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Hey Guys, I have a few questions about the SMP schools, so here's my info:

Graduated from UC Irvine with Neurobiology in the summer of 2009
cGPA: 3.346
BCPM GPA: 3.28

I took my MCAT twice before while I was in school. This turned out to be a mistake because it lowered my MCAT score and my GPA for those 2 quarters. I ended up getting a 23R and a month later I got a 27Q. So I decided to take 2009-2010 off and study for my MCAT. Im scheduled for the Jan 2010 exam, and so far my practice exams say I'll score a 33-35.

I did med research for 2 years, and now I am employed as a medical researcher as well. I also did a little over 1 year of clinical work in an ER

I think an SMP is right for me, given my stats. So I applied to Georgetown's SMP already and I am waiting for a result. Also, Im prepping my applications to Univ Cincinnati SMP, EVMS SMP, and VCU SMP. Please let me know if there are any problems or schools I can change on my list. Also, I list in my apps that I'm going to update them with a new MCAT score when it's available.

PS: I received a D+ in a little 2 unit neurobio course in my last year. Interesting thing is, that quarter, I earned an A in every one of my 4 unit classes so my GPA went up. Will this be a major sore in my application?

Thanks Guys
Gary
 
Hi,

Where am I able to get a list of some DO SMP's? I have a 3.154 cumulative from undergrad and would like to apply to some DO's as backup.
 
Hello,

Just wondering if there is any Canadians who have taken the American SMP route? It seems to me that not many of the SMPs (atleast the main ones ie Georgetown, EVMS, Cin) discriminate against Canadians which is nice. However, i assume the problem for Canadians comes when applying to the med schools. I know U of Cincinnatti gives Canadians Ohio residency after their one year program, but I do not know how Georgetown views us. DOes anyone know?

Also, I was wondering how competitive I would be. I have a 30Q MCAT and a 3.0 cGPA. My Junior year was 3.2 and my Senior year was 4.0. So upwards trend🙂

I have a ton of volunteering. Shadowed ER Doctors in Ecuador for a month, also rebuilt orphanages there, Childrens Hospital for 3 years, UBC Hospital for one year, St John Ambulance 3 years, Ski Patrol 2 years, Diabetes Lab for one year (15 hours per week!!), Various Leadership positions around campus, Sexual Health Educator for 1 year.......been on atleast 2 sports teams each semester.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, from Americans or Canadians. Thank you for your time
 
drctother said:
Hello,

Just wondering if there is any Canadians who have taken the American SMP route? It seems to me that not many of the SMPs (atleast the main ones ie Georgetown, EVMS, Cin) discriminate against Canadians which is nice. However, i assume the problem for Canadians comes when applying to the med schools. I know U of Cincinnatti gives Canadians Ohio residency after their one year program, but I do not know how Georgetown views us. DOes anyone know?

Also, I was wondering how competitive I would be. I have a 30Q MCAT and a 3.0 cGPA. My Junior year was 3.2 and my Senior year was 4.0. So upwards trend🙂

I have a ton of volunteering. Shadowed ER Doctors in Ecuador for a month, also rebuilt orphanages there, Childrens Hospital for 3 years, UBC Hospital for one year, St John Ambulance 3 years, Ski Patrol 2 years, Diabetes Lab for one year (15 hours per week!!), Various Leadership positions around campus, Sexual Health Educator for 1 year.......been on atleast 2 sports teams each semester.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, from Americans or Canadians. Thank you for your time
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I do know that there were several canadian students in the Cincinnati SMP in previous years and they all seemed to have done well (one got into Case Western Reserve University though she decided to matriculate at a Canadian medical school instead). I don't think any of the major SMP programs would discriminate against Canadian applicants since Canadian applicants generally have stronger credentials.

As for your stats. Both of your GPA and MCAT are above the minimum requirement. I would recommend that you retake the MCAT if you feel that can improve on it or if you're planning on applying to medical school the same year you're doing your SMP. Your EC's look OK though I would advise you to spend more time shadowing physicians before you apply. If you're planning on applying medical schools in the US while in the Cincinnati program, I would really advise you to complete your SMP and become a state resident. Being an in-state resident really helps getting admitted to the state schools around here.
 
Hi, I am looking into doing a SMP and like the idea of doing an MPH in the second year. I know this is an option at Boston Univ and Tufts - does anyone know of any other schools that offer this option? Also, does anyone have info on the MPH portion - does the application go through SOPHAS?

