This article has been updated to provide the greatest relevance & timeliness for our readers. It was originally published January 2019.
There are a lot of spectacular reasons to earn a master's degree. From personal academic enrichment to general career planning, all the way down to specific job requirements, graduate degrees are a viable path to expertise and growth. A master's degree is not, however, a requirement to practice medicine, nor even a recommendation. Despite this, they have become a begrudgingly common method for attempting to pad a GPA after a difficult US or Canadian medical school admissions process.
Before deciding if a master's degree before medical school is right for you, ask yourself the following questions:
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How Does Your Graduate School GPA Affect Your Medical School Prospects?
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What Are The Financial Implications of a Master's Degree for Med School?
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What Do Med School Students & Alumni Think of Getting a Master's Degree Before Medical School?
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Will a Master's Degree Delay Your Medical Education & Career?
In this article, we're going to look at the pros and cons of getting a master's degree before medical school, dig into some data, talk to our students, and offer some insight into why it may not be what it's cracked up to be and what other options may be out there for you.