT rush into either option. Both are huge commitments and can make or break you if you don't approach them properly. With that said, you're looking into your options months ahead of the September start so you've got plenty of time to think things through and make a well thought out plan. The first step in this plan should be to go through every medical school's selection procedure and determine how they rank/select students for admissions. Then you can determine what schools you stand the best chance at, figure out where your strengths/weaknesses lie, and improve your application to become more competitive.

 

I mean absolutely no offense when I say this, but your GPA is fairly low compared to most of the applicant pool. That doesn't mean you won't ever have a chance, but it will certainly make it much more difficult to be competitive at many schools. The only way to improve your GPA is by taking additional undergraduate courses, as most Canadian schools don't consider your graduate school GPA in their calculations. Not all schools weigh GPA heavily, so depending on what schools you decide to go after, you may want to seriously consider taking more UG courses. You can either do additional "special" years, or complete a second undergraduate degree. When making this decision, you need to ask yourself the following questions:

 

Why was my GPA low?

Am I capable of earning a competitive GPA?

How do I know my performance will be different if I pursue another degree?

 

Doing more courses to improve your GPA is not easy. It takes a lot of time, dedication, and discipline. If you're able to score very well (3.9-4.0), then I'd say that this is the best option for you.

 

If you do choose to take more courses, be careful. Most schools have strict policies on 2nd degrees and special years, and how they take them into consideration when evaluation your application. Read through these policies if you're considering this route and make sure any courses you enroll in will not disqualify you.

 

If you decide that you'd like to pursue graduate school, make sure you do it for the right reasons. Do NOT enroll in a MSc program just because you think it will make your MD application better. Grad school is tough. Some days things work, some days nothing goes right and you feel like you're going backwards. There are early mornings, late nights, sleepless weeks, and plenty of stress. On top of that, it's a long-term commitment. If you're not truly passionate about research or the topic you're studying, you are going to hate it. If you get a horrible supervisor, he/she can make your life a living nightmare.

 

With that said, graduate school was the single best experience of my life. I loved my project, worked hard, and got a lot out of it. It's just not for everyone, because everyone's experience is different. Think hard about whether you would be happy doing research for ~2 years. If not, pursue other options.

 

My biggest piece of advice is to figure out what you want and what you're truly passionate about. It's a lot of work to get into med school, and it's even more work when you're fighting an uphill battle like a low GPA. If you pick something you love, it doesn't feel so much like work and it's much easier to do well. When I was selecting a program for my second degree, this was the single best piece of advice I was given. I ended up picking a nutrition over more "prestigious" programs because it's what really interested me. Looking back, it was definitely the right choice.