VCU Cert or SGU postbox leading to Med school

[siapr92]

Hey guys,

I have a major dilemma. This past week, so July 21st, I got into the VCU CERT program for Fall 2014 which starts in 3 weeks and only live 2 hrs away. I also got into SGU (St. George, Grenada) but for their Charter foundation program for this Fall that starts in 2 weeks. If I get a 3.5 at SGU, I start med school in January. However I have to move to Grenada by the 8th of August as it starts the 13th. VCU starts the 18th. VCU says that a 3.5 and a 28 in their program gets you an interview and they told me that 70% of the CERT program get into the med school.

I've been out of college for 4 years working in the medical field (2 years research, 2 years clinical) with a 3.2, 26 MCAT. I'm good in all other areas so volunteering and extracurriculars. I would def have to retake the MCAT in the spring semester of VCU.

Any suggestions for which is the better path?!? I feel like SGU would get me to med school sooner but VCU in the US would be better for the long run but I'm unsure of if I could get the stats. I did get 3.5 my later years in college when i dropped extracurriculars that were a 20hr/week time suck.

What to do?! Thank you so much.

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[demayette]

@siapr92 ... Did you apply DO? Your stats should get you into low tier DO school, which is a heck of a lot better than SGU... I would not go to SGU with your stats...

 

[tttgo]

I would not do carribean. Take a look at the postbacc thread and the smp stickies.

 

[FutureSurgical]

I would not do carribean. Take a look at the postbacc thread and the smp stickies.

Can you link us to the SMP stickies? Really considering it due to my lackluster GPA and strong desire to go to an MD school.

 

[tttgo]

If you feel ready and can devote 100% of your time and effort (no job), I would do the vcu cert. Based on this (post 8), I would wait until after finishing the program to apply to med schools. The downside is $ and if you don't do well it will hurt your app. I don't know about this one, but doing bad at smps where you take med school classes looks really really really bad because it reinforces the idea that you can't handle med school. However, the Caribbean option would still be available even after failing an smp, so I would put that off as a last resort.

Your alternatives are to 1. apply DO if you're fine with that route or 2. take a year of random upper div bio classes at a local 4 year to prove to yourself that you've fixed old habits. You don't know if you'll get the VCU chance next year and the mcat will make it difficult to get into other smps.

The postbacc forum is here and here's one of the sticky links about smps.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

@siapr92 ... Did you apply DO? Your stats should get you into low tier DO school, which is a heck of a lot better than SGU... I would not go to SGU with your stats...

Not necessarily. While there are many students that get in with 3.2/26, there are many that don't. OP could try applying but it is wise to do the VCU certificate. After that, their chances at DO school should be pretty good.

 

[demayette]

Not necessarily. While there are many students that get in with 3.2/26, there are many that don't. OP could try applying but it is wise to do the VCU certificate. After that, their chances at DO school should be pretty good.

Applicants with these stats have an excellent shot getting into DO assuming they apply to the right schools like VCOM, ACOM, LMU-COM, PCOM-GA, WVSOM, SOMA, CUSOM, KYCOM, WCUCOM etc... and have average ECs... Most people who don't get in with these stats either apply top heavy and/or apply late in the cycle...

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

Applicants with these stats have an excellent shot getting into DO assuming they apply to the right schools like VCOM, ACOM, LMU-COM, PCOM-GA, WVSOM, SOMA, CUSOM, KYCOM, WCUCOM etc... and have average ECs... Most people who don't get in with these stats either apply top heavy and/or apply late in the cycle...

While I do think that people should apply strategically, I disagree that they have an excellent shot. They have a shot, but there are plenty of people with those stats that don't get in. Schools like VCOM, WVSOM and KYCOM have a lot of IS bias. SOMA's numbers have increased tremendously. While I agree to apply, don't go with an overconfident attitude.

 

[demayette]

While I do think that people should apply strategically, I disagree that they have an excellent shot. They have a shot, but there are plenty of people with those stats that don't get in. Schools like VCOM, WVSOM and KYCOM have a lot of IS bias. SOMA's numbers have increased tremendously. While I agree to apply, don't go with an overconfident attitude.

Maybe 'excellent' was not the right word, but I would say someone with these stats is more likely to get into a school than not IF that person applies to the right school...

 

[edgerock24]

@siapr92 ... Did you apply DO? Your stats should get you into low tier DO school, which is a heck of a lot better than SGU... I would not go to SGU with your stats...

Agree. Why did you not apply to DO schools OP?

 

[Dr Turkelton]

Definitely agree with the CERT suggestions, great program. I just finished the program and am in the process of applying now, PM me if you have any questions.

 

[rodmichael82]

DO NOT go to SGU even if your life depended on it. Pick VCU CERT or go DO!