I applied this cycle, but so far have only gotten rejections, no interviews. (19 schools applied, 5 rejections) I took the MCAT in mid-August, so got complete at schools fairly late. I hope to hear more news in the next month or two, but need to have a back up plan.

STATS:
cGPA 3.56 (after this year, expect to be around 3.64)
sGPA 3.25 (after this year, expect to be around 3.35) - strong upward trend, retook classes that I did poorly in from my Freshman year
MCAT 35N (P12 V11 B12)

ECs:
clinic volunteer in South America 5 wks / 100 hrs total
physician shadow 25 hrs (one doctor)
hospital volunteer 9 months / 3 hrs/wk (ongoing)
CNA (paid work) 8 months full-time equivalent (full-time then part-time)
clinical research (just started, 4 hrs/wk)
public health internship (part of my UG degree)

Some other issues is that I've spread my schooling out over about 10 years, and I have moved around and so courses are spread over 4 different schools. Also ended up withdrawing from one university due to family issues and moving (able to get hardship withdrawals).

I want to get an MPH in addition to the MD, so I think it would be a good use of time between the SMP and matriculation (if I can get in). So the cost of an extra year isn't much of a deciding issue for me. I'm leaning away from doing post-bac work b/c it will take 25 credits of a 4.0 to just get my sGPA up to a 3.5.

What do you all suggest? And thanks for your help!
 
Hi, I've been a long time reader, first time poster. So, here is the situation I'm in:

cGPA: 3.29
sGPA: 3.18
MCAT: 30 O (only taken once)
Upward trend in the GPA. 3.6 for the last 60 hours. 3.9ish for the last 35.

1.5 yrs of research writing honor's thesis
8 months paid work for a doctor
officer in a club for 2 years
Habbitat for humanity for a semester
Volunteer at a free clinic for one summer

currently working at a hospital, (started June)

Applied this year, no interviews. Possibly applied to the wrong schools.

This is my fifth year in college, I can graduate this may with a sGPA 3.27 and cGPA 3.38.

I am considering:

1) graduate in may and do a SMP ? which programs do think I would be competitive for ?
2)Staying as an undergrad another year and graduating with a 3.5 cgpa and 3.45 sgpa ?

would really appreciate some advice. Thanks !
 
gujuDoc said:
If you get he kind of mcat score you arepredicting, then I tend to think you will get into a decent SMP.


Also, I would consder RFU BMS, BU MAMS, and possibly Tufts MBS amongst SMPs.

I think VCU's is a Postbac not true SMP. The rest are all the rest of the best SMPs. Tulane has a good one too but only for people who've previously been waitlisted for a medical school.
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Thanks gujuDoc!
You're a great help 😀
 
NeuroS - are you sure about your GPA calculations? It seems unlikely you could raise your cGPA by 0.2, after already having done 4 years of Ugrad work. Did you not take many credits per semester or something?
 
Robflanker yes I have worked it all out as an excel spread sheet so I'm sure about it.

Gujudoc, from what ive calculated, if I take courses in the summer, fall and spring, I can bring it up to a 3.5 cum and 3.45 science by the end of May 2011. Or I could graduate in May 2010 (after next semester) with a 3.38 cum and a 3.27 science and just do an SMP (which I'm not sure ill get into a good one). So right now I'm leaning towards staying the extra year.

So my question really is:
Would the year spent in undergrad (6th year !) just to raise my gpa from 3.38 to a 3.5 be worth it (and possibly study for the MCAT again and I understand that I might even have to do an SMP after that year anyways) or should I just take that time to do an SMP directly ?

Because just from reading SDN and looking at some SMP's website it seems like some people who do the program still dont get into medical. Which leads me to wonder if one's undergrad GPA would still hold him/her back despite say a stellar SMP year.

Sorry about the long post, just wanted to explain my thoughts !
Thanks for the advice.
 
NeuroS - i'm sorry but i still don't buy your calculations. I know my starting GPA was higher than yours, I had less credits in the bank than you, and there was no way I could raise my GPA by 0.2. So i'm gonna call BS there, and i suggest you revisit your calculations. It is impossible to raise your GPA by 0.2 after having banked 5 full years of UGrad classes and doing a 6th yr.

Next, an SMP is no sure thing but nor is taking 6 yrs as UGrad. I suggest you do the SMP as taking yet more Ugrad classes isnt going to help and I think you'd get some strange looks if you took 6+ years of Ugrad classes with a relatively decent GPA. Some ppl here take 8yrs of Ugrad classes but thats because there first degree they had like a 2.3 GPA and then in their second degree did much better. You aren't in that position, so i'd move on to grad work.
 
