GPA enhancement programs: SMPs, postbacs et al...June 2009 List

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Hey everyone, just curious, how would the SMP path work for Canadians? I mean are we allowed to apply to these programs; do the same "promises" apply to us, etc? Can anybody shed some light?

thanks!
A week or so again in this thread, EagerBeaver had the same question. I'm hoping somebody will find something out and post here.

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Dr. Midlife, I know you were looking at it previously, but the USC Masters of Science in Global Medicine program seems to have a more developed website now, which indicates that they are trying to help you get into medical school. I know that was one of your concerns. It is a one year program and you take the Core Principle Systems I&II classes along with the med school students at the Keck school of medicine (I asked the program office). They also claim a good amount of people have gotten into US med schools after this program.

The reason I was imploring you to add the program is because I almost didn't accept because I was going by your list, but this fairly new program seems to meet the SMP criteria AND be in California which is HUGE for those of us who went to UC schools and would have been forced to leave to attend an SMP. Let me know what you think!
 
Dr. Midlife, I know you were looking at it previously, but the USC Masters of Science in Global Medicine program seems to have a more developed website now, which indicates that they are trying to help you get into medical school. I know that was one of your concerns. It is a one year program and you take the Core Principle Systems I&II classes along with the med school students at the Keck school of medicine (I asked the program office). They also claim a good amount of people have gotten into US med schools after this program.

The reason I was imploring you to add the program is because I almost didn't accept because I was going by your list, but this fairly new program seems to meet the SMP criteria AND be in California which is HUGE for those of us who went to UC schools and would have been forced to leave to attend an SMP. Let me know what you think!

Yeah this year they had about 6 kids who interviewed at Ohio state university who did this program. I know at least one person who did the program and had a good amount of interviews while in it. Its definitely worth looking into if u don't want to spend the crapload of money it costs to do Gtown SMP or other big SMPs and prefer to stay in cali.

There were several more other then those 6 who interviewed somewhere from what it sounded like from my friend. So like i said def. worth looking into.
 
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Public service reminder: anybody who wants to update the list, change it, start a new one, etc is welcome to it. I put a boatload of effort in, and now somebody else can step up.
 
Public service reminder: anybody who wants to update the list, change it, start a new one, etc is welcome to it. I put a boatload of effort in, and now somebody else can step up.

Thank you very much for all of your efforts. I didn't mean to sound ungrateful. It's just that yours happens to be stickied. If I find all of the info and set it up like the others, would you mind adding it to the Real SMP list?
 
Thank you very much for all of your efforts. I didn't mean to sound ungrateful. It's just that yours happens to be stickied. If I find all of the info and set it up like the others, would you mind adding it to the Real SMP list?
Yesss...we have a taker!

Sure, post an addition and assuming I don't get massively distracted I'll add it to the 1st post.
 
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USC: Master of Science in Global Medicine
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Hosted by: USC Keck School of Medicine
Year started: <= 2008
Med school integration: First half of med school year one core curriculum taken with med students
Program duration: one year
Program starts: Late August
Program ends: Late August
Thesis requirement: ?
Tuition: 41600 IS/OOS '11
Min GPA: 3.0
Min MCAT: 28
Class size: 40
App cost: $75.00
App opens: ?
App closes: June 15th for Fall admission, October 15th for Spring admission
MCAT prep: no
Promises: Upon completion of the M.S in Global Medicine, students will be equipped to serve as leaders in various domains within the allied health field, including, but not limited to, medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, and nursing.
Requirements: Must get 3.0 to graduate.

 
Extra points for the maroon there...

Haha thank you and thank you for adding it. If I wasn't about to start an smp, I would take the list responsibility from you. Seriously though, that list changed my life so thank you.
 
Haha thank you and thank you for adding it. If I wasn't about to start an smp, I would take the list responsibility from you. Seriously though, that list changed my life so thank you.
Please come back and post any tidbits you find about how many of the USC program's grads got into UCs. Specifically, if you compare the USC "sell" to Gtown, can you get into a UC with a sub-3.4? Can you get in to a UC applying the same year you're in the SMP?

I'm hoping this turns into "the" SMP for Californians and causes more similar programs to get started up.

Best of luck to you.
 
Please come back and post any tidbits you find about how many of the USC program's grads got into UCs. Specifically, if you compare the USC "sell" to Gtown, can you get into a UC with a sub-3.4? Can you get in to a UC applying the same year you're in the SMP?

