Career change in grad school

[befuddle]

Hi everyone. I apologize if this question has been posed many times but my question is a little specific.

I just graduated with my Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering, and am about to start my Master's education. However, I actually just decided a few days ago to consider medical school so I signed up for a couple of the basic biology classes. The problem is, I'm working part time as well as taking 2 other graduate-level engineering classes, and I know I HAVE to do well in the classes required for medical school. Would my graduate school engineering GPA have any affect on my medical school application? My undergrad GPA was okay..about 3.56. Which GPA are they really looking for? Just the required med school classes, or everything? Hopefully I can just barely pass to get my Master's in engineering while getting a high GPA in the med school classes. Oh by the way, straight up dropping the engineering isn't really an option...yet. Plus, it could potentially help me get into med school right?

Thanks in advance!

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[spooge]

I completed some of my pre-med work in grad school...I did physics in undergrad, so of course we had to do a year of chem and a year of ochem...but they were a little old and I took them as refresher courses for the MCAT...most schools look at your UG GPA combined with prereq course work and MCAT...let em know you work and do your best.

 

[befuddle]

Did your pre-med work count as a "graduate" class since you were technically no longer an undergrad? I'm mainly concerned that if I put too much time into my pre-med classes, then my engineering grades will suffer. But if the schools don't care, then I won't worry about that either.

 

[Scottish Chap]

Hi everyone. I apologize if this question has been posed many times but my question is a little specific.

I just graduated with my Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering, and am about to start my Master's education. However, I actually just decided a few days ago to consider medical school so I signed up for a couple of the basic biology classes. The problem is, I'm working part time as well as taking 2 other graduate-level engineering classes, and I know I HAVE to do well in the classes required for medical school. Would my graduate school engineering GPA have any affect on my medical school application? My undergrad GPA was okay..about 3.56. Which GPA are they really looking for? Just the required med school classes, or everything? Hopefully I can just barely pass to get my Master's in engineering while getting a high GPA in the med school classes. Oh by the way, straight up dropping the engineering isn't really an option...yet. Plus, it could potentially help me get into med school right?

Thanks in advance!

Medical schools really care mostly about the undergraduate GPA and, specifically, the BCMP (biology, chemistry, math, physics) GPA. This needs to be as high as possible. All undergraduate and post-bacc. classes will be combined on the final AMCAS form to give a cumulative as well as a BCMP GPA. The average ACCEPTED student in allopathic medical schools is still around 3.6....perhaps even a little higher this past year. Keep in mind that it's still an average, and the range will be significant.

The graduate school GPA is reported separately on the AMCAS form.

Candidly, the graduate degree and graduate school GPA really are of marginal importance to medical school Admissions Committees. If it's low, it obviously does not look good. If it's VERY high and if the undergraduate GPA is mediocre or borderline low, it can sometimes help. When I applied, the graduate degree was pretty much an interesting extracurricular activity that showed commitment.

Starting with a 3.56, you should be in good shape.

Good luck, and welcome!

 

[befuddle]

Thanks for the help!

 

[sawood]

Yes, your grad gpa will be looked at. My impression was that anything less than a stellar grad gpa was viewed poorly since in general graduate classes are expected to be easier than undergrad (and no it doesn't matter that you're in engineering and not some other major).

A graduate degree is not necessarily the hugest advantage, but it can work in your favor if you use that grad status to get involved with things that are not normally available to an undergrad. I would definitely take it seriously. If you have to postpone applying, I would do that instead of trying to rush the grad program and pre-med classess just to apply sooner.

 

[befuddle]

But if I don't "get involved with things that are not normally available to an undergrad", would it actually be better to just drop the grad program and concentrate solely on the pre-med classes? One of the main obstacles in me switching careers is the length that it would take for me to finish my medical education.

 

[spooge]

My graduate classes were way harder than my undergraduate classes...I made sure the admissions interview committees knew that...my undergrad was physics and my masters was math and my masters kicked my undergrad to the curb...my masters prepaired me more for the long hours and hard work that you need for professional school...There was one class that I took...using hamiltonian mechanics to describe nonlinear events...there were 3 problems the entire semester...one problem was about inheritance patterns and non-mendelian genetics...I used that in my interviews ans secondaries...I let them know my MSc. was way above and beyond my BSc.

Use it to your advantage. Study hard. You will be fine.

 

[sawood]

But if I don't "get involved with things that are not normally available to an undergrad", would it actually be better to just drop the grad program and concentrate solely on the pre-med classes? One of the main obstacles in me switching careers is the length that it would take for me to finish my medical education.

Take my advice for what its worth (grain of salt?):

My personal experience: I had to do a thesis, long story short it was an enormous stress point and very difficult to complete on time. Did I learn a lot? Yes! But my end goal was med school, not research. Remember, if you submit AMCAS saying you are in a graduate program, you don't get to back out of that program. My acceptance to med school was contingent upon me completely my graduate degree. If I hadn't completed on time, then the graduate work would not have been worth the sacrifice of not matriculating. Then again, I'm not sure how much the grad degree helped me get accepted. I'm not sure what your situation is, what the structure of the grad program will be, but just make sure that there's a benefit or reason behind you being in that program.

And I do agree with a previous poster in that graduate courses can be harder than undergrad. However, the general perception and expectation is that graduate courses are easier. I would recommend making the conservative assumption that you won't get the chance to plead your case over a potential less-than-wonderful grad GPA.

Good luck. You'll get there. Seriously, don't rush it. Just take the time to do it right (pre-reqs, volunteering, etc, etc) so that when you apply you blow them out of the water.

 

[MaryLennox]

I dont know . . . if its not too late to back out of grad school, i'd at least postpone it to think some more.

i am getting my masters and also trying to complete undergrad prereqs at the same time. This has proven to be a questionable choice at best. My grad classes were HARD and um . . . so were the 'premed' classes which i expected to be easier. I ended up getting lower grades in both, i think, since I was trying to split my time between them, and also devote time to a research project which i didn't like and thought was painfully boring. and i was expected (by my PI) to make grad stuff a priority ALL THE TIME. I have had to take make up finals in chem and physics because I had to attend a seminar or defense for my grad department or else get murdered by my PI. even though deep down i knew the undergrad classes were probably more important.

The only reason I think my grad degree will help me is because it is in biomedical science, at a med school, so i will have actually taken a med school class or two. (I guess, similar to an SMP but not since I am not a reapplicant.) also it's been helpful because I've met a crapload of people from the adcom of that school. i dont think the degree itself will be all that impressive. honestly, i dont know how much another engineering degree will help you. if you are serious about medicine you'd be doing yourself a huge favor by not putting yourself through the pain in the arse of grad school. focus on all the crap you need to get together in order to be ready to apply to med school.

when i graduated from undergrad (with a totally non-med related degree) I was having those second thoughts so i decided to wait a year to really think about it and be sure it wasnt just a random whim or a phase. this might be good for you, plus if you get a job you can start to save some money which is also good cuz grad school's the most expensive thing i've ever done. plus having a nine to five job was so miserable that now whenever i get annoyed at my coursework i just think back to how unhappy i was then and i'm glad to be doing what i am doing. anyway, bottom line, if you arent sure whether a masters is what you really need or want you could save yourself an enormous chunk of time/sanity/money by simply waiting a year, and spend it researching and figuring out exactly what you need to do in order to be ready to apply to medical school. or then if you take a year off and realize you miss engineering and want to do it after all, well then you didnt waste your time and sanity trying to complete premed coursework while getting your grad degree.

good luck to ya.