Hey robflanker thanks for the advice.

btw I wont be bringing it up .2 id be bringing it up .12 from 3.38 to 3.5...

here are the numbers

165 credits and 557 gpa points = 3.38

add 42 hours of course work over the next year (summer fall and spring : assuming a 4.0)

207 credits and 725 gpa points = 3.50242

Simple math, no BS there. Making a 4.0 might be a leap (maybe you'r calling BS on that), but the numbers work. Check em your self.

Also, I don't think a 3.38 is a decent gpa to begin with, which is why I'm thinking about doing the extra year. And like I said I understand I might have to do an SMP after that year anyways...
I just think if I have a 3.5 GPA, 30 MCAT and also a good SMP to top it off, the odds would go up...
 
It is 0.2. You have 3.29 now, and after 2yrs of 4.0 - you'd have a 3.5. I think its a bit unrealistic to expect two years of 4.0 after being a 3.3 student for the previous 4 yrs.

3.38 is a decent number in these parts, try reading a few threads of people sub 2.5 gpas.....You'll have a 3.5 GPA but it will have taken you 6yrs to get it, it doesn't mean as much as someone who got there in 4 yrs tho providing you pull it off two years of 4.0 would be very impressive.

I just dont think you are being very realistic with yourself.
 
Yeah I know, that's all I've been thinking about for past two weeks, can I pull a 4.0 for the next two years, and also will it be worth it even if I do...

You suggest though that I should just graduate and try for an SMP ? What If I can't get into an SMP... I've been looking at some of the popular ones like G.town, Ucinci, Temple ACMS and the few at Tulane. But I feel like I won't get in at any of those..
 
Some of the Tulane ones require you to be on a waitlist for a med school to be accepted so you arent eligible for that.

Your stats are only slightly lower than mine and I got into the 3 SMPs I applied to - BU MAMS, Tufts and UMDNJ. Try those three - it doesnt hurt to apply to them. Same is true of Gtown, UCincy etc
 
Thats good news! Thanks for the response. I am trying to decide between BU MAMS or Cin in Ohio because at UofCin you get Ohio residency, which seems very beneficial as a Canadian. If i went to Boston im pretty sure I wouldnt get Massachusetts residency. By residency ,I mean qualifying after just one year living there.

Any advice? You guys know the system better than I do. Thanks
 
drctother said:
Thats good news! Thanks for the response. I am trying to decide between BU MAMS or Cin in Ohio because at UofCin you get Ohio residency, which seems very beneficial as a Canadian. If i went to Boston im pretty sure I wouldnt get Massachusetts residency. By residency ,I mean qualifying after just one year living there.

Any advice? You guys know the system better than I do. Thanks
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Cincinnati is a better choice personally simply because Ohio has many more state schools (5). I'm an in-state resident (and also in the Cincinnati SMP) and have already been accepted to several Ohio state medical schools. Regardless of your stats, being an instate resident has helped tremendously. The state requirements in Ohio are the same as Massachusetts - you become an instate resident after a year if you live here on loans without parental support.
 
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Thanks for the quick response! Do you have any idea what kind of stats you need in the SMP to stand a chance at say Cincinnati Med, Wright, or Toledo? I guess thats a bit broad of a question. I have a 3.05 UGrad with 3.8 last two years. 30Q MCAT....

If you could provide any advice it would be greatly appreciated
 
robflanker, you got in for fall 10 ? when did you submit your applications ?
 
drctother said:
Thanks for the quick response! Do you have any idea what kind of stats you need in the SMP to stand a chance at say Cincinnati Med, Wright, or Toledo? I guess thats a bit broad of a question. I have a 3.05 UGrad with 3.8 last two years. 30Q MCAT....

If you could provide any advice it would be greatly appreciated
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That is a pretty broad group of schools. I don't have any specific "hard" numbers but I would say that you need at least a 3.5 GPA in any SMP to have a chance. That seems to be the minimum from what I've heard on the grapevines. Obviously a 4.0 would be best but you should be fine with 3.7 or higher.

As for other advice - I would really advise you to get your MCAT as high as possible (double digits in all three sections). The people who've gotten into medical schools while doing the program or after doing the program did not have very good undergraduate GPAs but they all had very high and balanced MCATs (90th percentile or above). A high MCAT and an excellent performance (3.7+) in an SMP shows that you have potential even if you had a difficult undergrad performance.

