I understand the vagueness of this question, but am hoping you can give me a somewhat straightforward answer: What constitutes a good candidate for an SMP?
I have mediocre, but acceptable stats for med school: will graduate with a 3.4 - 3.5 from a top 3 public in CA and have an mcat in the low 30s with a normal breakdown (not less than 10 on any section). I had thought I needed an SMP to become competetive and ensure myself acceptance. But, when I looked at a matriculation breakdown from a competitive SMP program, I was somewhat disappointed at the list of med schools. I feel like taking time off and getting a traditional master's or doing research would make my application just as competitive and could potentially get me into higher-tier schools than I saw on that list. Moreover, the risk of "screwing up" and the hyper-competitiveness of the programs are huge detractors... though, I know med school won't be any easier. Anyway, I'm just confused and would like your input -- is an SMP always the best option for improving a relatively low undergrad GPA? How does someone know when they need an SMP to round out their application? Thanks for your honest expertise.
Andrey,
Great question. Thank you.
When I look at an application, the first things I look at are the GPA and the MCAT. GPA has to be above a certain minimum, as well as the MCAT.
I next look at extra curriculars and medical experience. I like to see a person with varied interests that indicate ability to relieve stress and show dedication. I like to see a good amount of medical exposure showing both compassion, as well as an understanding of what medicine today is about - I don't want to accept someone who has no idea what being a doctor is about. If someone is weak in these areas, that's not going to rule them out, but I'll make a note to advise them, if they enter my program, that they need to improve these areas before they apply to medical school.
I'll read the personal statement next, then the letters of recommendation. These can make or brake a candidate - usually someone is applying to an SMP because of some sort of blemish on their app. I want to know about that blemish and how it has changed. I would like the LOR's to explain how the student is better than whatever problem they faced. Again, this will not necessarily rule an applicant out, but good LOR's can rule a marginal applicant in.
Finally, I take a close look at the transcript. What school is it? I will consider a 3.4 from a UC much more favorably than, say, Generic State Community College. How did the student get the GPA? Was there an uptrend? Are there F's or D's? If they retook a class, did they get an A the second time, or only a B (or worse?), How many W's?
Overall, what I ideally want is someone who has an application that demonstrates that this person *should* be a physician, and just needs a chance to demonstrate that they *can* be a physician.
Just seeing your initial stats, without the rest of you application, I can say you would have a very good chance of being accepted to my program.
As far as the list of schools for matriculation, well, that's really up to you. Every school is going to have a different list, and there will be strengths or weaknesses to each one.
If you feel certain you can get into medical school without an SMP, then I would say, don't go - it would be a waste of your money, and if you can get in without one, it could potentially keep you from getting into a school (as you astutely pointed out.) The fact is, while an SMP may not have an overly impressive med school list - it does still have a med school list. Many people with marginal stats find the security of knowing that they will be enrolling in some medical school to be worth it.