Special Master’s Program With Linkage to Medical School

Purpose and Benefits

Special Master’s Programs are one of several options between pre-med and med school. An SMP is a postgraduate degree program before going to medical school, instead of going straight to med school, a post-bacc, or taking a gap year.

They prepare students for medical school or other health professional programs. SMPs typically funnel into a specific med school through a “linkage agreement.”

There are about 221 Special Master’s Programs in the United States (post-baccalaureate programs offering a Master’s degree). We estimate about 10,000 spots across America for these Master’s programs.

Here are the benefits of a Special Master’s Program:

• Linkage programs: If you go to an SMP with linkage to a medical school, you may be guaranteed an interview (and, sometimes, an acceptance) at that specific school if you meet certain criteria. Because of linkage programs, SMP graduate acceptance rates into medical school are 80% to 90% — which is higher than the average of around 40%.
• Improved GPA: Unlike a post-bacc, in which grades are averaged with your undergrad GPA, an SMP is a Master’s-level program, meaning it’s a brand new GPA. If you’re 0.2 points away from your target GPA, a post-bacc may be right for you. If you’re 0.4-0.9 GPA points off, you may want to reset your academic credentials with an SMP graduate program GPA.
• More research and clinical hours: If you don’t have enough shadowing, clinical, volunteering, or research hours, going to an SMP puts you in an environment where these are easier to find. SMPs provide structured time for you to network with other future physicians, as well as faculty and staff who can connect you with unique opportunities.
• Preparedness: Attending an SMP typically demonstrates a medical school applicant’s seriousness and readiness to become a healthcare professional. Having a Master’s degree should make your med school application more competitive. It also prepares you to retake the MCAT and get a higher score.
• Science courses: If you need science coursework for the medical school admissions process, an SMP might cover it. If schools of medicine aren’t accepting your coursework from more than 3-5 years ago, an SMP is one solution. Also, first-year SMP courses are similar to med school curricula, preparing you for the rigor of full-time medical school.
• Less competition: Although SMP acceptance rates might be similar to those of medical schools, SMPs have less stringent admissions requirements. It’s easier to get into an SMP than a med school.

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What Are Linkage Agreements?

Linkage agreements are when a post-bachelor’s degree program promises an interview or acceptance at a particular medical school if you maintain specific prerequisites.

Every linkage agreement is slightly different. Different institutions even use the term to mean different things. Generally speaking, linkage agreements mean you have a very high chance of at least an interview. Reminder: As low as 10% of med school applicants get an interview offer at any particular institution.

Here are the differences between linkage agreements vs. early decision vs. early action:

• Linkage agreements are sometimes called early acceptance programs. They are when post-undergrad programs offer preferential review or a guaranteed interview at a specific med school (given you keep up certain prerequisites). They are occasionally connected to post-bacc programs, but almost always connected to Special Master’s Programs.
• Early decision (ED) is offered through the medical school (not a post-undergrad program). Typically, if you commit to attending if accepted, you can apply ED, increasing your chances of acceptance and getting an offer by October. Sometimes, you’re not allowed to apply anywhere else until you know that you weren’t accepted through ED in October.
• Early action (EA) is usually the less committal version of ED. Applying to a medical school through an EA program slightly raises your chances of acceptance, but you can apply elsewhere, including EA. However, some schools call their program “early action” but really mean the more binding “early decision”. Always check with the school.

Competitiveness and Cost

SMPs are competitive, but not as competitive as medical schools. Although the acceptance rates are similar, SMPs have less strict requirements on GPA, MCAT scores, and clinical hours. In other words, different people apply.

SMPs are costly, though not quite as expensive as medical schools on paper. However, there are endless scholarship opportunities for med schools, while SMP applicants may only be able to get education loans that they must pay back.

Who Should Consider an SMP

Who would benefit most from an SMP? Consider a Special Master’s Program if any of these apply to you:

• Your GPA is between 2.7-3.5.
• Your MCAT score is between 498-506.
• You don’t have a lot of science credits.
• It’s been a long time since you’ve attended a premedical program.
• You have limited clinical hours, research experience, or shadowing opportunities.
• You desire to go to a linked college of medicine.

Note: If your GPA and MCAT are both low, you may have trouble getting accepted into an SMP. If your MCAT is competitive, but your GPA is low, you are the most ideal candidate for an SMP.

Who should not consider SMPs? They are not for everyone. Here’s what might keep you from applying to an SMP:

• High cost, low financial aid opportunities
• High competitiveness
• One-year or two-year time commitment not in med school
• Affiliation with an undesired medical school
• Already having a competitive med school application (GPA 3.7+, MCAT 511+)

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Respected Special Master’s Programs

Not all medical schools offer an SMP. Still, there are notable, well-respected SMPs at some prestigious colleges:

• Georgetown University Medical Center — SMP in Physiology & Biophysics
• Boston University — Master of Medical Sciences Program (MAMS)
• Tufts University — Master of Biomedical Sciences Program (MBS)
• University of Cincinnati — MS in Physiology
• Loyola University Chicago — MS in Medical Physiology
• Eastern Virginia Medical School — Medical Master’s
• Drexel University — Intensive Medical Science (IMS) Program
• Ponce School of Health Sciences — Master of Science in Medical Sciences
• New York Medical College — six MS programs, including Pharmacology or Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

All of these SMPs boast 80%-90% acceptance rates into linkage medical schools. If you can get into one of these SMPs and make it through the 1-2 years of rigorous coursework, your chances of getting into medical school are greatly boosted. 

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