Another piece of advise I would offer is to be patient. Since youre not an ohio resident, I would advise you to wait a year and complete the SMP before applying. Apply to medical school after you complete your SMP and become a state resident. Take advantage of the residency preference that the state medical school offer. I can say that being an in-state resident really helped with getting into those three schools that you mentioned.
 
Looking Glass said:
Cincinnati is a better choice personally simply because Ohio has many more state schools (5). I'm an in-state resident (and also in the Cincinnati SMP) and have already been accepted to several Ohio state medical schools. Regardless of your stats, being an instate resident has helped tremendously. The state requirements in Ohio are the same as Massachusetts - you become an instate resident after a year if you live here on loans without parental support.
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that is NOT, repeat, NOT the requirement in mass. it is very stringent.
 
bleargh said:
that is NOT, repeat, NOT the requirement in mass. it is very stringent.
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More to the point, Ohio is pretty much the ONLY state that grants residency for just being there. All the other states want to see you contribute substantially to the state coffers before you start getting subsidized, either by being employed (and having payroll taxes paid on your behalf) or by owning property (and paying property taxes). Whatever the difference is between instate and OOS tuition, that's what the state's dishing out for its residents. And the requirements vary quite a bit by state.
 
I'm thinking post-bacc or SMP, but I have no idea what program might be right for me, or where I might be competitive. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

My stats--
MCAT- 30P (12V, 8PS, 10BS)
BS in Neuroscience, BA in Anthro (graduated in 3.5 years after transferring out of bioengineering program)
cumGPA-3.2, science-2.8 (I have A's and B's in all the pre-med req's but the physics lab, but advanced math/engineering/neuroscience classes really hurt me)

work/ec's:
1 year of work as a research tech in Alzheimer's lab (currently employed here)
2 years of undergrad research in a neurobiology lab (2 publications)
several volunteering exp in hospitals, leadership positions (community service chair for sorority and another similar position for entire Greek community in undergrad)
also currently a high school lacrosse coach
 
thanks for the advice... do you know if any of the SMPs allow you to also take an undergrad class or two along with the program (I'd really like to retake that physics lab)... Also, what are your thoughts on applying to med school before the program starts to avoid a gap year? Or considering that I've already applied to med school this cycle (hoping against the odds that I might be accepted somewhere) should I wait until the full force of my SMP grades are behind me and apply after completing the program?
 
bleargh said:
that is NOT, repeat, NOT the requirement in mass. it is very stringent.
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Then it sounds like Ohio is a better choice for state residency. Based on my experience, OH is not a difficult state to establish residency in.
 
gujuDoc said:
What is the policy? i'm just curious now.
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The policy is slightly different for every state and certainly, in some state it's pretty easy. In other states, it's very difficult. I think you can get much more accurate information by going to your school's financial aid office than from SDN. Again, it's pretty important to figure out how to establish state residency because your state school will give preference over out of state residents when granting interviews and acceptances.
 
gujuDoc said:
What is the policy? i'm just curious now.
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for med admissions purposes either 5 years with proof (i.e. tax returns) or graduate high school in ma.
 
I was just reading through this thread and there is so much helpful info!
I was wondering if I should do a SMP program or post bac but I can't decide because of my GPA.

My cum GPA is currently a 2.7.
My science GPA is close to a 2.0

Freshman year: Gen Chem (D, retook and got a C), Gen Chem 2 (C)
Sophmore Year: Orgo (F, retook and got a C), Orgo 2 (C+), Physics 1 (C)
Physics Lab (b+)
Junior Year: Physics 2 (C+), Bio 1 (C+), Bio 2 (Projected B), Orgo Lab (Projected B)

What should I do? I have definately showed an upward trend, however, its EXTREMELY slow. haha I'm hopeful that I can raise my GPA to a 3.0 by the time I apply to an SMP my senior year.

I will be taking my MCATs this April.

Even with my low scores, I'm still thinking about applying to the Carribean schools, I mean there's no harm in trying right?

Any advice would be much appreciated!
Thank you!
 
Even if you could get your GPA to a 3.0 next year, the fact that you have Cs in each one of the pre-reqs (pretty much) will preclude you from getting into any SMPs.

SMPs are upper level science, and you got Ds and Fs in intro the first time, and then got Cs the 2nd time. If its even allowed to take them a 3rd time, you'd have to get As in order to convince an SMP you can do their coursework.

IMO, you aren't competitive for Carribean schools (at least the good ones) either.

