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30P 3.0/2.9 GPA What are my chances?? Help please!!
- Thread starter JCG4321
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Not good - Osteopathic is a better route at the moment, since when they compute their GPA (through AACOMAS rather than AMCAS), they will not include your D+ - they only calculate in your more recent grade in a given class.
If it has to be an MD, you need to do an SMP and get a GPA of 3.5+, and pull that MCAT to at least a 32.
No - doesn't matter how great your school was, nor does it matter how great your research institution was. What matters is numbers, and result of research (posters/publications).
If you decide to go the SMP route and maintain a 3.5 average(actually I know for a variety of them you only need to maintain a B) you should have a great shot at acceptances to low tier and perhaps an OK chance at acceptances to mid tier schools. I do not believe you will have to improve your MCAT to a 32 if you show that you are more than capable of handling medical school courses by performing well in the SMP(especially since a 30 MCAT is around the average for matriculants).
As of right now you stand a chance of acceptance to D.O. schools.
As of right now you stand a chance of acceptance to D.O. schools.
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You have a chance of an acceptance to MD schools in the Caribbean, but not in the US. I'd suggest you consider DO schools before going out of the country.
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The SMPs that require Bs are generally linkage programs. I like to advise 3.5 so that students don't think they just need Bs, and end up in a non-linking SMP that requires A's. That would be a rather rude awakening lol.
An MCAT of 32 would help "compensate" for the uGPA. The SMP GPA of course helps in this regard, but as you know, the SMP GPA will not impact the uGPA. Schools would still report candidates as uGPA/MCAT, and a 3.0/30 just doesn't look very good. I wasn't suggesting improving the MCAT to prove adequate academic ability in medical school courses.
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I've been reading through this forum and have managed to figure out most of the abbreviations commonly used here, but what exactly is an SMP? A master's program affiliated with a medical school that admits a good amount of the program's graduates? Could someone please give me a rundown? Thank you!
SMP=Special Masters Program. You can find a lot of information about them in SDN's Post-Baccalaureate Forum. They are a last ditch effort to compensate for a low undergrad GPA and prove you can survive in the science-intense environment of a med school. You often take classes with med students and may get a guaranteed interview in their program if your GPA is high.
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Thanks!
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A 3.0/32 won't look spectacular either..... Your MCAT is not the issue, it's the GPA. Unless you get like a 34+, I would not retake the MCAT, b/c a 31-33 is not going to "wow" the admissions committee.
This is what I would advise, if you r set on MD schools.
1) A year or two of post bac classes to improve your gpa to like a 3.2ish
2) During this time, make sure you participate in research, volunteer work, or something you enjoy. SMP's don't compensate for lack of ECs....
3) Apply to SMPs...Do well in the one you get in
4) When you apply to med school after your SMP, they will look at everything including ur undergrad GPA. Too really compensate, I would get something like a 3.8+ in ur SMP, not 3.5. Remember the better ur SMP performance, the more these people will be willing to look past ur gpa.
5) The rest is up to god, good luck
