Work experience or SMP?!

[Ran-shaw]

I just wanted to know what medicals school find more attractive: work experience or a better GPA at an SMP program? I will be applying next year, but in the meantime I wanted to know what to do. I'm a reapplicant, I got no interviews or acceptances last cycle and I want to know what will help me most for the next cycle. Here's some basic stats:

cGPA: 3.55, sGPA: 3.47
MCAT: 29 (2013, 11 VS, 10 BS, 8, PS) and 27 (2014, 10 VS, 9 BS, 8 PS) The first one was without prep, then i studied on my own and the score fell! I plan on taking it again, and will make this one count (I'm gonna enroll in a course and study for longer and do more practice)
ECs:
-research for two years, published
-RA for a year
-I started volunteering at a hospital and by the time I apply hope to have 200 hours (at 25 in one month so far)
-I shadowed two doctors (PCP, orthopedist) but I am currently looking for more doctors to shadow.
-volunteered with student ambulance at school and am an EMT (over 100 hours)
-extensive work with non-clinical organizations: a charity that works to educate young women aboard, and another that helps providers adopt EHRs
LORs: I've got 3 strong ones before committee letter

So i've got a job offer as a clinical research coordinator, but my prehealth advisor thinks I should do an SMP on top of retaking MCAT and other ECs. So what would be best is those gap years: the job or an SMP to boost my chances of looking more attractive to med schools? I want to take the job, but the SMP claims to have 90-95% of it's graduates get into med school, and a friend who attended said it was great. Help? I've got to say yes or no to the job by tomorrow!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Goro]

A better MCAT score will make you more viable as a candidate. A downward trend is not good.
A higher GPA will make you more competitive in a sea of highly competitive applicants.

So, if you're boning for an MD, do the SMP and retake MCAT, and ace both.

You're fine right now for any DO school, except AZCOM. I can't recommend LUCOM.

I just wanted to know what medicals school find more attractive: work experience or a better GPA at an SMP program? I will be applying next year, but in the meantime I wanted to know what to do. I'm a reapplicant, I got no interviews or acceptances last cycle and I want to know what will help me most for the next cycle. Here's some basic stats:

cGPA: 3.55, sGPA: 3.47
MCAT: 29 (2013, 11 VS, 10 BS, 8, PS) and 27 (2014, 10 VS, 9 BS, 8 PS) The first one was without prep, then i studied on my own and the score fell! I plan on taking it again, and will make this one count (I'm gonna enroll in a course and study for longer and do more practice)
ECs:
-research for two years, published
-RA for a year
-I started volunteering at a hospital and by the time I apply hope to have 200 hours (at 25 in one month so far)
-I shadowed two doctors (PCP, orthopedist) but I am currently looking for more doctors to shadow.
-volunteered with student ambulance at school and am an EMT (over 100 hours)
-extensive work with non-clinical organizations: a charity that works to educate young women aboard, and another that helps providers adopt EHRs
LORs: I've got 3 strong ones before committee letter

So i've got a job offer as a clinical research coordinator, but my prehealth advisor thinks I should do an SMP on top of retaking MCAT and other ECs. So what would be best is those gap years: the job or an SMP to boost my chances of looking more attractive to med schools? I want to take the job, but the SMP claims to have 90-95% of it's graduates get into med school, and a friend who attended said it was great. Help? I've got to say yes or no to the job by tomorrow!

 

[JackyLin]

Your GPA may not be the dealbreaker for MD, considering I have 3.51/3.45 and albeit being unsuccessful the first cycle, I have much better results this cycle, making me think that GPA isn't the main issue. However, Goro is right that your MCAT doesn't help your situation as a low-stat applicant.

To be honest, personally I would do the job and retake the MCAT "IF" you know you can do well on your own. SMP should help not just your GPA but also MCAT because you are reviewing the topics. However, if you believe you can do well on the MCAT on your own, I would do the job and leave some visible accomplishments.

*just saw that you had to reply to your job the next day, what did you choose in the end?*