You need to retake your intro science classes before you take the MCAT, as Cs and Ds don't lead to 30+ on the MCAT.

Good luck
 
gujuDoc said:
with your scores there is a chance you could get into a MD school without an SMP b ut there is also a chance that you are at the border because of your science GPA. So it could o either way.

If you can bring the GPA up without having to do a SMP to a reasonable science GPA then I'm sure that is cheaper and easier route to consider because SMPs are risky business and a lot of money. So you could do that too. good luck.
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Thank you gujuDoc, I appreciate the advice.
 
My stats:
GPA 3.1 (mostly A's senior year)
MCAT 28
-worked in a lab for a summer
-worked as an EMT for a summer
-research for a summer (1 publication)

I am trying to find the best route to medical school. A post-bac program could help raise my undergrad GPA and show an upward trend. Although, a SMP could show I am able to compete with other medical students.

Which would medical schools look more favorably upon? I am open to any other suggestions as well
 
goblue10 said:
My stats:
GPA 3.1 (mostly A's senior year)
MCAT 28
-worked in a lab for a summer
-worked as an EMT for a summer
-research for a summer (1 publication)

I am trying to find the best route to medical school. A post-bac program could help raise my undergrad GPA and show an upward trend. Although, a SMP could show I am able to compete with other medical students.

Which would medical schools look more favorably upon? I am open to any other suggestions as well
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Your MCAT and EC are pretty good but the GPA thing is going to kill you; as other's have mentioned on this forum, a post-bac isn't going to do much to change or boost your undergrad GPA but since you have an upward trend in your grades, as I did, I think a SMP would be good for you
 
Hi everyone, I wanted to give people my stats and find out what you recommend in regards to trying applying right into med school, doing a SMP, or going for PA school as an alternative?

Graduated with a BS and honors in Bio Sciences and Minor in Biochemistry;
* cGPA is 3.45 with a sGPA of 3.39
* upward grade trend junior and senior year with mostly B+'s and A's in upper level bio courses

Currently doing a MPH in clinical epidemiology at a School of Public Health part-time while take MCAT, do volunteer work and shadowing over the next two years because wouldn't be applying for entrance to the fall 2013 at the earliest.

I am aiming for a MCAT score of 28 or higher

My question is, based on my undergrad GPAs and if I can score 28 or higher on the MCAT do you think that will be enough to apply directly into med school or, due to my GPA, do you think a SMP at the completion of my MPH would be a good idea?

If by chance, I get a 27 or lower on the MCAT, that score in conjunction with my undergrad GPA would not be competitive enough for a MD program; I was then thinking of applying to PA school since the ones around me don't have a test requirement for admissions and my undergrad GPA is more competative for PA school?

What are your suggestions and recommendations???
 
I don't think an MPH is helping your app in anyway shape or form but thats neither here nor there.

You'll need 30+ to be competitive for MD, and 28+ would probably put you in ok standing for an application to DO. You are below MD average but on the money for DO, hence probably better odds.

I wouldnt have done an MPH in the first place, i'd take the MCAT, see what I got and go from there. If you get a 30, i'd consider doing an SMP to give myself a better shot at MD. If I got less, i'd just do DO as not many sub 3.5/sub30 applicants get into MD
 
smarty666 said:
Hi everyone, I wanted to give people my stats and find out what you recommend in regards to trying applying right into med school, doing a SMP, or going for PA school as an alternative?
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Agree w/flanker in general.

32 is the average MCAT for MD schools. Your GPAs are below average. Therefore you need an above average MCAT and an otherwise impressive app. If you're reading that your state school has a minimum MCAT of 27, or that the average MCAT for some school is 27, and that's why you're aiming for such, then you're making a mistake.

Your MPH is basically an extra-curricular activity. If you work in the public health field for a while before you do med school, then it's a really nice EC.

I'd say do an SMP if you don't get into med school. Apply concurrently to avoid another gap year.

If you'd be happy as a PA then for the love of all that's holy be a PA. Med school is for those who can't be happy doing anything else.

Best of luck to you.
 
