DO SMP Question

[kelminak]

Hello,

So I've done GPA calculations and after this upcoming semester, if I were to get all As, I would be at ~2.96 GPA. I'm pretty frustrated as I've been doing retakes for ages and have climbed from a 1.8 GPA to this point but I still won't have any chance of getting into DO schools with that GPA. My problem second to that is that I'm starting to run out of classes to retake and I'm worried about my MCAT expiring (took it September 2014). I was hoping to be able to apply this summer with another chance to apply the following year if I wasn't accepted (not sure if I'd be willing to retake MCAT). I made a similar thread recently, but I had assumed I was going to get over a 3.0. Now that I know it's not possible, I'm wondering if a DO SMP would be the best way to go. Firstly, here are my stats again:

~2.9 GPA, higher sGPA (can't remember exactly)
28 MCAT (7/12/9)
300 hours clinical volunteering.
Shadowing (Will make sure this is completed before applying)

Secondly, here are my questions:

1) Most DO SMPs that I've looked at have rolling admissions that go through June and are already open. I would definitely need to complete my classes for the Spring 2016 semester. If I applied immediately after their completion, would I even stand a chance applying so late in the cycle? Is it even a good idea to apply to one of these? It seems like I'm so close to the requirements of DO school that it's frustrating to have to do one, but I would push through it if that's what it took to be accepted.
2) I could take ~6 non-retake credits over the summer and apply in September, but my calculations put my GPA at 3.00 and I feel like there is a lot of risk to hinge everything on being absolutely perfect throughout Spring and Summer. A single A- would throw that for a loop. That's a bad plan, correct?
3) I could spend through the next year taking whatever retakes or non-retakes I can and apply June 2017. I would guaranteed have over a 3.0 This gives me a single chance at applying and I'm extremely nervous about this. However, all of my stats would be over the requirements. My MCAT won't be considered expired if I apply before September (when I took them MCAT), is that correct?

Thank you for your time!

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[adrian710]

Apart from obvious GPA work, I would work on more EC's. DO schools are especially interested in EC's and you lack the leadership roles and extra things they look at.

The good news is your MCAT. The bad is your GPA which only option #3 can make up for.

Go with #3 and give it everything you have. With a 3.0+ GPA, 28 MCAT, more EC's (clinical volunteering, non-clinical volunteering, DO LoR, leadership roles, etc), I reckon you score a few II's and an acceptance.

G'luck!

 

[oOKawaiiOo]

Do a DIY post-bacc and repair those grades, option #3. Aim for a +3.25 GPA and more doors will open to you when you apply. Because your GPA isnt stellar, mine wasnt, your ECs will need to compensate that. Aim for.....

+100 shadowing hours--Shadow D.O.s in primary care-- most schools are driven towards primary care and was brought up in every single interview Ive attended.
+250 clinical hours
+250 non-clinical hours.
Get as many D.O. letters as you can.....
Leadership roles are hard to find, but working for Habitat for humanity/any hospice centers can help

Get a scribe job if you can. As I call it the "golden" opportunity to learn medicine and it's so easy to get a strong LOR.

Your MCAT is good, but that 7 in , I assume, in bio might be worrisome. Some schools will pre-screen you because of it.

 

[kelminak]

Do a DIY post-bacc and repair those grades, option #3. Aim for a +3.25 GPA and more doors will open to you when you apply. Because your GPA isnt stellar, mine wasnt, your ECs will need to compensate that. Aim for.....

+100 shadowing hours--Shadow D.O.s in primary care-- most schools are driven towards primary care and was brought up in every single interview Ive attended.
+250 clinical hours
+250 non-clinical hours.
Get as many D.O. letters as you can.....
Leadership roles are hard to find, but working for Habitat for humanity/any hospice centers can help

Get a scribe job if you can. As I call it the "golden" opportunity to learn medicine and it's so easy to get a strong LOR.

Your MCAT is good, but that 7 in , I assume, in bio might be worrisome. Some schools will pre-screen you because of it.

