application timeline

[caseofthemndays]

So, for those of you who are starting a one-year SMP or structured, or even non-structured, post-bacc program, will you be applying concurrently for med school matriculation for Fall 2010? Who is waiting a year and why?

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[DrMidlife]

Programs like Georgetown, EVMS, Cincinnati and Tulane ACP support same-year apps. The way this works is that the student has all their ducks in a row (competitive MCAT, LORs, ECs, everything but GPA, plus they've probably applied before), and the SMP's dean sends out letters to med schools supporting their app, after the first semester of classes are done. For med schools that are familiar with these SMPs, there's some same-year success. But mostly the success is in the med school that hosts the SMP.

In pretty much all other cases, a postbac or SMP doesn't help a same-year med school app process at all. The interview season is all but over by the time any assets are available.

The "best of breed" SMP, Georgetown, places 50% of its students same year, and not many go into Georgetown. SMPs that have tight linkage with the host med school (EVMS, Cincinnati, Tulane ACP, Temple) are the ones that have 85% or better same year success.

 

[swimchick]

I'm doing Tulane ACP and will apply for 2010 admission to Tulane (obviously) and a few other schools.

 

[caseofthemndays]

cool, so.... I'm starting Tulane pharm this year. I pretty much have all my ducks in a row (MCAT, EC's, a couple LORs, could prob use more, but I figure I'll get some at Tulane...) Whadya think Drmidlife?

 

[DrMidlife]

cool, so.... I'm starting Tulane pharm this year. I pretty much have all my ducks in a row (MCAT, EC's, a couple LORs, could prob use more, but I figure I'll get some at Tulane...) Whadya think Drmidlife?

Sure, go for it. Be super proactive, professional and polite with the faculty and administration: set them up to succeed in setting you up to succeed. Pay attention to what the Gtown students who are doing same-year apps are getting from their program, and make sure to get it from yours.

Also look for info on med schools that don't know from SMP. The UC system in California, for instance, won't give you any same-year consideration. So far it's my impression that med schools that host SMPs are good candidates.

Go get 'em.

 

[whatdoido]

Also look for info on med schools that don't know from SMP. The UC system in California, for instance, won't give you any same-year consideration. So far it's my impression that med schools that host SMPs are good candidates.

Go get 'em.

Where did you hear that UCs don't consider same-year? Is this true for all SMPs? (I'm starting BU MAMS this fall) Is there some way to look up whether a school gives same-year consideration, or did you have to call each individual school?

 

[DrMidlife]

Where did you hear that UCs don't consider same-year? Is this true for all SMPs? (I'm starting BU MAMS this fall) Is there some way to look up whether a school gives same-year consideration, or did you have to call each individual school?

The yahoo group for Gtown's SMP has about 4000 questions & answers, including multiple instances where individuals are told not to apply same year to UCs. The UCs are too competitive to be friendly about the delays that an SMP brings to the process.

If you look at Gtown's SMP alumni lists, and find the list of recommended post-SMP schools here on SDN and on yahoo, you can get a general sense of what schools people are getting into.

Boston is not an SMP that I view as supportive of same-year-apps, particularly because it tends to take 2 years to complete, and because of the program's reputation for, shall we say, relying on students to show initiative in overcoming administrative obstacles. Not to say it can't be done.

I recommend reading every word in every thread we have here about BUMAMS, and also reading the threads about Gtown, EVMS and maybe Cincinnati and Tufts. Gotta take charge.

Best of luck to you.