is an SMP right for me?

[pablohoney16]

Hi guys,

I applied to MD schools this past cycle, 2013-2014, made a few mistakes (late rushed mcat, late application), and did not receive any interviews. After talking to my college advising office, I have decided to wait until 2015 to reapply to medical school and do additional coursework in the meantime. My advising office did not have much information regarding appropriate programs, so I was hoping you could help me out. Also, please feel free to comment on any other weak points you may see in my application.

Biology Major, Ivy League non-HYP
MCAT: 29 (studying now, retaking in June)
cGPA: 3.55, strong upward trend. finished with four semesters of 3.8-4.0
sGPA: 3.35
ECs: 4 year college varsity athlete
2 years full time paid research, a few publications
200+ hours volunteering (ER, patient services, post-surgical floor)
50 hours shadowing family doc, 50 hours shadowing internist in hospital, 10 hours shadowing in OR
50 mentoring underprivileged teens
LOR: coach, current PI, science professor
PS: athletics+medicine theme---> will rewrite this for reapplication.

I think the major weak points are:
1. timing--> well within my control
1. MCAT--> retaking Summer 2014
2. cGPA/sGPA--> SMP?
3. shadowing/volunteering/community service hours--> will continue to add to this

So, a few questions:
1. I think an SMP is the best fit for my gpa needs, is this correct? I have applied to Georgetown so far, and am currently researching others including Tufts, Drexel, Cinci, Mt. Sinai. (I also know people who have had success through Penn-LPS Specialized Studies program...thoughts?)

2. Does an SMP stigmatize an applicant? This is not going to prevent me from doing one, I just want to understand what I'm getting into. For example, if I'm very interested in School X, and School X has a MSAR gpa range of 3.4-3.9...obviously my cGPA/sGPA places me on the lower end of the spectrum but not totally out of consideration. Lets say I then go on to earn a SMP gpa of 3.8 (I know this is easier said than done, this is just for the sake of the example). So I now have undergraduate 3.55/3.35 and SMP 3.8....will School X view me as more competitive since I have "proven myself" in an SMP, or will they see the SMP and view me as a lower tier applicant? Or does it depend on the school? Sorry if I am overthinking this to a crazy degree!!

3. Kinda a follow up on the previous question, I have read that SMPers should focus their reapplication on schools with SMP programs which makes sense (Gtown, Cinci, Tufts, EVMS etc). Are there other schools that look kindly on the older SMP applicant? I will also throw in some DO schools, though MD is still the goal.

Wow. Long. Sorry! Any input would be much appreciated!!

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[BrawnsNBrain]

In my opinion you'd get into a DO school with your current stats no improving whatsoever.

I know Temple has a post-bacc program that, as long as you get a 3.5/30, you can get II to Temple med (this is what I recall). If you want MD, you will need to boost the gpa/mcat as you know. The only thing I can comment on is debt. If you're paying this as opposed to your parents/guardian, then don't go to an expensive program. Go to a program with linkage to medical school that is the cheapest one possible.

 

[pablohoney16]

Thanks for your input BrawnsNBrain! Yea, I've heard great things about Temple, but also that its very competitive to get in, so I don't want to bank on that. Does anyone have opinions on the programs like Penn LPS and Hopkins Intensive that are not SMP's? Or the Mt. Sinai program?

 

[DrMidlife]

Look for the SDN postbac forum for comprehensive info on SMPs.

 

[DCBFan]

An smp is the right choice for a very specific population, and you are probably not it. Think about it, why would you spend 30-50k and 1-2 years of your life to make up for a really not that bad gpa, when you can much more easily study like mad and retake the mcat? Also, do the next cycle right, applying early and jumping through all the volunteering and clinical hoops.

Basically the ideal smp student has a good mcat (34+), an awful gpa (3.55 from an ivy with an upward trend doesn't count, think more like <3.2) and too many credits to improve that gpa easily. If all three of those criteria are met AND you are willing to take on a horrendous amount of debt, then it's an option.

 

[pablohoney16]

Thanks everyone I really appreciate it, though to be honest I am more confused than ever! My advisor told me I should undoubtedly do an SMP, but your suggestions also make a lot of sense. I am trying to contact some additional people in the advising office to get a second opinion. At least I have decided for sure to wait until 2015 to apply, I now just need to decide how I will fill that year--an SMP or a new job.

 

[DrMidlife]

So your advising office can't offer you a list of SMPs but they're saying you absolutely need one. Right.

That means they are not used to advising students who are not squeaky clean & traditional. Get 2nd and 3rd opinions. Keep in mind that the typical college adviser is a liberal arts major who took the job to get health insurance.

Be the grownup in charge - don't wait for somebody to figure it out for you. Specifically, be in charge of getting unconfused. More than half a million premeds have trafficked in the postbac forum for exactly the same situation you're in.

Hint: your GPA is too high to spend $50k on an SMP. You need to get a competitive MCAT score and get your act together for a solid early broad app.

Best of luck to you.

 

[QofQuimica]

OP, if most premed advisors really knew what it took to get into med school, they'd be physicians and not premed advisors. Agree with the others that your quickest easiest route to med school is to apply to DO schools this June. Retaking the MCAT and waiting a yr to apply to allo schools in June of next yr is also reasonable. In either case, with your GPA, the smp would be a waste of time and money.

 

[Goro]

I don't think your GPA is too much of a problem...it's competitive for a good number of schools. MSAR Online is your friend.

So, a few questions:
1. I think an SMP is the best fit for my gpa needs, is this correct? I have applied to Georgetown so far, and am currently researching others including Tufts, Drexel, Cinci, Mt. Sinai. (I also know people who have had success through Penn-LPS Specialized Studies program...thoughts?)


NO! These are proven to show that an applicant can handle a medical school load, and that the you of now is not the you of then (when you were too busy being immature, slacking off, getting clobbered by life, etc). They're an audition for med school, so to speak. A good SMP and a good MCAT = med school acceptance; there are MD schools that value reinvention (like, NYMC or Tulane).


2. Does an SMP stigmatize an applicant? This is not going to prevent me from doing one, I just want to understand what I'm getting into. For example, if I'm very interested in School X, and School X has a MSAR gpa range of 3.4-3.9...obviously my cGPA/sGPA places me on the lower end of the spectrum but not totally out of consideration. Lets say I then go on to earn a SMP gpa of 3.8 (I know this is easier said than done, this is just for the sake of the example). So I now have undergraduate 3.55/3.35 and SMP 3.8....will School X view me as more competitive since I have "proven myself" in an SMP, or will they see the SMP and view me as a lower tier applicant? Or does it depend on the school? Sorry if I am overthinking this to a crazy degree!!

There's a good number of them out there.
3. Kinda a follow up on the previous question, I have read that SMPers should focus their reapplication on schools with SMP programs which makes sense (Gtown, Cinci, Tufts, EVMS etc). Are there other schools that look kindly on the older SMP applicant? I will also throw in some DO schools, though MD is still the goal.