I've been doing a DIY post bacc for almost two years now, so I'm running out of things to retake. However, there are definitely still a few classes that I couldn't fit together and I could get them done over the next year. Along with that I could take some other classes like biochemistry that are both hard science and related to medicine (despite not technically being required by DO schools).

I knew I needed to shadow, but I didn't realize how intensely I should. Do you really think 100+ hours is mandatory? I understand that my ECs are weak and this might help, but I just don't know how I could fit that much time in over the year along with volunteering both clinically (I have 200 logged hours) and non-clinically (no non-clinical volunteering). I can look into the scribe thing, but I thought that would require training and I would definitely not have the time to do that now.

The MCAT is PS/VR/BS, so my 7 was in physical sciences. I hope that my physics skills won't be a deterrent considering my BIO was a point above average and VR was in the 98th percentile.

Thank you for your input!

 

[adrian710]

I've been doing a DIY post bacc for almost two years now, so I'm running out of things to retake. However, there are definitely still a few classes that I couldn't fit together and I could get them done over the next year. Along with that I could take some other classes like biochemistry that are both hard science and related to medicine (despite not technically being required by DO schools).

I knew I needed to shadow, but I didn't realize how intensely I should. Do you really think 100+ hours is mandatory? I understand that my ECs are weak and this might help, but I just don't know how I could fit that much time in over the year along with volunteering both clinically (I have 200 logged hours) and non-clinically (no non-clinical volunteering). I can look into the scribe thing, but I thought that would require training and I would definitely not have the time to do that now.

The MCAT is PS/VR/BS, so my 7 was in physical sciences. I hope that my physics skills won't be a deterrent considering my BIO was a point above average and VR was in the 98th percentile.

Thank you for your input!

200 plus hours clinical is solid. You need probably 100 hours non-clinical. Find leadership roles somehow. EC's are easiest to do in college where you can join clubs and such. Also shadow a DO for how many ever hours it takes to get an LoR. Have you shadowed anyone at all? I would say overall 50+ hours of shadowing is solid.

 

[Ryomagoku]

@Goro once suggested to me that it's better to do retaking classes than DO SMP.
I agree with adrian that 3.0 with good MCAT and ECs will bring some light.

 

[oOKawaiiOo]

I've been doing a DIY post bacc for almost two years now, so I'm running out of things to retake. However, there are definitely still a few classes that I couldn't fit together and I could get them done over the next year. Along with that I could take some other classes like biochemistry that are both hard science and related to medicine (despite not technically being required by DO schools).

I knew I needed to shadow, but I didn't realize how intensely I should. Do you really think 100+ hours is mandatory? I understand that my ECs are weak and this might help, but I just don't know how I could fit that much time in over the year along with volunteering both clinically (I have 200 logged hours) and non-clinically (no non-clinical volunteering). I can look into the scribe thing, but I thought that would require training and I would definitely not have the time to do that now.

The MCAT is PS/VR/BS, so my 7 was in physical sciences. I hope that my physics skills won't be a deterrent considering my BIO was a point above average and VR was in the 98th percentile.

Thank you for your input!

Biochemistry is becoming one of the RECOMMENDED courses that you take- also was brought up in one of my interviews. Get your GPA as high as you can. If you're not picky about schools, then aiming for a ~3.0 GPA isnt gonna help you if youre lacking in ECs. Again, aim for +3.25 if possible and more doors will be open. I dont think 100 hours is mandatory, but anything about the application process is a toss up. I just want you to have a strong application when you apply-- also can ease any nervousness and boost your confidence.

Your MCAT is fine then. Just be warned, some school will pre-screen you because you have a <8.

Scribing? I mean it's your life. I made A LOT of sacrifices and even ended my relationship with my gf at the time who employed me to work at $20/hour (after taxes). I could come into work any time and leave any time. I quit cold turkey though and got a scribing job 2 hours away, which paid me at $9/hour. It took me an HOUR to get to work every day.....and of course an hour back, but it was WORTH it..... The training is paid for and it's basically like a job orientation that will work around ur schedule.

