Another year of undergrad or SMP?

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Lebronomics

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I completed my undergrad at a state school (not ranked). I hold a BSB/Management and the only science courses I've completed are the pre-reqs, physio, calc I and II, and stats. Here are my numbers:

First year of undergrad - 1.80 GPA
Following three years - 3.95 GPA
-------------------------------
cGPA - 3.40 ; sGPA - 3.75

MCAT: 13PS 10VR 11BS (34R)

I have been accepted to an SMP which begins in the next couple of weeks.

My question: Would it be better for me to do another year of undergrad and raise my uGPA to 3.54 cGPA and 3.80 sGPA, or do an SMP and have a gGPA of 3.9-4.0?

Applying to medical school this year is not an option for me (I don't think the reasons matter), so I have 12 months to do something that will boost my competitiveness. The cost of the program is not a decision-maker for me, so that does not need to be factored into the decision.

Thanks for any help, and sorry for another needy thread.

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3.4/34 is fine for applying. However doing another year of undergrad and boosting your gpa by .1 and maybe getting some more EC's can't hurt. SMP is a no no.
 
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SMPs are usually for borderline applicants. (3.5/29). I think your MCAT kind of makes up for your gpa. So getting a 3.0 in an SMP will basically ruin up your chances of med school. You do have a shot with your current stats.
Take the undergrad classes.
 
SMPs are usually designed for people who have an otherwise good application except for their GPA. Your GPA isn't bad enough to need an SMP, especially with the sGPA of 3.75. If you can get a 3.5+ cGPA with some postbacc classes, it is better than taking the risk of doing bad/mediocre in an SMP, and you'll have more time to beef up clinical xp/volunteering, which is what adcoms are really looking for.
 
Thank you for the responses. It seems like the biggest factor in not doing an SMP the risk of not doing well.

Assuming similar ECs, does anyone have insight into whether I'm more competitive with a 3.54 ucGPA, or a 3.4 ucGPA and 3.9 gGPA?
 
sounds like you are in a relatively good place to be. it sounds like you are able to graduate, but i would stick in undergrad. that way you have ONE gpa set, not uGPAa and smp or something. uGPA is really going to count. take advantage of the fact that you still have the opportunity to.

have you thought about doing a study abroad program through your school? you could also pick up just a minor or something and use the time to build up other areas of your app too.
 
Thank you for the responses. It seems like the biggest factor in not doing an SMP the risk of not doing well.

Assuming similar ECs, does anyone have insight into whether I'm more competitive with a 3.54 ucGPA, or a 3.4 ucGPA and 3.9 gGPA?

I applied with a 3.4 ugpa and 4.0 ggpa, I think my grad gpa helped only marginally, if even that. Honestly, if I could go back, I wouldn't have gone to grad school, it's been very draining, expensive and marginally beneficial to my med school application. I would have been better off (personally, socially and financially) keeping my job (QC Scientist), doing ECs on the side, taking advanced ugrad courses instead rather than doing all of the above PLUS grad school, it's been brutal...

In ur situation, u have little upside gain from an SMP and significant downside risks, I think going that route would be imprudent to say the least. Sometimes it's good to hedge when so much is risked...


Best of luck...
 
Seven of Nine: does your username come from being the seventh child? I'm number four of nine.

Study abroad is not an option for the same reason that I have to wait another year to apply to medical school, but if I stick around for another year of undergrad I will definitely add a minor.

Bernoull: thank you for sharing your experience. Do you think that it is less beneficial because the schools don't want their average uGPA to suffer as badly?

Looks like I may need to remain an undergrad from one more year...dammit.

EDIT: Bernoull, which grad program did you complete?
 
Seven of Nine: does your username come from being the seventh child? I'm number four of nine.

Study abroad is not an option for the same reason that I have to wait another year to apply to medical school, but if I stick around for another year of undergrad I will definitely add a minor.

Bernoull: thank you for sharing your experience. Do you think that it is less beneficial because the schools don't want their average uGPA to suffer as badly?

Looks like I may need to remain an undergrad from one more year...dammit.

EDIT: Bernoull, which grad program did you complete?

I did biomedical engineering.

My basic position on grad school is that one should do it for its own merits, i.e u're genuinely interested in ur degree program ... something u'll want to do it irrespective of med school admissions. Grad school simply to improve one's odds at admission, where low-avg ugpa is at play, is truly low yield. Informal postbac or SMPs are better routes of academic redemption... SMPs just are undoubtedly riskier, and it can be the last nail in the coffin if one messes up. It's a high risk/high reward proposition but it's worth it if one's in the ditch gpa-wise to begin with, otherwise it's too risky IMHO...
 
Okay. Thanks again Bernoull. I'm about 20-minutes away from a pretty big drop-out decision.

Can anyone else add their two cents?
 