I agree on most points all you have made and I do appreciate the feedback because its helpful in deciding what to do. I should have clarified but what I was saying is, if I get below a 28 on the MCAT I wouldn't even think of just blindingly applying to med school because as you pointed out I def need a 30 or higher MCAT to make up for my average GPA

In regards to the MPH, I'm sick of everyone on here trash talking the degree like its worthless and meaningless on a application. While I understand its not hard science and obviously would not raise my undergrad GPA it is till valuable and would make my app stand out. Saying that it is only EC is a complete falsehood. It is a GRADUATE LEVEL education and I'm going to have to study hard to obtain it. My area of study is going to be clinical epidemiology. All the professors in my department are MD's and I'll be doing my project in a clinical setting, mostly likely a hospital. At the very least, it will give me great experience and stories to tell to a admission committee. An MPH, especially in the area of epidemiology has a tremendous amount to do with medicine. The way people talk they act as if an MPH was like I was getting a degree in English Lit or something else completely unrelated to medicine.

Anyway, I was really asking for advice on SMP and MCAT scores, not to be criticized for my Graduate study options! Thanks again though for the help and I'm def going to use my MCAT score as the indicator of what direction I take in regards to SMP, etc. Thanks again!!
 
Smarty - you are fooling yourself on the value of an MPH, but hey its yours now, so enjoy.

Rock the MCAT and that'll make your decisions easier, tank the MCAT and that'll make your decisions easier too lol tho not in the way you'd like

good luck
 
smarty666 said:
In regards to the MPH, I'm sick of everyone on here trash talking the degree like its worthless and meaningless on a application. While I understand its not hard science and obviously would not raise my undergrad GPA it is till valuable and would make my app stand out. Saying that it is only EC is a complete falsehood. It is a GRADUATE LEVEL education and I'm going to have to study hard to obtain it. My area of study is going to be clinical epidemiology. All the professors in my department are MD's and I'll be doing my project in a clinical setting, mostly likely a hospital. At the very least, it will give me great experience and stories to tell to a admission committee. An MPH, especially in the area of epidemiology has a tremendous amount to do with medicine. The way people talk they act as if an MPH was like I was getting a degree in English Lit or something else completely unrelated to medicine.
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I'm totally in favor of public health. An MPH is probably the most likely thing I'll do if I don't end up in med school, and it's highly probable that I'll want an MPH in addition to an MD. Epi in particular, love it. The jobs available to holders of an MPH are highly compelling.

And: an MPH will not help you get into med school. You are going to get slaughtered in MD school apps/interviews if you go in with the religious belief that your MPH study has prepared you for med school or set you apart from candidates with better credentials than yours. Like other traditional graduate study, it's an EC. Embrace it.

smarty666 said:
Anyway, I was really asking for advice on SMP and MCAT scores, not to be criticized for my Graduate study options! Thanks again though for the help and I'm def going to use my MCAT score as the indicator of what direction I take in regards to SMP, etc. Thanks again!!
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Thicker skin recommended. Why do you feel personally criticized by anonymous opinions?
 
DrMidlife said:
The jobs available to holders of an MPH are highly compelling.

And: an MPH will not help you get into med school. You are going to get slaughtered in MD school apps/interviews if you go in with the religious belief that your MPH study has prepared you for med school or set you apart from candidates with better credentials than yours. Like other traditional graduate study, it's an EC. Embrace it.
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One of reasons I know I'm going to have to get some sort of clinical degree, ie PA or MD is because my area of interest is in clinical sciences, since that was the majority of the classes I took and enjoyed as an undergrad, i.e. endocrinology, immunology, physiology, toxicology, virology, etc. But what I have found out in job searching is, that even in private industry and clinical trials, regardless if you have the MPH, they want a clinical background in their positions, i.e. RN, NP, PA, or MD/DO.

One thing I forgot to mention before everyone went off on the MPH tangent was, another reason I did an MPH is because of severe personal health issues I've been having the last several years. I have had two back surgeries, one being a spinal fusion just last year, and I'm still having problems with pain/burning/stinging, etc in my back and down my leg and I'm most likely going to need another surgery this year to remove the hardware, granulation tissue, etc before I'll be good to go. I'll need at least a 6-12 month recovery again and I didn't want to spend the next 2-3 years not doing anything academically while getting prepared for med school application so I chose an MPH in epidemiology because, while it is hard conceptually, it is a lot easier with time spend in class and studying then your would equivently do in a SMP, PA, or MD program. I obviously could not do any of those latter three right now with the way my back is.