Scribing is a combination of shadowing, learning REAL life medicine, and getting clinical experiences. Also, if youre great and the doctors appreciate your help, they would even write you a strong LOR. The respect and invaluable learning exposure will compensate for the pay rate.

 

[adrian710]

Biochemistry is becoming one of the RECOMMENDED courses that you take- also was brought up in one of my interviews. Get your GPA as high as you can. If you're not picky about schools, then aiming for a ~3.0 GPA isnt gonna help you if youre lacking in ECs. Again, aim for +3.25 if possible and more doors will be open. I dont think 100 hours is mandatory, but anything about the application process is a toss up. I just want you to have a strong application when you apply-- also can ease any nervousness and boost your confidence.

Your MCAT is fine then. Just be warned, some school will pre-screen you because you have a <8.

Scribing? I mean it's your life. I made A LOT of sacrifices and even ended my relationship with my gf at the time who employed me to work at $20/hour (after taxes). I could come into work any time and leave any time. I quit cold turkey though and got a scribing job 2 hours away, which paid me at $9/hour. It took me an HOUR to get to work every day.....and of course an hour back, but it was WORTH it..... The training is paid for and it's basically like a job orientation that will work around ur schedule.

Scribing is a combination of shadowing, learning REAL life medicine, and getting clinical experiences. Also, if youre great and the doctors appreciate your help, they would even write you a strong LOR. The respect and invaluable learning exposure will compensate for the pay rate.

Lol your posts make me laugh for some reason. No offense, seriously though.

 

[OrdinaryDO]

All of these recommendations for specific amounts of time in clinical or non-clinical settings are uncalled for right now. The number one task for the OP is to elevate his or her GPA to a respectable number, then worry about the other stuff. Gaining experience in a clinical setting is definitely a plus and almost an unwritten rule, but non-clinical hours won't do anything in place of clinical hours that would really account for much. With your situation, I would work towards getting on somewhere in a clinical setting, what I recommend an assisted living place if you can which would allow you to do CNA work without requiring your certification (this may not be true for ALL facilities, but most of the facilities I have been to will allow you to be a PCA which is just a patient care assistant and only requires a CPR cert.), or try to do some scribe work if you feel up to it. If you level out your GPA and your MCAT is still eligible, then I would MAYBE consider non-clinical areas (I, personally, would not since it hasn't helped me at all and every interviewer who has interviewed me seemed only interested in academics and clinical experience.)

I will give you this - if you recover from a 1.xx GPA to a 3.xx GPA, then you will have some amazing proof that you are truly dedicated to this process and want to be in medical school. I commend you for your efforts and wish I nothing but the best. I hope medical schools see your hard work and you are able to keep up your efforts and motivation to becoming a physician.

As for the screening of a <8 don't worry about it too much. I had a 6 on one of my areas with a competitive overall score on the newer test and I have had several offers and interviews. Just apply broadly.

 

[oOKawaiiOo]

(A) All of these recommendations for specific amounts of time in clinical or non-clinical settings are uncalled for right now. The number one task for the OP is to (B) elevate his or her GPA to a respectable number, then worry about the other stuff. Gaining experience in a clinical setting is definitely a plus and almost an unwritten rule, but non-clinical hours won't do anything in place of clinical hours that would really account for much. With your situation, I would work towards getting on somewhere in a clinical setting, what I recommend an assisted living place if you can which would allow you to do CNA work without requiring your certification (this may not be true for ALL facilities, but most of the facilities I have been to will allow you to be a PCA which is just a patient care assistant and only requires a CPR cert.), or (C) try to do some scribe work if you feel up to it. If you level out your GPA and your MCAT is still eligible, then I would MAYBE consider non-clinical areas (I, personally, would not since it hasn't helped me at all and every interviewer who has interviewed me seemed only interested in academics and clinical experience.)

I will give you this - if you recover from a 1.xx GPA to a 3.xx GPA, then you will have some amazing proof that you are truly dedicated to this process and want to be in medical school. I commend you for your efforts and wish I nothing but the best. I hope medical schools see your hard work and you are able to keep up your efforts and motivation to becoming a physician.

