Applying same year as SMP - late application?

[benjaminl1nus]

I've been reading thru SDN and have come across this statement several times. Why exactly will the medical school application be marked late if you are applying same year as SMP?

Thanks

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[DrMidlife]

Generally people do an SMP because of a weak MD app, and/or previous lack of success in applying.

Simply being enrolled in an SMP does not make a weak app look better. You need to show some results before you get any credit for doing an SMP. "Results" means A's and at least one letter.

Some med schools will see on your app that you're enrolled in an SMP, and put your app in a pile for review after 1st semester grades are released, instead of rejecting you outright. If your app is in that pile, it won't get looked at until late January, which is usually after all the interview invites are gone. Usually that pile is only a reasonable place for your app to land at your own state's public med schools, which are more or less required to give home state applicants more consideration (doesn't apply in CA, NY). Most MD schools get 5000+ apps and do <500 interviews for <150 seats, so it's not like they're keeping a candle burning in the window for your transcript in January.

People who got interviews and waitlists and then they do an SMP are not going to get thrown in a hold pile. They're already in the game.

A shrinking number of SMP-host med schools will accommodate their own SMP students in admissions processing. Temple, Tulane ACP, maybe RFU.

Best of luck to you.

 

[benjaminl1nus]

Thanks a lot, DrMidlife.