Hey everyone,
I’m a second year student doing premed as a chemical engineering major and bio minor but I was thinking about getting a masters in something to raise my chances to get into an elite med school. Is this a good plan? What are some good masters programs or areas I should study to have a qualified application?
Thanks!
mbuko97
Edited title for more accuracy and more responses.
ED
May colleges have pre-med/pre-health advisors who are very knowledgable about the med school process and the various programs. I’d start there as they are likely to be able to give you information specific to you and your school. For instance, perhaps your school has a strong relationship with particular med schools or hospitals.
Why in the world would you get another degree in between a bachelors and going to med school? Do you have unlimited funds?
@mbuko97 what’s an elite medical school?
NO NO If you are going to med school, they are going to ask you why the switch from Chem E to Med school if you get a master’s in Chem E.
For a normal student that wants to go to med school, you need to:
Getting a master’s in Chem E seems like you are going down one path and then suddenly switching to Medicine.
Med schools do not take into account the post graduate GPA…it’s all about undergraduate.
If you are some how really into Engineering and Medicine…then a PhD/MD program might be of interest.
Talk to your health committee to get more info.
These programs are actually very common and most med schools look favorably upon applicants who’ve completed what’s known as a “special masters”. They can be used to shore up any academic deficiencies, and to increase opportunities for exposure to patient care.
OP, it’s a good idea. If you want to finish your BS in engineering, then complete a special masters, it will only strengthen your application.
^^Sorry jcc, but you’re just plain wrong.
First, they are not that common, and second, not all med schools look favorably on SMP grads. Some won’t even consider them.
SMPs are a “last chance” option for a student who does not a GPA high enough for med school, but would otherwise be a viable applicant. (IOW, the student has a good MCAT score and has all of the other necessary ECs already in place.) SMPs do not provide additional clinical exposure–that’s something a student needs to arrange on his own.
SMPs are a double edged sword. Yes, they can help student who have a GPA that is a bit too low for med school, but failing to earn top grades at a SMP is the kiss of death for any future med school aspirations.
And even the very best SMPs only typically place the top 1/3 of their students into med school.
What is it about your current situation that makes you want to do a master’s degree just for the sake of a master’s degree, rather than applying directly to medical school? Is your GPA low? Are there other issues?
Engineering typically yields low GPAs. Med school admission is all about high GPAs. Therefore, for most students, majoring in engineering and being premed is antithetical.
@WayOutWestMom and others reading this thread:;
A parent has asked me about her DD’s situation and SMP
Her DD needs to do a 9th semester to graduate because of a transfer credit issue… She was an athlete, transferred to a small private that seems to have some relationship with a DO school that seems to encourage students to do a SMP which is supposed to pave the way into their med school. I think it’s a racket to bring in more money.
The DD has a 3.7 GPA, and hasn’t yet taken the MCAT. Her school is really pressuring their premeds to do this SMP route. Again, I think there’s some sort of deal going on between this school and the DO school.
I think if her MCAT is ok, she should just apply to med schools (both MD and DO) and see what happens.
What would be legit reasons to do a SMP?
If the daughter has a good-enough-for-med-school GPA and sGPA, and her MCAT is OK, there is absolutely no reason for her to do a SMP. She should apply to MD and DO programs and see what happens first.
Legit reasons for a SMP–
a person with uGPA that’s not is quite good enough for med school but everything else (MCAT, ECs, LORs, etc) are very good, and the individual wants to go MD only or is unwilling/unable to do GPA repair for DO. (Dx on this type of individual are usually “smart but lazy” or “late bloomer” in college.)
a person who has applied to med schools (MD and DO) at least twice and has been rejected even after fixing everything that’s in their power to fix (like low MCAT, lack of clinical experiences, poor LORs, not applying broadly enough, etc)
SMPs are a legitimate route to med school for certain situations, but they’re also huge gambles–and something that are really a last chance option. End up in the middle of the pack or lower at a SMP–and your chances for a med school admission disappear.
With a 3.7 GPA, all pre-reqs completed, and a >30 (definitely if >33) MCAT I would not waste my time and money with an SMP. If she needs to build her EC profile still, better to do that through a paying job rather than paying a bunch of money to an SMP and balancing unnecessary coursework with it. Even if she can only get volunteer positions with no pay, she’s still coming out ahead financially and with more time to devote to it.
Wouldn’t postbaccalaureate courses be better?
The situation I’m most familiar with would be students who have a major, and sometimes a career, completely unrelated to medicine … and then realize they’d be good doctors.
I agree that with a 3.7, if the pre-reqs have been completed and the science courses have good grades, then even with a low MCAT there’s no need to go the SMP route in this student’s situation. If the problem is low MCAT, retaking it is okay, there’s still time. And a year spent in a research lab at her current campus would beat the SMP hands down, especially with a 3rd authorship on a paper or a presentation at a conference, or something like this - even if this were a volunteer position.
However she should take the MCAT ASAP.
Thanks everyone.
@MYOS1634 I don’t think a postbacc is right in this case because the student will have her premed prereqs already