(D) As for the screening of a <8 don't worry about it too much. I had a 6 on one of my areas with a competitive overall score on the newer test and I have had several offers and interviews. Just apply broadly.

A: It's not uncalled for. OP just wanted to know a range he should aim for. Is 50 hours the same as 100? Some schools will specifically ask you how many clinical/shadowing/non-clinical hours you have...... and will reflect "Does this person knows what he/she is going into?" and "Does OP's stats reflects this?" Also, OP can volunteer, work, and take classes at the same time. I did and it worked in my favor.

B: What is a respectable number? Dont be vague. BE SPECIFIC...... +3.25 is my recommendation

C: +1

D: I'm happy for you. But im looking at more of a financial/time saver..... OP should be worried if he/she is wasting his/her money and time if applying to a school that pre-screen. Unless OP is a nice person and likes giving out donations. Applying broadly is right, but applying EARLY is also KEY.

Lol your posts make me laugh for some reason. No offense, seriously though.

Let's keep this on topic. Or else.....imma be in trouble

 

[arc5005]

Biochemistry is becoming one of the RECOMMENDED courses that you take- also was brought up in one of my interviews. Get your GPA as high as you can. If you're not picky about schools, then aiming for a ~3.0 GPA isnt gonna help you if youre lacking in ECs. Again, aim for +3.25 if possible and more doors will be open. I dont think 100 hours is mandatory, but anything about the application process is a toss up. I just want you to have a strong application when you apply-- also can ease any nervousness and boost your confidence.

Your MCAT is fine then. Just be warned, some school will pre-screen you because you have a <8.

Scribing? I mean it's your life. I made A LOT of sacrifices and even ended my relationship with my gf at the time who employed me to work at $20/hour (after taxes). I could come into work any time and leave any time. I quit cold turkey though and got a scribing job 2 hours away, which paid me at $9/hour. It took me an HOUR to get to work every day.....and of course an hour back, but it was WORTH it..... The training is paid for and it's basically like a job orientation that will work around ur schedule.

Scribing is a combination of shadowing, learning REAL life medicine, and getting clinical experiences. Also, if youre great and the doctors appreciate your help, they would even write you a strong LOR. The respect and invaluable learning exposure will compensate for the pay rate.

Has scribing helped you in med school at all?

 

[OrdinaryDO]

A: It's not uncalled for. OP just wanted to know a range he should aim for. Is 50 hours the same as 100? Some schools will specifically ask you how many clinical/shadowing/non-clinical hours you have...... and will reflect "Does this person knows what he/she is going into?" and "Does OP's stats reflects this?" Also, OP can volunteer, work, and take classes at the same time. I did and it worked in my favor.

B: What is a respectable number? Dont be vague. BE SPECIFIC...... +3.25 is my recommendation

C: +1

D: I'm happy for you. But im looking at more of a financial/time saver..... OP should be worried if he/she is wasting his/her money and time if applying to a school that pre-screen. Unless OP is a nice person and likes giving out donations. Applying broadly is right, but applying EARLY is also KEY.




Let's keep this on topic. Or else.....imma be in trouble

A. My elaboration on this topic was the OP should focus on GPA first and foremost before anything even remotely related to ECs. OP has been recovering from a 1.8 GPA muster and has already been at it doing a DIY post-bacc for a while and still has yet to break 3.0. There will be more merit to his work just judging by where he had to start from. 3.xx exemplifies anything above a 3.0 obviously the higher the better, but saying 3.25+ is just a guess. Schools will view quality over quantity and take everything into account, without his whole backstory we cannot give him definitive numbers to go off of. Any and all volunteer/leadership is good, obviously, but you have to be qualified in the numbers department before you can even get to ECs.

B. You cannot be specific, the higher the GPA the better with an obvious notion that 3.00 should be the bare minimum for anyone trying for medical school.

D. My advice was made with the financial burden kept ot the forefront of my mind. I was focusing on the cheapest route to take to getting into medical school. If OP has a huge financial burden, then OP can apply for assistance for free application and secondary fees. If you can't afford the applications then idk how you plan to attend the interview AND lay the deposit for a seat if accepted. You have to do what you have to do.

