Is Columbia masters in nutrition worth it?

[Btsarelegends]

Hey guys!! I'm currently looking for some one-year masters to help fill up my gap year! What are your guys thoughts with the one-year masters in nutrition that Columbia has?

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[LizzyM]

Nutrition is very important to human health, many common medical conditions are associatd with dietary intake, and medical schools have neglected nutrition education for decades. So, if you have the interest, time and money to study nutrition for a year before starting medical school, it could be a good use of your time and money.

That said, I don't know of anyone who has done the Columbia program.

 

[Pagan FutureDoc]

Why are you taking a gap year? What deficiencies in your application are you trying to address?
If you need help with your grades or want to pick up a masters to improve your chances it’s likely not going to help as much as you want. If you are doing this in addition to addressing your shortcomings (like doing research or getting clinical exposure) then this could be a good addition for you.

 

[LizzyM]

Why are you taking a gap year? What deficiencies in your application are you trying to address?
If you need help with your grades or want to pick up a masters to improve your chances it’s likely not going to help as much as you want. If you are doing this in addition to addressing your shortcomings (like doing research or getting clinical exposure) then this could be a good addition for you.

Not everyone has a deficiency as the reason for the gap year. Some people have not completed the courses needed for the MCAT until senior year. They graduate college, take the MCAT, complete the AMCAC application and are looking at a gap year before starting medical school. Don't automatically assume a deficiency.

 

[KnightDoc]

Not everyone has a deficiency as the reason for the gap year. Some people have not completed the courses needed for the MCAT until senior year. They graduate college, take the MCAT, complete the AMCAC application and are looking at a gap year before starting medical school. Don't automatically assume a deficiency.

True, and some people just want a one-year break before starting med school, although, to be fair, my friends who just want breaks don't intend to spend that break the same place they've spent the last four years - school .

But, as someone who is currently deep into it, the people who haven't completed the courses necessary to take the MCAT until senior year haven't been planning for this all along (unless they just always wanted the break), so they likely also don't have the EC hours necessary to be competitive, which is a deficiency that needs to be addressed. And this still assumes the grades are up to snuff, and the desire for a masters isn't to improve a sub par transcript.

So, while this isn't exactly the OP's question, and acknowledging the benefits of an advanced degree in nutrition, would this program effectively address a GPA weakness? From everything I have read here, the answer would be no, because high GPAs in masters programs other than SMPs are not valued by adcoms. Would that apply to this as well?

 

[hmockingbird]

I would prioritize a) fixing any deficiencies then b) making/saving money OR pursuing a worthwhile experience to you (eg americorps). Would it be useful? I mean probably bc nutrition isn’t covered well in med school. Would I accrue more debt for it unless nutrition was one of my passions and I had a clear idea how I’d use it in my career? No.