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Or you could do some reading and probably answer most of them with some good old fashioned readingI have a lot of questions about SMPs, is there anyone I can message who can help me out? Thanks in advance!
Or you could do some reading and probably answer most of them with some good old fashioned readingI have a lot of questions about SMPs, is there anyone I can message who can help me out? Thanks in advance!
Nope.California Resident, Southeast Asian, Non-traditional
Undergrad cGPA - 3.18, sGPA 2.90 - Non-science major
MCAT - 25, 7ps/10vr/8bs
Yes, if the goal is to get an MD admission and not waste your SMP dollars.do students in SMPs retake the MCAT if they have low scores?
Yes. In your situation, your MCAT score is a much more deterministic piece of your med school app than your SMP performance, because your GPA isn't too far below average (in California).would my low MCAT still be a hinderance in my medical school application if I reapply?
Here you go: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/the-low-gpa-what-do-i-do-thread.827879/#post-11083370Hey guys I was hoping someone not related to me could help me figure out this med school stuff or point me in the right direction. So finished a 4yr college with a gpa of 2.53. I messed up and was immature and grades started goimg down omce I started working. Doing an extra year retaking some classes to raise that gpa a bit, having pretty good success expect for orgo 2. Also, took the mcat and got a 23 which I wasn't happy with so taking a kaplan class and planning to rake the mcat in april/may of 2015. Should I apply to smp's? Will I even have a chance? Already wasted a lot of money applying to med schools last year which was dumb since I wasn't beimg realistic with myself. Any advice will be helpful and greatly appreciated.
Have a few extracurricular and some great faculty and researchers to write LOR's so that's not a problem but haven't been published or anything!
Got some tough love for you.Hello,
I am currently looking to apply to SMP programs as a backup while applying to medical school this upcoming cycle. The following are my stats/circumstances and if anyone could give me advice, I would greatly appreciate it:
Familiarize yourself with the matriculant averages at your schools of interest. National averages are lower than the numbers in California. The private schools that have lower matriculant averages (such as Drexel, Temple) are the schools that get the most applications, such as 15,000 for 150 seats.1. My undergrad gpa is a 3.3 with a science gpa of 3.4 from UC Berkeley/community college in California
2. My MCAT is a 31.
This is all fine. If you're starting an SMP in Aug '15 that's only 6 months of research. You won't get published. Prioritize accordingly.3. I have ~800 hours of volunteering work
4. I have 400 hours of shadowing (one in an urgent care for 200 hrs and other in a foreign country)
5. I am currently starting research this upcoming feb
7. I have 2 clubs in which i was in a leadership role in my undergrad which I finished last year
I'm sorry to hear about your dad. But there aren't any valid excuses for low GPA that hold up in med school admissions. You will have a side paragraph to explain any "academic anomalies" but that paragraph only gets read after a strong impression is made by your numbers.6. I am 26 years old, and due to my father falling ill when I was young, I have worked full time through out my entire college career supporting my family financially (thus, the low gpa stats in addition to delay in applying)
I'm glad you're asking 6 months ahead, and I like the aggression. But you have no advantages that will help you instate or OOS with MD schools. If you are in a hurry, then you need to focus on DO.8. I am applying in the very beginning of the upcoming cycle to MD schools. I am also applying to 48 schools to ensure I am applying broadly to enhance my chances.
I'm sorry to hear that you're getting such bad advice at such a good school.I am very aware of my GPA being low, however, I was encouraged to apply to medical school by my counselors at berkeley due to the fact that I was working full time. They seemed to believe this would reflect responsibility, and maturity to medical schools as I already have 8 years of work experience in addition to something which I believe isn't a total disastrous GPA. I am not an URM, but due to my family's situation, I did live live in the low income group for years until I had enough experience to start earning money in a managerial position which I am at now, though I believe with a family of three, I might be considered economically disadvantaged.
I'm not impressed with your selection. There is a boatload of great information in this forum on all of these programs and several others, with deep commentary from current and former students.As far as SMP programs I am considering: EVMS, U Cinn, Temple ACMS, Drexel so far. Any other suggestions that will increase my chances of med school admission will be amazing.
tl;dr: you will be throwing money away if you apply MD in June. Do more work so that you have the best possible app before you apply MD, or focus on DO schools.I am truly wondering with this background if I will stand a decent chance for MD programs, as I am very passionate about medicine, and spent the few years saving money to apply to med school while most likely depending on loans for SMP.
If you're looking to save money and have things be convenient AND get into med school WITHOUT traditionally acceptable credentials, then you are asking for too much. GPA redemption is a hot mess. Don't expect it to be efficient or tidy or cost-effective.
SMPs are expensive, risky, difficult, inconvenient KNOWN ENTITIES to med schools, because the first year of med school at a US MD school is easily assessable as an audition for the rest of med school. There are only about 14 SMPs, so it's reasonable to expect med schools to (a) have heard of your SMP if not (b) have a current student from there. And you generally need to successfully FINISH an SMP BEFORE you apply to med school. (Nobody likes hearing this. Everybody loves saying "but I know a guy". Do you want to use anecdata to plan your career?)