I'm hoping this turns into "the" SMP for Californians and causes more similar programs to get started up.

Best of luck to you.

I'm sure I will find out more at orientation, so I will let you know.
 
Haha thank you and thank you for adding it. If I wasn't about to start an smp, I would take the list responsibility from you. Seriously though, that list changed my life so thank you.
That list definitely changed my life as well Dr. Midlife.

I'm also a UC grad and socal resident, I kinda wish I had known about the USC MS Global sciences program.. relocating 3000 miles is gonna be interesting. I had read about the Post Baccalaureate Premedical Certificate (PPC) program USC has, but didn't want to guinea pig that one.
 
First post is updated with new info about the U of Cincinnati SMP, courtesy of QQm.
 
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First of I would like to thank Dr. Midlife and everyone else who put up that schools list.

Without it I wouldn't have found programs that I was accepted in

As of the last 7 days I've been accepted into 4 programs, but I don't know which one to choose, they all seem enticing and I'm not sure which one is looked upon more favorable my medical admissions boards.

I'll just start out and say I got a 1300 GRE (V 610)(Q 690) had a 2.7 sgpa and a 2.96 overall. So there is hope for you guys with bad grades to get into a school somewhere.

My ecs were stuff like a couple of medical mission trips, a little shadowing, and help starting an international NGO. but no hard volunteering. I really dont know how I got accepted, I think I just bugged them a lot and wrote them lots of essay/emails while i was waiting to hear back.

I did show some upward progression, but only my senior year, I busted my ass off to get decent grades B+ and A- in orgos, biochem, behavioral nueroscience... which is when i matured and realized studyin is a full time occupation.

Mind you none of the schools are top tier SMP programs. The schools I have gotten into are:

1) Masters of Health Science (MHS) in Environmental Health at John Hopkins Bloomberg School of public health.

2) GeorgeSquared, Advanced Biomedical Sciences Certificate Program. NOT the Gsquared SMP but the ABS program.

3) the 2 year Barry University biomedical science program

4) USF's (University of South Florida) MS in Medical Sciences (pre-professional) graduate program

I'm not sure which one is the best for me. I want to be a doctor, and have no qualms between osteopathic or allophatic routes. I plan on taking the MCAT in September, and I understand it would be best to wait till next cycle to apply, but Ill probably apply late this cycle anyways cuz you never know.

I'm thinking USF might be the best since its most medically relevant, and Ive heard rumours the barry program is falling apart. But i've also heard that the george mason program, although a certificate program, is looked upon favorable because of the caliber of students they accept.

Hence with the conflicting info I've gotten I'm posting here to get some good advice. I've been calling medical admissions boards and commitees to ask them of their opinion, but ive reached mostly voice mail...
 
I'll just start out and say I got a 1300 GRE (V 610)(Q 690) had a 2.7 sgpa and a 2.96 overall. So there is hope for you guys with bad grades to get into a school somewhere.
Congrats on your acceptances - that's always a good feeling.

But I'm not too excited about any of these programs, not with a sub-3.0 GPA. I don't think these programs will set med schools up to "forgive" your undergrad GPA, as SMPs sometimes do. Being allowed into a program like these without an MCAT score means that you're not going to be ready to apply to med school when you complete the program - you won't have time to do MCAT prep if you want to do well in the program, which isn't optional.

I'd be more optimistic if you were looking at a masters program at a DO school, like Nova. Such programs tend to be 2 years, and that's a nice long audition for the host med school. You'd have time to do MCAT prep.

In your shoes I'd do more undergrad and get a bunch of A's, put everything I've got into the MCAT, and try to get into a good SMP. I doubt that's what you want to hear.

Best of luck to you.
 
Congrats on your acceptances - that's always a good feeling.

But I'm not too excited about any of these programs, not with a sub-3.0 GPA. I don't think these programs will set med schools up to "forgive" your undergrad GPA, as SMPs sometimes do. Being allowed into a program like these without an MCAT score means that you're not going to be ready to apply to med school when you complete the program - you won't have time to do MCAT prep if you want to do well in the program, which isn't optional.

I'd be more optimistic if you were looking at a masters program at a DO school, like Nova. Such programs tend to be 2 years, and that's a nice long audition for the host med school. You'd have time to do MCAT prep.