But as both of you pointed out the MCAT is really going to be the gold standard to direct me on what I am going to do. Thanks again for all your help!!!!
 
just wondering if any canadians have ever applied to boston university's ma medical science program...i was reading through the requirements and one of them is that international students have to take a second language for the master of arts requirement??? is bu even a good choice for a canadian to be applying to for an smp or is there something better out there? any input would be greatly appreciated 🙂
 
gujuDoc said:
BU is a very strong SMP from what I can see and from what they told us students have gotten in Canadian schools coming out of the program. The only one that might be more reputed is probably going to be the original SMP Gtown SMP.
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...so then it's probably pretty difficult to get into as international student no? and do u know anything about that second language requirement for international students??
 
gujuDoc said:
I don't know about the language requirement. Its not difficult to get into if you have a decent GPA or MCAT/GRE but it kinda focuses on the whole apply after you do the 1 year rather then while in SMP so that is why a lot who choose not to do it over Gtown or others don't. Its why I was originally hesitant to apply. But there are also a lot of classmates of mine who have turned down Gtown SMP to go to BU MAMS because they liked that they didn't push the apply while in the program rather then after the 1 year and gave you a year to do research or another degree like the MPH degree as a dual degree sorta thing. some people like that because they want to also strengthen other aspects of their app.

I'm not so sure of anything about the second language requirement thing. You can contact Natasha Hall or others in the GMS office about that.
Click to expand...

thank u so much for your input!! it's been helpful and is very much appreciated 🙂
 
Really haven't posted in a while, decided to get away from the cutthroat nature of this forum, but couldn't really find another place to get feedback on the whole SMP process. I decided that I'm going to go the SMP route (hoping that I can get in) but would like some feedback.

It seems that all of the SMP programs I'm looking at can accept the GRE in lieu of the MCAT so I was wondering if I should just take the GRE now (I've had some training and the test is far easier than the MCAT) and apply now so I can then focus on the MCAT in May (I'm taking a Princeton Review course). Or should I hold off on the GRE and bank everything on the MCAT and hope that if the score is good enough, I can use that for the SMP and applying to Med School while in the SMP should I get into one?

Any ideas.
 
SilentSoldier said:
Really haven't posted in a while, decided to get away from the cutthroat nature of this forum, but couldn't really find another place to get feedback on the whole SMP process. I decided that I'm going to go the SMP route (hoping that I can get in) but would like some feedback.

It seems that all of the SMP programs I'm looking at can accept the GRE in lieu of the MCAT so I was wondering if I should just take the GRE now (I've had some training and the test is far easier than the MCAT) and apply now so I can then focus on the MCAT in May (I'm taking a Princeton Review course). Or should I hold off on the GRE and bank everything on the MCAT and hope that if the score is good enough, I can use that for the SMP and applying to Med School while in the SMP should I get into one?

Any ideas.
Click to expand...

Given that GRE scores are acceptable, I think the best strategy would be to wait to take the MCAT until you are fully prepared. Not maximizing your MCAT results could prove be a detriment later when you apply, whereas any GRE score will be mostly overlooked because it's your MCAT score that adcoms will care about. That's my two bits.

- Buck
 
My stats:
cGPA 3.41
sGPA 3.25

I'm staying in college for an extra year since I changed my major halfway through college. I could be graduating in December of 2010 but after considering it for a while I decided to spread out the remaining courses and give it my best shot, and try to raise my GPA to >3.5

My ECs are pretty average compared to everyone here:
100 hours ER volunteering
1.5 years of orgo research
shadowing (in process)
official in one of the clubs on campus

I haven't taken the MCAT yet since I'm finishing up orgo II just now, so probably this summer. But from what I see here I'm sure that I should be aiming for 30+

SMPs sound like a great chance to boost my chances! So I would just like to clear some things up: if I will be graduating in spring 2011, I should have my application ready by that January to start in fall? But should I also apply to med schools that June or whenever they start accepting applications and state that I'm getting an SMP?

I also would like an estimate of what schools I should consider for the SMP. I looked on the AAMC website and the requirements for a lot of them are listed as just a ~3.0 GPA, and from what I read here it seems a lot more competitive than that.

Thanks in advance!
 
SingfrAbsoltion said:
My stats:
cGPA 3.41
sGPA 3.25

I'm staying in college for an extra year since I changed my major halfway through college. I could be graduating in December of 2010 but after considering it for a while I decided to spread out the remaining courses and give it my best shot, and try to raise my GPA to >3.5

My ECs are pretty average compared to everyone here:
100 hours ER volunteering
1.5 years of orgo research
shadowing (in process)
official in one of the clubs on campus

I haven't taken the MCAT yet since I'm finishing up orgo II just now, so probably this summer. But from what I see here I'm sure that I should be aiming for 30+

SMPs sound like a great chance to boost my chances!
Click to expand...
Hmmm, depending on which state you live in, you would probably do well to try applying MD before assuming you need an SMP.
SingfrAbsoltion said:
So I would just like to clear some things up: if I will be graduating in spring 2011, I should have my application ready by that January to start in fall? But should I also apply to med schools that June or whenever they start accepting applications and state that I'm getting an SMP?
Click to expand...
For med school: apply preferably in June 201x to start school in fall 201x+1. Roughly a 15 month app cycle.
For SMPs: apply preferably in October 201x to start school in fall 201x+1. Most SMPs open their apps a year ahead lately.

