3.0 GPA 31 MCAT. SMP or Postbacc?

[jackbauer29]

Hi. I just want some advice about my situation.
I have a 3.0 GPA and a 31 on my MCAT and I'm graduating in spring.
What would be the best option for me to get into an MD program? An SMP or a postbacc?

I've been reading a lot about these and it seems that an SMP might be the better option for me. I'm just worried that even if I do well in an SMP that my undergrad GPA would still prevent me from getting accepted.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Thanks a lot

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[Ryush]

I'm basically in the same situation as you - with similar stats. I've chosen to apply to SMPs with strong linkage (EVMS, RFU, UC, Toledo, etc...) because of that same concern. At most of those schools, a strong performance in the SMP usually results in an acceptance to the host medical school. I believe EVMS was at 87% of SMP students that gained a same-year admission last year (although my guess is that will change), while RFU and UC were at around 65-70%.

 

[jackbauer29]

I'm basically in the same situation as you - with similar stats. I've chosen to apply to SMPs with strong linkage (EVMS, RFU, UC, Toledo, etc...) because of that same concern. At most of those schools, a strong performance in the SMP usually results in an acceptance to the host medical school. I believe EVMS was at 87% of SMP students that gained a same-year admission last year (although my guess is that will change), while RFU and UC were at around 65-70%.

I guess that's good news. Those are the ones I'm planning on applying to actually so I guess we're applying to the same programs. Hopefully we'll get in!
Are you planning on applying during your SMP or after you finish it? If we apply after we'll need to retake the mcat since it's going to change in 2015

 

[The Helpful Aye Aye]

I guess that's good news. Those are the ones I'm planning on applying to actually so I guess we're applying to the same programs. Hopefully we'll get in!
Are you planning on applying during your SMP or after you finish it? If we apply after we'll need to retake the mcat since it's going to change in 2015

Quite certain that nobody would be taking the MCATs this year if they were going to expire in 2015.

 

[jackbauer29]

Quite certain that nobody would be taking the MCATs this year if they were going to expire in 2015.

You can take it this year if you plan on starting med school in fall 2015

 

[DrMidlife]

You can take it this year if you plan on starting med school in fall 2015

You can use a pre-2015 score for a few years. They are not expiring pre-2015 scores early. 80,000 people take the MCAT every year, that would be a total nightmare.

 

[jackbauer29]

You can use a pre-2015 score for a few years. They are not expiring pre-2015 scores early. 80,000 people take the MCAT every year, that would be a total nightmare.

Oh well that's good news. Thanks! Didn't know that

 

[The Helpful Aye Aye]

You can take it this year if you plan on starting med school in fall 2015

That's patently false.

From AAMC website:

Each medical school establishes its own policy for the oldest MCAT score that will be considered in admissions. It is the applicant's responsibility to verify each school's policy.

It is likely that medical schools will continue to accept current MCAT scores for a period of time after the MCAT2015 exam is introduced. The AAMC will work with medical schools to make all MCAT scores available through AMCAS and the MCAT Score Reporting Service through the 2017 or 2018 application cycle (to be determined), after which only MCAT2015 scores will be reported. For medical schools that accept older (i.e., pre-2015) MCAT scores after the AAMC discontinues the automatic transmission of these older MCAT scores, applicants will still be able to obtain and send their pre-2015 score reports from the MCAT Testing History (THx) System.

Not that TPR is the AAMC, but:

http://www.princetonreview.com/mcat/mcat-exam-change.aspx#now-what

The fact that the old MCAT will be administered throughout January 2015 leads me to believe that it will be valid for people planning to matriculate at least as late as fall 2016. If you find anything that suggests that medical schools will not accept the pre-2015 MCAT for the application cycle that starts immediately after the new test's introduction, please let me know. Otherwise, stop spreading misinformation. People here get scared easily enough! =P

 

[jackbauer29]

I d

That's patently false.