In your shoes I'd do more undergrad and get a bunch of A's, put everything I've got into the MCAT, and try to get into a good SMP. I doubt that's what you want to hear.

Best of luck to you.


I should probably have mentioned that Ive been studying for the MCAT this summer and plan on taking it in September,

My undergrad institution (UF) wouldn't let me stay on and take additional science courses, they just kicked me out of after I got my degree.(BS in psychology)

Since I am taking my MCAT in september, does that change the timeline a little? I'd probably have to apply late(this fall) to some DO's like Lecom
I don't have the option of staying at an undergrad institution (atleast not that im aware of, I don't really know how these things works, my college advisors were very very against me staying and taking extra classes)

Now considering I have to go to school somewhere to prove that I can get good grades in biomedical sciences, I was thinking USFs MSMS was the best of the bunch.

I'm not sure if my understanding is correct, but wouldn't doing a masters in medical relevant sciences (getting a 4.0 obviously is a must) be better than taking undergrad science courses?
 
I should probably have mentioned that Ive been studying for the MCAT this summer and plan on taking it in September,

My undergrad institution (UF) wouldn't let me stay on and take additional science courses, they just kicked me out of after I got my degree.(BS in psychology)

Since I am taking my MCAT in september, does that change the timeline a little?
With a good MCAT score in hand this fall, you could apply to good SMPs for 2012-2013.
I'd probably have to apply late(this fall) to some DO's like Lecom
I personally think that would be premature. Address undergrad GPA before you apply to med school.
I don't have the option of staying at an undergrad institution (atleast not that im aware of, I don't really know how these things works, my college advisors were very very against me staying and taking extra classes)
Your college advisers can't help you - you don't fit the mold of a premed, and it's their job to discourage you from going to med school with low stats. And, frankly, that's reasonable advice. If you want to get into med school from a sub-3.0 you're going to have to do stuff that high-GPA kids don't have to do. You can find a ton of info on SDN about what people do in your situation. I recommend doing a ton of reading in this forum to get an idea of what you're in for. I recommend studying the entire the low GPA thread - all 2500 posts.
Now considering I have to go to school somewhere to prove that I can get good grades in biomedical sciences, I was thinking USFs MSMS was the best of the bunch.
USF's program is the best of the schools that accepted you, none of which imho will do the job of disproving your undergrad GPA. Find GujuDoc and see what she thinks - she did the USF MSMS...and then she did 2 years in Boston's SMP to get into med school.
I'm not sure if my understanding is correct, but wouldn't doing a masters in medical relevant sciences (getting a 4.0 obviously is a must) be better than taking undergrad science courses?
Undergrad + MCAT is the basis of comparison in med school admissions. Anything you do off that basis is subject to med school opinion. If you can find multiple individuals with your stats and background who have gotten into med school by doing USF's MSMS, then you have good reason to believe USF's MSMS will get the job done. If USF can point you to such individuals, then you're all set.

Please understand that a getting a 4.0 will require a massive sustained effort, and isn't possible for everyone. Everybody wants a 4.0.

Best of luck to you.
 
Ahhh I see. Doing the USF MSMS and then applying to an SMP makes sense. I can use USF's MSMS as a stepping stone to SMP, and use that as a stepping stone to Med school. Thanks for clearing it up for me.

Your advice is very practical and reasonable. I think some people who give you grief don't realize you're trying to prepare them for worst case / most reasonable scenario. A lot of people think in hypotheticals like, 'Oh ill kill the mcat and get straight A's' when their past history shows other trends. I will make sure to read that low gpa thread.

I am talking to Gujudoc and she is of great help.

I was originally thinking it would take me another year after this masters to have a realistic shot to get in somewhere. you confirmed that.

two final questions, I completely agree that its premature to apply to a DO. Will it hurt me if I apply and don't get accepted (most likely scenario), and then try again next year?

Also, will it hurt me if I take the mcat in september, and take it again in January, showing an improvement of 4 points? (i know another question based on a hypothetical assumption, I started out with a 19 on a practice tests July 1st, and based on what I'm gettin now, 31ish, I'tll be a 32-33 in September, unless I improve significantly from today and Sept 8.)

Sorry, I know I'm taking this thread off topic.
 
