~Positivity and thoughts and rant of a premed*~

[medstud16]

Hi all,

This will be somewhat of a rant so sorry to whoever wastes a minute reading it before realizing they would rather do anything else.

I am graduating my SMP with a GPA in the 3.5-3.6 range. Not the greatest I know but I am hoping with my high MCAT, a miracle may come my way at my state MD. That being said, the reassurances on here are not great like JEEZ. I am not one to ask for anything sugar-coated ever and am the same way myself but who is coming up with these hard and fast cut offs? I understand it being a stretch but to make it seem like it will never happen seems excessive. The average GPA at my SMP is around a 3.3...surely those kids are going somewhere considering there is an 85% matriculation rate. And sure there may be some Caribbean and DO (which is GREAT - just pointing this out because I am focusing on MD acceptances atm) sprinkled in but that can't be the majority. I just find it so hard to believe that no one with that GPA range from an SMP has received an MD acceptance because people on here make it seem like a shot in ______. It's a GPA to be proud of! I think it is important for us to all also realize we are more than our numbers and SDN while it is great for its resources, should not be a source of defeat and hopelessness for anyone. Also, numbers are not clear cut - one strongly recognized member of an adcom committee on SDN will say something completely different than another on here when it comes to "stats" on here. People may be (and sure are) accomplishing things we may think is unachievable and just not posting it on SDN. I strongly believe this after a friend got into a low yield US MD from SMP with a score not even passable for DO school really and not stellar grades...not URM and not underserved in any way. Going to stop at that.

Also no shade to whoever offers advice on here. It is greatly appreciated always. Sometimes premeds hear more discouraging things than encouraging and we need a change of headspace.

Just keep going. We got this.

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[LunaOri]

Good luck! Something to consider going forward is: why do you think you did better on the MCAT than in your SMP? Can you use your MCAT study habits to help you do well in medical school?

 

[medstud16]

Good luck! Something to consider going forward is: why do you think you did better on the MCAT than in your SMP? Can you use your MCAT study habits to help you do well in medical school?

Thank you and definitely! I am a career changer and only took 1 year of literally 100 level courses before the SMP. Maybe was not the best idea in retrospect. But I saw the massive difference between a few friends of mine who did 4-year degrees in science vs myself - I obviously did not have as strong of a knowledge base or foundation. Some things were review for them when I was seeing it for the first time ever. I would have LOVED to do better if I could have. In regards to MCAT, I personally think the entire grading and exam itself was less tricky than an SMP - competing against fellow pre-meds vs a class of 1st-year medical students is different (imo).

 

[KnightDoc]

Hi all,

This will be somewhat of a rant so sorry to whoever wastes a minute reading it before realizing they would rather do anything else.

I am graduating my SMP with a GPA in the 3.5-3.6 range. Not the greatest I know but I am hoping with my high MCAT, a miracle may come my way at my state MD. That being said, the reassurances on here are not great like JEEZ. I am not one to ask for anything sugar-coated ever and am the same way myself but who is coming up with these hard and fast cut offs? I understand it being a stretch but to make it seem like it will never happen seems excessive. The average GPA at my SMP is around a 3.3...surely those kids are going somewhere considering there is an 85% matriculation rate. And sure there may be some Caribbean and DO (which is GREAT - just pointing this out because I am focusing on MD acceptances atm) sprinkled in but that can't be the majority. I just find it so hard to believe that no one with that GPA range from an SMP has received an MD acceptance because people on here make it seem like a shot in ______. It's a GPA to be proud of! I think it is important for us to all also realize we are more than our numbers and SDN while it is great for its resources, should not be a source of defeat and hopelessness for anyone. Also, numbers are not clear cut - one strongly recognized member of an adcom committee on SDN will say something completely different than another on here when it comes to "stats" on here. People may be (and sure are) accomplishing things we may think is unachievable and just not posting it on SDN. I strongly believe this after a friend got into a low yield US MD from SMP with a score not even passable for DO school really and not stellar grades...not URM and not underserved in any way. Going to stop at that.

Also no shade to whoever offers advice on here. It is greatly appreciated always. Sometimes premeds hear more discouraging things than encouraging and we need a change of headspace.

Just keep going. We got this.

You sound like a strong person with his head on straight, so my advice would be to not seek validation on SDN, especially if you are going to get bent out of shape if you hear something you don't like. Yes, I am familiar with the specific response that set you off, and, TBH, I am also not a fan of his.

There are n=1s all over the place. Anything is possible, advice and opinions here are geared to the masses, and there are definitely exceptions to every rule. OTOH, I also wouldn't take a reported 85% matriculation rate as gospel in a process in which the true matriculation rate is now under 40%. If your SMP is like the typical UG, they massage the numbers to use in marketing, and their real numbers are nowhere near 85%, without a direct linkage and with a 3.3 average GPA.

Yes, a 3.5 is a GPA to be proud of, and, of course, we are all more than the sum total of our numbers. It's also true that in a process in which 60%+ are going to fail, we all can't be doctors, no matter how much we want it. It's an extremely competitive process, and PLENTY of very talented, very worthy people who would be successful if only given a chance are left on the outside looking in. Just like in all other highly competitive endeavors.

All you can do is your very best and then take your shot and let whatever is going to happen to happen. If you are aware that you are going to need a miracle to score an A at your state MD, maybe don't come on SDN hoping for better news if an even more harsh assessment is going to set you off. It's just not good for your mental health as you start the cycle. JMHO, and good luck!!!

 

[Goro]

My cutoffs for SMP grads comes from years of advising here on SDN.

Also from the success rate of students in my own SMP.

Your chances for MD are best with your state school, and possibly with service loving schools if you have enough ECs and/or a compelling story.

I don't know what's going on at your program, but my master students have a GPA average of 3.5. We invest heavily in teaching them how to learn how to learn.

If your program has linkage to a parent medical school perhaps the graduates are mostly going to the parent School? Otherwise they're probably getting into multiple DO schools.