I think it's pretty risky to assume you're going to get a 3.9 in an SMP. As others have pointed out, your undergrad gpa isn't low enough to need to do an SMP. Stick with an extra year of undergrad or graduate and get a job/EC's that will boost your application.
 
Can you explain your thoughts in this?

serenade isn't one who usually likes to state any reason for his thoughts. It's best to assume that all info is anecdotal that has been accumulated over the past nine months.

Do you mind stating what SMP it is? I think your stats are pretty good to get into medical school but I disagree, I think it might help...depending on where you go to do the SMP. If it's Georgetown, then I might be with everybody else and say that it could possibly hurt.

That being said, I believe that there are plenty out there that could only bolster your app.
 
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Do whatever makes you happy.
I'm actually doing this, a year a an unknown Smp rather than my 4th year of undergrad. I am doing this because I think I will be exposed to more upper level classes (alreday taken everything my undergrad has to offer) and get to live as an adult in the 'real' world. Plus, I need a new environment.

But I think you should do the Smp because YOU want to do it. Don't do it because you think it will boost your chances to get into med school. As long as your doing something and do WELL this year, adcoms won't question you.

Hope this helps.
 
Do whatever makes you happy.
I'm actually doing this, a year a an unknown Smp rather than my 4th year of undergrad. I am doing this because I think I will be exposed to more upper level classes (alreday taken everything my undergrad has to offer) and get to live as an adult in the 'real' world. Plus, I need a new environment.

But I think you should do the Smp because YOU want to do it. Don't do it because you think it will boost your chances to get into med school. As long as your doing something and do WELL this year, adcoms won't question you.

Hope this helps.

The sole purpose of most SMPs are to enhance your med school application. Most of them are basically just the first year of med school, and in many you're actually taking the classes with the med students. No one wants to do an SMP, it is done out of necessity when there are no other options.
 
My smp isn't really an smp. It's more like grad school.
I assume since the OPs smp is not popular then it's more like grad school than an smp
 
Also, it is at an osteopathic school. I am interested in MD once I start my Doctorate.
 
Seven of Nine: does your username come from being the seventh child? I'm number four of nine.

Study abroad is not an option for the same reason that I have to wait another year to apply to medical school, but if I stick around for another year of undergrad I will definitely add a minor.

Bernoull: thank you for sharing your experience. Do you think that it is less beneficial because the schools don't want their average uGPA to suffer as badly?

Looks like I may need to remain an undergrad from one more year...dammit.

EDIT: Bernoull, which grad program did you complete?

It's a Star Trek character.

Also, you're fine. Apply. If you need another year anyway it can't hurt.
 
If you haven't applied before, I would not consider an SMP to be beneficial to your cause. Having scratched twice with similar stats, I am doing an SMP.
 
If you haven't applied before, I would not consider an SMP to be beneficial to your cause. Having scratched twice with similar stats, I am doing an SMP.

Thanks for your input. Just out of curiosity, how is your SMP going? I saw you're attending Georgetown's, and I've heard that it's very difficult because you are ranked against the medical students for grades. Is it a whole different world than undergrad? Or is it too soon to say.
 
I would say you probably don't need an SMP. With your numbers you actually probablly don't need anything,,but an extra year of undergraduate level classes would definitely put you over the top. And SMP is unnecessarily risky and expensive.

BTW, can I ask why you won't apply this year? I honestly can't imagine a reason why you couldn't apply but could go to an SMP.
 
It's a Star Trek character.

Also, you're fine. Apply. If you need another year anyway it can't hurt.

OP should definitely review his Star Trek characters before the next cycle. At one of my interviews, the only one that has gone super awkwardly and that I didn't feel good about, the only time I saw the interviewer smile was when I said that perhaps Spock should be dictating our healthcare policy (in the context of a conversation about how difficult it seems for us to create policy without emotional argument). Nerd profiling FTW.

Edit: Not that you need additional input, but I'd agree with everyone else. Your stats aren't too different than mine, except for a much higher sGPA, which is what counts. You won't need a lot of academic credibility enhancement, what you'll need is something to make your application stand out from 5,000 others that perhaps have higher cGPAs or whatever. Spend your year abroad, do Americorps CityYear or HealthCorps, or work in a hospital or non-profit setting. Do research or something, or just go have some really crazy experiences that you'll be able to write and talk about, and that will make adcoms want to bring you in for an interview.
 
I can only apply this year if I'm willing to go in-city, and I would really prefer another school and location. My wife is finishing her program to become a nurse practitioner. I was accepted to all of the SMPs I applied to, but this is the only one that's an option. I was hoping for the miracle of her being able to move, but it didn't work out.

It looks like anything I do academically is a coin toss, but the advice for additional supplements is consistent. I currently am doing research and volunteer at the hospital. I will step it up. Thanks to all of you for your input.

And the Star Wars advice is one I'm taking to the bank as well. Submitting Netflix order now.
 
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