Hey guys, how could you tell if a SMP is a "Real" SMP?
There is a SMP listed for the state I live in, but I don't know if it's a "real" SMP (no, it was not in the list for Real SMPs), what happens if I went to a "fake" SMP? Would that make any difference in applying to med school?

Thanks!!
 
Hey guys, how could you tell if a SMP is a "Real" SMP?
There is a SMP listed for the state I live in, but I don't know if it's a "real" SMP (no, it was not in the list for Real SMPs), what happens if I went to a "fake" SMP? Would that make any difference in applying to med school?

Thanks!!
Hopefully we'll get multiple votes on this.

I would define a "real" SMP as a program hosted at a med school, tightly integrated with the host med school, with no purpose whatsoever other than to get you into med school or dental school. A "real" SMP puts you through the first year of med school as an audition for med school, at least partially.

If those 4 criteria are not met, then it's "just" grad work. Which might also get you into med school.

In either case, if you are considering grad work to recover from a sub-competitive GPA, be very skeptical about a program's appropriateness until you are sure the program applies to you. If you can't find a recent graduate on SDN who has the skinny, get the program to put you in touch with alumni who will give you scoop on what stats people had and whether/where they got in how fast.

Grad programs are a product being sold to you. Don't be a marketing victim.

Best of luck to you.
 
Thank you DrMidlife. The SMP I'm interested in is in fact related to the state medical school I plan on attending. I suppose that would make it a "real" SMP?
 
related and taking MS-I classes are very diff things.

"real", IMO is being able to take classes with MS-Is
 
Hey guys, how could you tell if a SMP is a "Real" SMP?
There is a SMP listed for the state I live in, but I don't know if it's a "real" SMP (no, it was not in the list for Real SMPs), what happens if I went to a "fake" SMP? Would that make any difference in applying to med school?

Thanks!!

I also vote for "real" SMPs being programs that allow its students to sit side-by-side and audition with the M1s.

Regardless, though, the stat you care about is the program's historical success rate for people in your position. After all, the ONLY measure of success is whether or not it'll get you into medical school; "real" vs. not real is secondary, IMO. To that end, I second DrMidlife's suggestion to talk to program alumni to get impressions/dirt/information.
 
related and taking MS-I classes are very diff things.

"real", IMO is being able to take classes with MS-Is

I did an SMP at BU, BU MAMS and I'd consider it a real SMP.

We did not sit side by side with the M1s due to the space issues, except for those in track 2 that took histo and physio with them. But we used the exact same syllabus for everything.

I am in med school elsewhere now and still refer to syllabi and stuff from bu when I need to time to time. it was the exact same stuff.

But we were not graded against them. We were taught separately and given equal attn to them too. treated equal to the med students but we were not in class with them except for one class and for the track 2 students who did physio and histo with them.
 
guju... you are kind of reinforcing what midlife and i said

You took classes with MS-Is...making it what I and she consider an "real" SMP.

I was referencing a theoretical program that was based out of a medical school, but did not involve any MS-I classwork or some such thing.
 
guju... you are kind of reinforcing what midlife and i said

You took classes with MS-Is...making it what I and she consider an "real" SMP.

I was referencing a theoretical program that was based out of a medical school, but did not involve any MS-I classwork or some such thing.

Wait I'm confused. I thought you were talking about people who took M1 classes but didn't sit in the same classroom with the med students.
 
Wait I'm confused. I thought you were talking about people who took M1 classes but didn't sit in the same classroom with the med students.
I didn't say that. I said if you take MS-I classes than its "real" IMO.

An example of a "fake" SMP would be UMDNJ-GSBS (any campus) if you do not take any of the MS-I classes. Whilst it is affliated with a medical school, it means nothing (IMO) if you don't take the classes with (or video conference - which in itself is a different debate) the MS-Is
 
A week or so again in this thread, EagerBeaver had the same question. I'm hoping somebody will find something out and post here.


Another Canadian Here :)
I am currently contacting all "Real" SMP program coordinators with GPA question.

So far got responses from
EVMS- does Not accept Canadians for last couple of years (and for sure will not be accepting for next app cycle)

RFU- Does accept Canadians (even the courses take in Canadian Community Colleges are included in GPA calculation, provided that they include all required lab components)*

NYMC: Basic Medical Sciences Interdisciplinary Program, Accelerated Track
Does accept Canadians (GPA calculation same as above)*

VCU Does accept Canadians (GPA calculation same as above, but they look at CC courses as the way to "step out" hard courses in Uni)

Cincinnati Does accept Canadians (GPA calculation same as above)*

Drexel IMS/DPMS (GPA calculation same as above)*
from application form "The MSP, IMS, and DPMS programs will only consider applicants who are United States citizens or permanent residents. No applications will be considered for non-citizens who have other visa classifications."
Verifying this information with school..... Will edit as soon as I get response.


