Difficulty of SMPs

[Parthenon89]

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I understand that most SMPs are just as hard as the first year of medical school and that SMPs are also a huge risk becuase if you do not do well it will stain your record showing med schools that you can't handle the work.

but i'd like to know from those of you have completed SMPs successfully how hard it really is and if it was doable by average students when hard work is put in.

thanks

 

[TyrKinase]

Short answer: Yes

Much longer answer with lots of qualifiers and some personal anecdotes: if you can figure out how to learn the material effectively very early on, you'll be in a good place. I entered an SMP after earning a ~3.5 post-bacc sGPA, thinking I would be set because I had covered a lot of the material at the undergrad level (biochem, physiology, immunology, etc). Unfortunately, very long hours in the library didn't earn me the grades I wanted because I did not adjust fast enough to the type of learning I had to do in medical school courses. It wasn't that the material is necessarily more difficult but the pace and breadth of information is very different from undergraduate courses, even upper division ones.

If a special masters program is your last shot at a medical school acceptance, take it. Just be sure to know two things in advance: first, how you landed the GPA that got you stuck at an SMP in the first place and second, how to rapidly adjust your studying style if need be.

Good luck!

Requisite background info: ~3.3 cGPA. ~3.0 sGPA, 32 MCAT, ended up with a ~3.1 SMP GPA.

 

[mr2trd3]

Thanks for the info, TyrKinase. I'm sure you'll do great at Tulane.

 

[TyrKinase]

Thanks for the info, TyrKinase. I'm sure you'll do great at Tulane.

Many thanks, mr2trd3. I'm going to do my best to make Big Things Happen at Tulane. This SMP stuff is pretty crazy but it'll show anyone who gives it a shot just what it takes to be successful in medical school.

Do you know where are you headed next year?

 

[mr2trd3]

Many thanks, mr2trd3. I'm going to do my best to make Big Things Happen at Tulane. This SMP stuff is pretty crazy but it'll show anyone who gives it a shot just what it takes to be successful in medical school.

Do you know where are you headed next year?

I'm pretty set on going to RFUMS BMS. Getting into CMS isn't such a sure thing as getting into Tulane for you, but it's good enough. Good