You should have your MCAT score in hand when you apply to med school. Ideally take the MCAT in April or May. With a sub-competitive GPA, early matters. With all the competition for SMPs, I don't recommend planning on getting in with a GRE score, as others in this forum recommend.

In your shoes, I recommend applying MD in June 201x, and you'll know by October whether you need to apply SMP simultaneously.

An SMP app is identical to an MD app, ideally. The SMP programs expect you to upload a PDF of your med school app. You use the same recommendation letters, and ideally you write a short essay of intent for the SMP in addition to your personal statement for med school.

SingfrAbsoltion said:
I also would like an estimate of what schools I should consider for the SMP. I looked on the AAMC website and the requirements for a lot of them are listed as just a ~3.0 GPA, and from what I read here it seems a lot more competitive than that.
Click to expand...
There are a ton of people doing SMPs with better than a 3.0 GPA, and I'm not positive that these folks are spending their money wisely. As you're doing, another year of undergrad can get your GPA close enough.

Pardon the ego, but AAMC's list wishes it were my list. See the GPA enhancement sticky at the top of this forum.

Best of luck to you.
 
gujuDoc said:
I'm in agreement with Dr.Midlife on all her points.

You might or might not need it depending on where it is you are planning on applying and depending on how high your MCAT score is. What is your home state if you are willing to give up that information?
Click to expand...

I'm a NY resident. I know that I supposedly have a shot at some NY schools with an improved GPA, but from I see people are having a really hard time getting accepted. I'm seeing really intelligent people with good grades settle for Caribbean schools and it's really discouraging. Besides, my school isn't that great, I'm afraid that that in itself will compromise my chances. We do however have a pretty good research facilities and science departments.
 
gujuDoc said:
You should do a postbac with more undergrad courses if you want the cheapest way to do it. if you are now a resident of NY, then it should be cheaper.
Click to expand...

As much as I would love to save money, 5 years of consecutive undergrad courses is already long enough as it is 🙁 The reason that SMPs sound so attractive to me is that even though they are "premed" they sound different and challenging a good and different way. Besides, I can't stand the thought of staying at my school any longer than needed, and I don't know if I would be even allowed to transfer anywhere with my 120+ credits
 
Hi, thanks for the thread and great advice.

My current stats are :
cGPA 3.51
sGPA 3.39
MCAT 31O

I graduated w/ a cGPA 3.39 and sGPA 3.12 from a top university in 2007. I knew I needed to improve my undergrad gpa so I took 5 science courses (including cell bio, microbio, biochem) at my state university the following year (GPA 4.0) which brought me up to cGPA 3.42 and sGPA 3.29. I took the MCAT in the summer of 2008 and applied that same summer (complete in september--I know, kinda late). During the year of the application I decided to take 6 additional science courses (GPA 3.95). I got 2 MD interviews and was (low) waitlisted by both.

I sent updates in the summer 2009 with the current stats stated above but did not get in off the waitlists. By that time, it was already mid summer again and I had not reapplied for a second round. I was intent on retaking the MCAT and/or squeezing out the last upper division science courses from my state university. I am currently taking 3 science courses (which could potentially pull me up to cGPA 3.53, sGPA 3.44). I have decided on not retaking the MCAT or at least not until this summer.

EC's:
4 years of sports
1.5 years of research (only an abstract/poster)
Lots of volunteering and clinical experience

LOR's:
Okay, but probably could be better.

I am seriously considering an SMP since I am aware of my (still) borderline GPA. For sure, I am applying very early this 2010 cycle. However, given the fact that I will be a reapplicant makes me afraid that this would be my last shot. Would an SMP help strengthen my candidacy while applying or if I get waitlisted again? Also, if I don't get in after this second round, but work my butt off and do well in an SMP, how would that look to medical schools in a third round application?

Sorry for the long post. Thank you in advance for your advice!
 
Does anyone have any info on Cornell's post bac? Has anyone gone through this program or know what the acceptance rates are and any experience insights?

Thanks.
 
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