Regarding their promises, I guess it depends on individual Med school that you will be applying after SMP, cuz some of them clearly don't accept Out of state/International students. Well, if the promise is smth like top 20% of the class get automatic interview in their Med School, it shouldn't be an exclusion for Canadians, cuz technically you already are a student of that School.

Please feel free to correct me or share any additional info.

P.S suggesting to open a separate topic for Canadian SMP applicants, which might make it easier to share experience during app cycle.

Cheers
 
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I'd argue the Loyola MAMS is a real SMP, with great results for its grads, despite not having classes with med students.

Hopefully we'll get multiple votes on this.

I would define a "real" SMP as a program hosted at a med school, tightly integrated with the host med school, with no purpose whatsoever other than to get you into med school or dental school. A "real" SMP puts you through the first year of med school as an audition for med school, at least partially.

If those 4 criteria are not met, then it's "just" grad work. Which might also get you into med school.

In either case, if you are considering grad work to recover from a sub-competitive GPA, be very skeptical about a program's appropriateness until you are sure the program applies to you. If you can't find a recent graduate on SDN who has the skinny, get the program to put you in touch with alumni who will give you scoop on what stats people had and whether/where they got in how fast.

Grad programs are a product being sold to you. Don't be a marketing victim.

Best of luck to you.
 
I would define a "real" SMP as a program hosted at a med school, tightly integrated with the host med school, with no purpose whatsoever other than to get you into med school or dental school. A "real" SMP puts you through the first year of med school as an audition for med school, at least partially.

If those 4 criteria are not met, then it's "just" grad work. Which might also get you into med school.

I think that bolded region isn't 100% necessary considering the other criteria. I would add that a real SMP should have specific advisor support dedicated to getting you into med/dental school. In my opinion, that is the second most important aspect of an SMP, aside from the medical classes.
 
I think that bolded region isn't 100% necessary considering the other criteria. I would add that a real SMP should have specific advisor support dedicated to getting you into med/dental school. In my opinion, that is the second most important aspect of an SMP, aside from the medical classes.
The problem, particularly in this thread, is that we get an endless stream of people with 2.4 GPAs who think they can go do a year at Barry and then get right into UF. Or they have an MCAT of 18 and they think they can do a Drexel McProgram instead of retaking the MCAT.

With respect to the USC Global Med program, which I suspect is prompting your comments, it's an anomaly on the list, in that it isn't exclusive to academic enhancement for med/dental admissions. Also, it remains to be seen if its grads who come in with 3.0/30's get into UCs or USC or anywhere after - which was the whole point of nominating it as an SMP, no?

Similarly, Loyola is thought of as an SMP, even though it doesn't have med school classes, because it has a long record of getting people into med school from weak credentials.

And my recurring public service announcement to all readers: the next SMP list can be yours. All you have to do is step up and post a thread with a new list based on your exhaustive research.
 
The problem, particularly in this thread, is that we get an endless stream of people with 2.4 GPAs who think they can go do a year at Barry and then get right into UF. Or they have an MCAT of 18 and they think they can do a Drexel McProgram instead of retaking the MCAT.

With respect to the USC Global Med program, which I suspect is prompting your comments, it's an anomaly on the list, in that it isn't exclusive to academic enhancement for med/dental admissions. Also, it remains to be seen if its grads who come in with 3.0/30's get into UCs or USC or anywhere after - which was the whole point of nominating it as an SMP, no?

Similarly, Loyola is thought of as an SMP, even though it doesn't have med school classes, because it has a long record of getting people into med school from weak credentials.

And my recurring public service announcement to all readers: the next SMP list can be yours. All you have to do is step up and post a thread with a new list based on your exhaustive research.

Haha I understand. I just thought I'd stand up for my program. Like I mentioned before, I got the wrong impression from the 2 threads that referenced it here on SDN so I'm trying to make sure people are informed about it. I do know of people who recently got into UCs and one who got into USC from last year from my program with lower stats (below 3.4 gpa), but I will wait until I see firsthand from my class before standing on top of mountains screaming praises. I agree that someone should take over the list too. I wish it could be me, but everyone is correct when they say SMP workload is HEAVY.
 