From AAMC website:



Not that TPR is the AAMC, but:

http://www.princetonreview.com/mcat/mcat-exam-change.aspx#now-what

The fact that the old MCAT will be administered throughout January 2015 leads me to believe that it will be valid for people planning to matriculate at least as late as fall 2016. If you find anything that suggests that medical schools will not accept the pre-2015 MCAT for the application cycle that starts immediately after the new test's introduction, please let me know. Otherwise, stop spreading misinformation. People here get scared easily enough! =P

Thanks but DrMidlife already made that clear. Thanks for the sources though

 

[NorthernMav]

I'm basically in the same situation as you - with similar stats. I've chosen to apply to SMPs with strong linkage (EVMS, RFU, UC, Toledo, etc...) because of that same concern. At most of those schools, a strong performance in the SMP usually results in an acceptance to the host medical school. I believe EVMS was at 87% of SMP students that gained a same-year admission last year (although my guess is that will change), while RFU and UC were at around 65-70%.

I would not rank EVMS as high linkage anymore. They jacked up their number of students and the percentage of acceptances will likely drop dramatically. They now have around 70 peole in the program, aiming at an increase to ~100 next year. There is no way they will be able to maintain the 85% acceptance unless they begin to accept students into the program that hardly need a SMP in the first place.

 

[jackbauer29]

I would not rank EVMS as high linkage anymore. They jacked up their number of students and the percentage of acceptances will likely drop dramatically. They now have around 70 peole in the program, aiming at an increase to ~100 next year. There is no way they will be able to maintain the 85% acceptance unless they begin to accept students into the program that hardly need a SMP in the first place.

Would it still help people in my situation who do well and get accepted?

 

[Ryush]

If you do well and then get accepted to the host medical school? I'd say it helped you then .

Anyway, as far as EVMS, I was told by an admissions staff that the class size is estimated to be around 80 next year. I suspect the ~85% will drop as well, however, looking at RFU gives me some hope. The BMS class is usually around 110 and still has a decent 65-70% acceptance rate.

 

[jackbauer29]

If you do well and then get accepted to the host medical school? I'd say it helped you then .

Anyway, as far as EVMS, I was told by an admissions staff that the class size is estimated to be around 80 next year. I suspect the ~85% will drop as well, however, looking at RFU gives me some hope. The BMS class is usually around 110 and still has a decent 65-70% acceptance rate.

Haha sorry what I meant say was: would the program help people who get accepted into the program and do well. I'm just worried my undergrad GPA will come back to haunt me

 

[Ryush]

I'm pretty confident that doing well in the program will be really helpful to your med school app, regardless if you get into the host school or not . Even if you don't get in to the med school, a strong performance in the Medical Masters program will demonstrate to other schools that you can handle a medical school curriculum. Your job when applying to these schools would to make sure admissions committees understand that these classes were medical school classes and that you were graded based on their average.

The rising class size of EVMS leaves a lot of mystery though. We don't really know exactly how successful people will be when applying to other med schools, since linkage has traditionally been very high and we haven't seen significant numbers of EVMS MM students apply after graduation. My guess is, if the applicant does a good job explaining what the MM program was, that results will be somewhat similar to SMPs like BU, Tufts, and Georgetown.

 

[DrMidlife]

EVMS MM is the same model as Gtown or Tufts now. Host school admissions are not really the point. This year EVMS MM still has a guaranteed MD interview.

If you're from out of state, and you don't have pretty good stats and wealthy relatives, it's dumb to go to EVMS MM to get into EVMS MD. Aside from the MM class size, EVMS MD has the highest actual OOS tuition in the country, because 50% of the MD class is actually OOS. (Schools that have higher OOS tuition than EVMS MD don't take OOS students.)

Generally I would not advise a 3.0/31 to apply until after completing an SMP unless you were MD waitlisted before, or if you're going DO.

Best of luck to you.

 

[jackbauer29]

EVMS MM is the same model as Gtown or Tufts now. Host school admissions are not really the point. This year EVMS MM still has a guaranteed MD interview.

If you're from out of state, and you don't have pretty good stats and wealthy relatives, it's dumb to go to EVMS MM to get into EVMS MD. Aside from the MM class size, EVMS MD has the highest actual OOS tuition in the country, because 50% of the MD class is actually OOS. (Schools that have higher OOS tuition than EVMS MD don't take OOS students.)

Generally I would not advise a 3.0/31 to apply until after completing an SMP unless you were MD waitlisted before, or if you're going DO.

Best of luck to you.

Thanks!