Very Lost - 5Th Year Or Masters?

[fretting 10]

Hello, this is my first post but I have been a lurker for many years now. 

 

I just graduated with an undergrad cGPA of 3.70 (1st year: 3.42, 2nd year: 3.81, 3rd year: 3.62, 4th year: 3.93) and I will be writing the new MCAT this year. My GPA stats based on each medical school are as follows:

 

3.76 UofT (after weighting)

3.76 Ottawa

3.72 Queens

3.87 Western

3.70 McMaster

 

My EC's are very average: volunteered abroad, many little volunteering events (some lasting a few months, one for ~6 years), shadowed a doctor, member of a few clubs (no exec positions), attended some conferences as part of my thesis

 

I'm sorry to add another thread like this but I've weighed out all my options and would like other opinions, would it be more beneficial to complete a fifth year or pursue a Masters program based on my stats?

 

Any help is appreciated!

 

Thank you.

[Falling 274]

5th year.

[JohnGrisham 1,742]

5th year, beef it all up. 

I always forget, but is UWO best 2 years, or last 2 year(like queens?) if so, wouldn't your UWO 2yeargpa be higher?

[despmed 8]

 

Hello, this is my first post but I have been a lurker for many years now. 

 

I just graduated with an undergrad cGPA of 3.70 (1st year: 3.42, 2nd year: 3.81, 3rd year: 3.62, 4th year: 3.93) and I will be writing the new MCAT this year. My GPA stats based on each medical school are as follows:

 

3.76 UofT (after weighting)

3.76 Ottawa

3.72 Queens, Western, Dalhousie

3.70 McMaster

 

My EC's are very average: volunteered abroad, many little volunteering events (some lasting a few months, one for ~6 years), shadowed a doctor, member of a few clubs (no exec positions), attended some conferences as part of my thesis

 

I'm sorry to add another thread like this but I've weighed out all my options and would like other opinions, would it be more beneficial to complete a fifth year or pursue a Masters program based on my stats?

 

Any help is appreciated!

 

Thank you.

 

 

I did a course-based Masters degree. There was pros to this - discovering an alternate career path, job/co-op opportunities, references, becoming a more well-rounded person through graduate experiences, boosting GPA by working really hard. However, I agree that a fifth year would probably be more beneficial in enhancing your GPA if you take really easy courses, because not all schools consider Master's degree grades. 

[fretting 10]

5th year, beef it all up. 

 

I always forget, but is UWO best 2 years, or last 2 year(like queens?) if so, wouldn't your UWO 2yeargpa be higher?

 

Yes, sorry! You're correct. I changed it in my original post, so my GPA at Western would be 3.87.

 

Would none of those GPAs be considered competitive if I complete my Masters (since the cutoff is lower for graduate students)?

 

I did a course-based Masters degree. There was pros to this - discovering an alternate career path, job/co-op opportunities, references, becoming a more well-rounded person through graduate experiences, boosting GPA by working really hard. However, I agree that a fifth year would probably be more beneficial in enhancing your GPA if you take really easy courses, because not all schools consider Master's degree grades. 

 

Interesting! I would be doing a thesis based Masters which would help increase my lab experience and perhaps will open up other opportunities as you mentioned. I'm wary because I'm not sure if schools will consider a fifth year as being unproductive (and will see it as solely a way of boosting my GPA).

 

I'm just very confused. 

[Falling 274]

You're competitive for queens and western with a 3.87. Probably borderline at mac with a 3.7. Most thesis based masters programs are at least 2 years, and a major investment in terms of hours worked. Schools won't care if you took a 5th year or a 7th year or whatever to boost your GPA.

[despmed 8]

You're competitive for queens and western with a 3.87. Probably borderline at mac with a 3.7. Most thesis based masters programs are at least 2 years, and a major investment in terms of hours worked. Schools won't care if you took a 5th year or a 7th year or whatever to boost your GPA.

 

Agreed, I think as long as you don't take courses as an unclassified student to boost your GPA, it should be fine. You can use the fifth year to improve your ECs as well. 

[IMislove 572]

Currently, it seems that you'd be competitive if you owned CARS (~129) for McMaster and did pretty well on CASPer which it is really hard to tell if you do or not, or got around 128+ in each section ( we don't know Soc/Psych cut off until next year interviews are sent out if I am correct). I'd suggest a fifth year but that's totally up to you. I am taking a condensed 2 year degree to help me back up xD, but it also gives me a choice of a great second career. Agree with the improve ECs during 5th year.

[fretting 10]

I still need to call my school to check but since I've completed my thesis and met all my credit requirements, I may be forced to graduate. Nonetheless, I weighed out the pros and cons for each:

 

5th Year: 

PROS - boost GPA, increase ECs, complete a minor 

CONS - financial issues, will only really help improve GPA for Queens and Dalhousie

 

Masters:

PROS - research experience, may open up other opportunities, stipend, lower GPA cutoffs

CONS - minimum 2 years of (potentially heavy) workload, GPA not competitive even with lower cutoff

 

Is doing a fifth year still the better option here considering my cGPA may not improve that much (i.e. perhaps only +0.05)?

[_ _ 515]

 

 

I still need to call my school to check but since I've completed my thesis and met all my credit requirements, I may be forced to graduate. Nonetheless, I weighed out the pros and cons for each:

 

5th Year: 

PROS - boost GPA, increase ECs, complete a minor 

CONS - financial issues, will only really help improve GPA for Queens and Dalhousie

 

Masters:

PROS - research experience, may open up other opportunities, stipend, lower GPA cutoffs

CONS - minimum 2 years of (potentially heavy) workload, GPA not competitive even with lower cutoff

 

Is doing a fifth year still the better option here considering my cGPA may not improve that much (i.e. perhaps only +0.05)?

yep. because almost no school looks at your cGPA

[fretting 10]

Thanks for the input! If I continue with a fifth year, I can only submit applications in 2016 for those marks to count towards my GPA. I'm not sure what I would do for the year after as I wait for results, any suggestions on how to spend the time wisely?