I'm still not quite sure about the advantages of applying to the global program. Will the grades you receive from those courses count? Since AMCAS only takes into consideration undergraduate GPAs not graduate (and it seems like the program results in a Masters). Can you please clarify? I greatly appreciate :)

Haha I understand. I just thought I'd stand up for my program. Like I mentioned before, I got the wrong impression from the 2 threads that referenced it here on SDN so I'm trying to make sure people are informed about it. I do know of people who recently got into UCs and one who got into USC from last year from my program with lower stats (below 3.4 gpa), but I will wait until I see firsthand from my class before standing on top of mountains screaming praises. I agree that someone should take over the list too. I wish it could be me, but everyone is correct when they say SMP workload is HEAVY.
 
Can all of you who completed a post Bacc program state which program you completed and whether or not the results got you accepted to a MD/DO school?
In addition to the following stats...

undergrad cGPA
undergrad sGPA
post-bacc GPA
MCAT




Thanks!!!
 
Can all of you who completed a post Bacc program state which program you completed and whether or not the results got you accepted to a MD/DO school?
In addition to the following stats...

undergrad cGPA
undergrad sGPA
post-bacc GPA
MCAT

Thanks!!!
People come here and post similar inquiries all the time. None of the time does such an inquiry result in more than one or two unhelpful posts.

I suggest that you could find a tremendous amount of helpful info by reading the existing threads in this forum, starting with the stickies, followed by the low GPA thread which has over 350k views (not hard to find).

I also suggest that you could find a slightly relevant sampling of stats by looking through mdapps. The data tables on aamc.org are helpful as well.

Best of luck to you.
 
I'm still not quite sure about the advantages of applying to the global program. Will the grades you receive from those courses count? Since AMCAS only takes into consideration undergraduate GPAs not graduate (and it seems like the program results in a Masters). Can you please clarify? I greatly appreciate :)

It is what is referred to as a "Special Masters Program". These classes do not get averaged into your undergraduate grades, but these programs allow you to take medical school classes alongside the medical students at that school. If your ability to perform academically in medical school is being called into question by your undergraduate GPA, excellent SMP grades can help provide evidence that you can, in fact, compete at that level. These programs are best suited for people with GPAs between 3.0 and 3.4 usually. You can read more by looking at the Guide to SMP sticky. One of the major uses of this forum is to provide information about SMPs. They are very different from normal Masters and are treated as such by most medical schools.
 
I've been jumping around a few forums and overlooked a key fact, that your post was in an SMP forum lol But yea, I thought it was regular masters when I checked out the website for some reason.

Do you know the minimum sGPA for this program? And/or minimum MCAT? And whether or not they favor applicants from California?

My cGPA is above the range that you stated; however, my sGPA is below, and my MCAT scores are not stellar, and I am from NYC.

Thanks, again!

It is what is referred to as a "Special Masters Program". These classes do not get averaged into your undergraduate grades, but these programs allow you to take medical school classes alongside the medical students at that school. If your ability to perform academically in medical school is being called into question by your undergraduate GPA, excellent SMP grades can help provide evidence that you can, in fact, compete at that level. These programs are best suited for people with GPAs between 3.0 and 3.4 usually. You can read more by looking at the Guide to SMP sticky. One of the major uses of this forum is to provide information about SMPs. They are very different from normal Masters and are treated as such by most medical schools.
 
I've been jumping around a few forums and overlooked a key fact, that your post was in an SMP forum lol But yea, I thought it was regular masters when I checked out the website for some reason.

Do you know the minimum sGPA for this program? And/or minimum MCAT? And whether or not they favor applicants from California?

My cGPA is above the range that you stated; however, my sGPA is below, and my MCAT scores are not stellar, and I am from NYC.

Thanks, again!

No problem. I don't think there is a hard rule for the min science gpa but the min MCAT is 28. They do not necessarily favor CA residents. My classmates are from everywhere from Georgia to Ohio to Africa.
 
hey everybody im just looking for some advice...so i graduated this may with a biology degree and a 3.2 cGPA and 3.0 sGPA and a 3.4 non science GPA...i just took the mcat so im still waiting for my results but it should be around 25-28..


i am apply to do schools now however i will also be applying to post bacc programs..any suggestions as to which programs i should look at.. ive already done some research for Edward Via Virgina, Lincoln DeBusk, and LECOM.

