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.