Applying to MD program with SMP

[Necr0sis713]

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When applying to SMP's, do students typically also apply to the same school's MD program, so that if they do good that year they essentially have a chance to get accepted the following year?

 

[wizkidviz]

Yea, usually the summer before you start the smp you want to have you amcas in so you don't need another gap year.

And yes killing a school's smp will be favorable in the eyes of the admissions committee of that school.

Just to edit for clarity: Usually you want to apply to the central apps before starting the SMP. But keep in mind you'll be interviewing while in school (imagine interviewing during your senior year of college but way worse since there's so much more on the line), and you'll be sending constant updates about your SMP performance (nbd), and you would probably be better off finishing the program and then applying.

But, if you are doing an SMP at XCOM, I still think you should apply to XCOM the summer before you start your SMP.

 

[Necr0sis713]

Yea, usually the summer before you start the smp you want to have you amcas in so you don't need another gap year.

And yes killing a school's smp will be favorable in the eyes of the admissions committee of that school.

Thank you. I was hoping this would be the case. I would hate to take a gap year after finishing an SMP and it would be very motivating knowing that I had a chance to get in the year after.

 

[wizkidviz]

Thank you. I was hoping this would be the case. I would hate to take a gap year after finishing an SMP and it would be very motivating knowing that I had a chance to get in the year after.

Some SMPs have linkages... You should look into those. Unless you're trying to fast track your way into meeting med school requirements you are usually better off just doing grade replacement at a CC, or make sure you go to a linkage program

 

[Birdman15]

Yea, usually the summer before you start the smp you want to have you amcas in so you don't need another gap year.

And yes killing a school's smp will be favorable in the eyes of the admissions committee of that school.

This can be dangerous advice. The likelihood of being accepted to medical school while enrolled in an SMP varies significantly from applicant to applicant. It mostly has to do with the competitiveness of the individual's pre-SMP stats (with the SMP performance playing a role), but even then there are not hard and fast rules or cut-offs. Some applicants need an entire year in an SMP before medical schools will even look at them. If you're in a position where an SMP is necessary, the prospects of having a gap year should never be ruled out completely.

 

[wizkidviz]

This can be dangerous advice. The likelihood of being accepted to medical school while enrolled in an SMP varies significantly from applicant to applicant. It mostly has to do with the competitiveness of the individual's pre-SMP stats (with the SMP performance playing a role), but even then there are not hard and fast rules or cut-offs. Some applicants need an entire year in an SMP before medical schools will even look at them. If you're in a position where an SMP is necessary, the prospects of having a gap year should never be ruled out completely.

That's a good point, I didn't realize that. And you're right, if you're in a position where an SMP is necessary you probably should be reviewed with the SMP under your belt already.

 

[Birdman15]

But if you submit AMCAS the summer before starting the SMP, how is that any different from applying without an SMP? Surely you wouldn't have any improvements to show at that point.

Exactly. Many people that are accepted during the SMP year probably could have had a successful cycle without an SMP. Some medical schools will wait for progress reports from SMP programs and hand out interview invites to applicants who otherwise might have been on the wrong side of the fringe, but medical schools - even ones that host SMPs - are under no obligation to keep a less-than-competitive applicant around with so many other competitive applicants' files on the table.