Any suggestions as to where else I should look into?? Any help would be really appreciated
 
hey everybody im just looking for some advice...so i graduated this may with a biology degree and a 3.2 cGPA and 3.0 sGPA and a 3.4 non science GPA...i just took the mcat so im still waiting for my results but it should be around 25-28..


i am apply to do schools now however i will also be applying to post bacc programs..any suggestions as to which programs i should look at.. ive already done some research for Edward Via Virgina, Lincoln DeBusk, and LECOM.

Any suggestions as to where else I should look into?? Any help would be really appreciated
 
I'm really sorry if this was already answered but...I skimmed through the first 3 pages of this and couldn't find the answer to my Q:

what is the difference between what you guys refer to as "true SMP's" and those schools that offer 1 year masters as a post-bac program? i keep reading that a "true SMP" is one that offers a masters degree in 1 year but the 1 year masters post bac programs also offer a masters degree in 1 year.

am i misunderstanding something??

also, am i understanding that SMPs are distinguished from 1 year masters post bac programs by the fact that SMPs require students to take med school courses while 1 year masters post bac programs do not?

thanks for any input.
 
I'm really sorry if this was already answered but...I skimmed through the first 3 pages of this and couldn't find the answer to my Q:

what is the difference between what you guys refer to as "true SMP's" and those schools that offer 1 year masters as a post-bac program? i keep reading that a "true SMP" is one that offers a masters degree in 1 year but the 1 year masters post bac programs also offer a masters degree in 1 year.

am i misunderstanding something??

also, am i understanding that SMPs are distinguished from 1 year masters post bac programs by the fact that SMPs require students to take med school courses while 1 year masters post bac programs do not?

thanks for any input.

There's no standards committee for academic enhancement programs, and I'm just a consumer of SMPs with obsessive tendencies. I recognize that "true" or "good" are subjective and may not be all that useful as descriptors.

That said, in my view, the value of a formal academic enhancement program, for those who have already maxed out their undergrad record and want to get into med school, should be solely based on such a program's ability to get low cuGPA students into med school.

If a program publishes outcomes for its grads, and you're able to corroborate those outcomes by talking to alumni and/or by reviewing long, multiple-sourced conversations on SDN, and those results are good (such as you'll find with Gtown, Cincinnati, Tulane ACP, Temple ACMS, EVMS and others), then using a term "true SMP" has merit.

What these programs have in common: they are tightly integrated with the host med school. Students in these programs are effectively auditioning for med school by doing the first year of med school, with med students.

There are exceptions to the commonality above, such as Loyola MAMS, which is not tightly integrated with Loyola's med school, but has an excellent record of getting low cuGPA students into med school.

There are plenty of other one-year or two-year programs that advertise themselves as helpful for those seeking to recover from academic indiscretions in order to get into med school. This includes programs that are not hosted at med schools, MPH/MHA/MLT programs, and non-thesis graduate study. Do people get into medical school after completing such programs? Sure. Can you predict that with your cuGPA you will get into medical school after completing such a program? Maybe, maybe not.

Be a smart consumer and get program alumni, who came from a cuGPA similar to yours, and who got into med school, to give you the scoop. Hint: this info is really easy to get, for programs with good results.

Best of luck to you.
 
Does anyone know of the success rate of the Cal State LA post bacc program?
im thinking of going this route to boost my subpar 3.0 undergrad gpa. instead of going the smp route.

any suggestions? tips?
 
Hi I want to go to Med school and was wondering which of these GPA enhancement programs I should attend.

I have a GPA of 3.2 and have a ton of research experience and actually will be published twice by the end of this year (I have been in research for the past three years). I am looking at applying to Med school in the next 1-2 years, so have time to attend a GPA enhancement program. I also have an MCAT of 33.

I just need help deciding whether I have a shot at getting into Med school since I have a decent MCAT score and have a lot of experience. Should I even consider a GPA enhancement program or should I take my chances and apply to Med school?

If anyone does think I should apply to a GPA enhancement program, which of the five detailed in (http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=640302) should I consider:

Category 1, 2, 3,4 or 5?

Thanks a lot :)
 
Hi I want to go to Med school and was wondering which of these GPA enhancement programs I should attend.