Traditional grad work makes sense in SOME cases, such as if you get published and you get LORs and your undergrad GPA isn't sub-3.0 and you are realistic about what med schools know or are willing to find out about your work in one of many thousands of bio sci grad programs in the US (hint: med schools will do jack to research you because there are 5000 apps in that pile. Too hard, next!). Grad school GPA has to be high, or it's questionable, and even if it's high, it does nothing to help your undergrad GPA problems. (But an SMP doesn't necessarily do a lot to help your undergrad GPA problems either.)
Both paths require you to be the self-aware grownup in charge. High wire; no net.
Best of luck to you.
True. Well what do you think, robflanker? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.To the last two posters, Midlife has a PM box - why not use that? This isnt like her personal thread
If you want MD, then you should do A. If you are ok with DO, then do B but you will most likely have to take MCAT over again anyways.True. Well what do you think, robflanker? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Maybe others can benefit from the advice? It's all anonymous anyways.To the last two posters, Midlife has a PM box - why not use that? This isnt like her personal thread
This is pretty much the only career field where you will take exams for the rest of your life. In med school, you take exams constantly. You will probably take 10 standardized exams before med school is over. Then you get to residency and you have Step 3, in-service training exams, and licensing exams. Then you have exams every 10 years to maintain your license and board status.Hi there DrMidlife,
Please be totally honest with me, I just need more opinions on this than my advisor at school. I am super stubborn and wont give up on becoming a doctor so no I wont consider a different career path. My strengths just don't in test-taking which I have always struggled with, along with other things throughout my life
This is pretty much the only career field where you will take exams for the rest of your life. In med school, you take exams constantly. You will probably take 10 standardized exams before med school is over. Then you get to residency and you have Step 3, in-service training exams, and licensing exams. Then you have exams every 10 years to maintain your license and board status.
So, with that being said, a career where you will constantly take very hard tests does not seem to be well aligned with someone who doesnt test well. Whether its fair or not, those are the apples.
There are 2. Both start with T. One requires that you be waitlisted somewhere before you can apply. The other requires minimum 3.4. You're the 3rd person to ask so far this year, so the info shouldn't be hard to find.Does anyone know if there is a comprehensive list of SMPs that have ties or "promises" with their medical schools.
There are 2. Both start with T. One requires that you be waitlisted somewhere before you can apply. The other requires minimum 3.4. You're the 3rd person to ask so far this year, so the info shouldn't be hard to find.
Do SMPs help people with low MCAT score? I have a good GPA (3.8), but MCAT score of 27. I took the MCAT the second time and doesn't seem like I am able to crack it (Verbal). Will SMP help me getting into med school? Also, what are your guys' thoughts on Rosalind Franklin University? They directly offer interviews and have high acceptance chances for people who do their SMP and perform well (getting As and Bs consistently).
Thanks you.
3.5/30, FL resident, waitlisted at MD program
Good research, clinical exposure, volunteering
Have applied to Temple, and UC. Should I consider adding others at this point? Thinking about Tulane and EVMS. I'm just hoping I can get off the waitlist
Isn't there a Tulane program for wait-listed students?
Not reallyYeah ACP I believe. Gathering all documents to apply for it now. Is it worth applying to Tulane's other programs?
Generally not a good idea - the whole year of good grades will really help your app. And 1 year in the overall scheme of things isn't much. I took 2 years between my application cycles, and 1 of those was a glide year after my post bac workI've also been thinking about EVMS and Tufts. Changes to the EVMS program has me second guessing if it will be worth the cost. But I really love their med school. I'll do more research on Tufts program although most students opt for the 2yr option there, but I'm hoping to apply during my SMP year.
Yeah ACP I believe. Gathering all documents to apply for it now. Is it worth applying to Tulane's other programs?
Hello!
I'm a rising Korean American senior at a small liberal arts school in Virginia. I've recently decided to take a gap year, and I am kind of at a loss of what to do. I am considering applying to SMPs, but I'm not sure if it would help.
I have finished my major in chemistry, and am just taking elective classes and classes to finish my minors in Studio art and math my final year of undergrad.
cGPA/sGPA 3.4
MCAT (from practice tests)-averaged 35-36
EMT (on campus EMT/EMT downtown)
scribe at a local free clinic
Research 1.5 years in an organic chem lab, but no publications
Head Resident Assistant on campus
I'm worried about my GPA because it is on the lower end of the spectrum. Would it be worth doing an SMP? or should I find some other way to supplement my application.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Hello!
I'm a rising Korean American senior at a small liberal arts school in Virginia. I've recently decided to take a gap year, and I am kind of at a loss of what to do. I am considering applying to SMPs, but I'm not sure if it would help.
I have finished my major in chemistry, and am just taking elective classes and classes to finish my minors in Studio art and math my final year of undergrad.
cGPA/sGPA 3.4
MCAT (from practice tests)-averaged 35-36
EMT (on campus EMT/EMT downtown)
scribe at a local free clinic
Research 1.5 years in an organic chem lab, but no publications
Head Resident Assistant on campus
I'm worried about my GPA because it is on the lower end of the spectrum. Would it be worth doing an SMP? or should I find some other way to supplement my application.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.