Application timeline during SMP?

[hd316]

I've been accepted to a few SMPs (LMU-DCOM, WCU-COM, Tulane, and Mercer), and trying to decide when to apply to medical school, and still which SMP to attend.



Should I apply early this cycle and note that I am enrolled in an SMP, then attempt to persuade schools not to autoscreen my application? Or am I going to have to wait for next year's application cycle?

As far as deciding between schools.... The LMU-DCOM program offers guaranteed interview if you have >3.0 GPA during the fall semester, but I'm afraid other medical schools will want to see an entire year of grades. Thus, pushing everything back a year. Tulane's program has a good track record of graduates gaining admission into medical school, but honestly my stats are too low for any MD school.

Ultimately I'm trying to decide between Tulane and LMU-DCOM.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

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[Goro]

No med school will look at your app until you have at least one semester of good grades. Merely saying that you're in am SMP will do nothing for you.

I suggest that you complete the entire SMP and apply int he following app cycle. If you bomb the program, you'll save on app fees and the aggravattion that goes with the apps.

Med schools aren't going anywhere, and this is a marathon, not a sprint.

The LMU program seems to offer the path of least resistance.

I've been accepted to a few SMPs (LMU-DCOM, WCU-COM, Tulane, and Mercer), and trying to decide when to apply to medical school, and still which SMP to attend.

My stats are really low. I graduated in 2014 with an upward trending cGPA 2.85, sGPA 3.0, MCAT 500, so an SMP is my only ticket into school so I really need to choose wisely. Additionally, I have 300+ hours volunteering, 2.5 years as an ER scribe during undergrad, and 1.5 years of productive cardiology/pulmonology research at Vanderbilt post-grad (1 first author and 2 co-author publications, and a dozen abstracts presented at international conferences).

Should I apply early this cycle and note that I am enrolled in an SMP, then attempt to persuade schools not to autoscreen my application? Or am I going to have to wait for next year's application cycle?

As far as deciding between schools.... The LMU-DCOM program offers guaranteed interview if you have >3.0 GPA during the fall semester, but I'm afraid other medical schools will want to see an entire year of grades. Thus, pushing everything back a year. Tulane's program has a good track record of graduates gaining admission into medical school, but honestly my stats are too low for any MD school.

Ultimately I'm trying to decide between Tulane and LMU-DCOM.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[futdoc251989]

No med school will look at your app until you have at least one semester of good grades. Merely saying that you're in am SMP will do nothing for you.

I suggest that you complete the entire SMP and apply int he following app cycle. If you bomb the program, you'll save on app fees and the aggravattion that goes with the apps.

Med schools aren't going anywhere, and this is a marathon, not a sprint.

The LMU program seems to offer the path of least resistance.

Won't most schools wait until OP's first semester grades are in before making a decision?

 

[Steve_Zissou]

Won't most schools wait until OP's first semester grades are in before making a decision?

I had this question too. I'm going to be in an SMP this upcoming year and have a decent MCAT, but I'm not sure if I should wait to apply so I can get LORs from the professors in the program or not.

 

[hd316]

I had this question too. I'm going to be in an SMP this upcoming year and have a decent MCAT, but I'm not sure if I should wait to apply so I can get LORs from the professors in the program or not.

I talked to Tulane Med School Director of Admission and she suggested completing the entire program before applying.

How are re-applicants viewed by adcoms? Will I have to add a lot more to my application, or will the SMP + volunteering be enough?