I have a GPA of 3.2 and have a ton of research experience and actually will be published twice by the end of this year (I have been in research for the past three years). I am looking at applying to Med school in the next 1-2 years, so have time to attend a GPA enhancement program. I also have an MCAT of 33.

I just need help deciding whether I have a shot at getting into Med school since I have a decent MCAT score and have a lot of experience. Should I even consider a GPA enhancement program or should I take my chances and apply to Med school?

If anyone does think I should apply to a GPA enhancement program, which of the five detailed in (http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=640302) should I consider:

Category 1, 2, 3,4 or 5?

Thanks a lot :)
MCAT's good but not great; GPA is bad but not terrible. Do a regular SMP, category 1. That means Gtown, Cincy, EVMS etc.

Note that this list is almost 3 years old now. Make sure to look at the program-specific threads in this forum for new & updated info.

Best of luck to you.
 
Thanks a lot... this is a very helpful forum by the way
 
Extra points for the maroon there...

I am so sorry, but I have been trying desperately to find the above thread which has all the details of each of the SMPs.

I have tried this link: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=346106&page=16

and have also have been searching for the past 20-30 minutes, but cannot find it!!! It's the thread in which ImedatUCI posted the info for the USC SMP.

I'll really appreciate a link, Dr. Midlife. I know you created that thread. Thanks so much!!!
 
I am so sorry, but I have been trying desperately to find the above thread which has all the details of each of the SMPs.

I have tried this link: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=346106&page=16

and have also have been searching for the past 20-30 minutes, but cannot find it!!! It's the thread in which ImedatUCI posted the info for the USC SMP.

I'll really appreciate a link, Dr. Midlife. I know you created that thread. Thanks so much!!!
:confused:

The first post in this thread?
 
...applying to medical school this summer (2012)....I plan on taking the MCAT June 21st.
A June 21 MCAT means you can't submit AMCAS until August. That's late and it doesn't help your odds (which are already poor because you're only applying to one school). If the program shows a deadline, it's best to ignore it - focus on when the app opens (June 1).

How far along are you in test prep? Any chance you'd be ready to get a great score next month or in May?

So, timing is important, but obviously, performance is more important. Ideally, you'd have a 32+ in hand on June 1. Lose days before you lose points.

Now, if you're just not in a situation where you can have a great app together on June 1 or July 1 or even August 1, then you might need to just accept that your odds are poor for this year and consider whether you should wait a year to apply.
I can't help but feel that my 3.5 GPA (3.3 science GPA) is going to be a HUGE knock against me.
A HUGE knock, you say? This is based on what information? Maybe too much time spent with malignant gunners in pre-allo?

Average matriculant GPA at FSU (from the '11 MSAR) is 3.7, both overall and science. That means half of FSU med students have a GPA lower than 3.7.

Does that mean you can relax? No. A strong MCAT will help you a great deal. Finishing your degree with straight A's will help. Also, educate yourself about your one and only FSU. Have you attended any applicant sessions? Have you met with their advisers? Have you studied the FSU admissions web pages? How's your Spanish? Have you taken genetics & psych, as recommended?

Another good thing to do: read stuff in the reapplicant forum. It's a great place to find out about mistakes (and thus how to avoid them).

In addition to the USF program, FSU has a masters bridge: http://med.fsu.edu/index.cfm?page=AdvisingOutreach.masters. Both programs are designed for underrepresented minorities.

But I think that an SMP is overkill with a 3.5. You should apply June 1 with a 32+ MCAT. That might not be this June.

Best of luck to you.
 
Speaking to my pre-med adviser, he said the last possible date that I can take the MCAT and still make the Early Decision Deadline (August 1st) is June 21st. Can't I send in my AMCAS app and have my MCAT score sent at a later date?
Your app won't get reviewed until it's complete. Incomplete apps tend to get lost. Last possible date is never the best possible date. If you know for certain that all the apps wait in a pile until August 1 and are then reviewed in random order, then it doesn't matter how early you apply. More likely, they're reviewed first in first out. Part of the advantage of applying early is that the app reviewers aren't worn out and cynical when they get to yours. Meanwhile, if you have a bad day and have to void your MCAT, you're sunk.

If June 21 is what you have to do to get your best score, then just accept it and do it. You might get away with it.

Best of luck to you.
 
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