Question: I am a freshmen in college. I haven’t gotten the best grades this year and I’m considering what will be my next step after graduation in case I don’t get accepted to medical school. I would like to go for a Master’s degree, but I ultimately still would like to go to medical school. Would it still be an additional 4 years even if I get a Master’s?
Answer: Good questions. I think you’re selling yourself a little short since you’re just a freshman in college. Grades are important, but definitely not everything when it comes to getting into medical school. For a full discussion on what it takes to get into medical school, check out my eBook.
There are 8 main categories medical schools want when they evaluate you for admission. One is academic performance, which is your GPA and MCAT. You still have time to pull your GPA up and your MCAT really matters even a little bit more. The others are clinical experience, community service, research, leadership, humanism/compassion, extracurriculars and letters of recommendation. You can be weak in a couple of these and still be a great applicant. So, don’t lose hope!
If you do end up doing a Master’s, it’s true that you’d start at the beginning of medical school and have to do the full 4 years. A Master’s would just give you extra training whatever field you choose.
So, work harder next year on your grades and start making yourself a great applicant. You’re still very early in the game so you have plenty of time to make yourself a great applicant. Check out my eBook to find out how!
Good luck!