 

[kelminak]

All of these recommendations for specific amounts of time in clinical or non-clinical settings are uncalled for right now. The number one task for the OP is to elevate his or her GPA to a respectable number, then worry about the other stuff. Gaining experience in a clinical setting is definitely a plus and almost an unwritten rule, but non-clinical hours won't do anything in place of clinical hours that would really account for much. With your situation, I would work towards getting on somewhere in a clinical setting, what I recommend an assisted living place if you can which would allow you to do CNA work without requiring your certification (this may not be true for ALL facilities, but most of the facilities I have been to will allow you to be a PCA which is just a patient care assistant and only requires a CPR cert.), or try to do some scribe work if you feel up to it. If you level out your GPA and your MCAT is still eligible, then I would MAYBE consider non-clinical areas (I, personally, would not since it hasn't helped me at all and every interviewer who has interviewed me seemed only interested in academics and clinical experience.)

I will give you this - if you recover from a 1.xx GPA to a 3.xx GPA, then you will have some amazing proof that you are truly dedicated to this process and want to be in medical school. I commend you for your efforts and wish I nothing but the best. I hope medical schools see your hard work and you are able to keep up your efforts and motivation to becoming a physician.

As for the screening of a <8 don't worry about it too much. I had a 6 on one of my areas with a competitive overall score on the newer test and I have had several offers and interviews. Just apply broadly.

Thank you for all of your input. I am still currently volunteering 5 hours a week at surgery waiting in my nearest hospital where I escort patients and their families through pre-op and post-op, etc. Do you think it'd be better to keep doing this rather than cutting it off to do non-clinical volunteering? I don't think I can manage doing both while being successful in school. I really enjoy this position as well. Despite it being 6:30 in the morning on a Monday, I get to see nurses, doctors, etc. in a behind-the-scenes way and the people I work with make it extremely enjoyable. If I continued at the rate I've been doing, I could have 500 hours of clinical volunteering by the time I'm done, but I wouldn't have non-clinical volunteering/leadership elsewhere.

Thank you for your well wishes. Going from a 1.8 to a 2.8 so far has been an a long journey with lots of bumps, but I'm hoping I can serve to show others that you can really do it even if you have to claw your way from the bottom up.

I had never heard of screening an 8 before either, and I'm hoping the 12 in VR might show that I have strong critical thinking skills that are valued in medicine.

 

[OrdinaryDO]

Thank you for all of your input. I am still currently volunteering 5 hours a week at surgery waiting in my nearest hospital where I escort patients and their families through pre-op and post-op, etc. Do you think it'd be better to keep doing this rather than cutting it off to do non-clinical volunteering? I don't think I can manage doing both while being successful in school. I really enjoy this position as well. Despite it being 6:30 in the morning on a Monday, I get to see nurses, doctors, etc. in a behind-the-scenes way and the people I work with make it extremely enjoyable. If I continued at the rate I've been doing, I could have 500 hours of clinical volunteering by the time I'm done, but I wouldn't have non-clinical volunteering/leadership elsewhere.

Thank you for your well wishes. Going from a 1.8 to a 2.8 so far has been an a long journey with lots of bumps, but I'm hoping I can serve to show others that you can really do it even if you have to claw your way from the bottom up.

I had never heard of screening an 8 before either, and I'm hoping the 12 in VR might show that I have strong critical thinking skills that are valued in medicine.

I would definitely stick with your current gig. If you can find other means of adding volunteer or leadership then that would be a bonus, but clinical volunteering is invaluable for your application and it shows dedication to keep a long term volunteer gig lined up.

 

[oOKawaiiOo]

Has scribing helped you in med school at all?

I will start med school this coming up summer.....

I worked in the ER for the past 2.5 years, 50 hours a week in the last year due to high attrition rate. Apparently, the ER is no playground...... I learned a lot of medications, emergency procedures (intubation, central line, abscess drainage, chest tube, etc), reading x-rays and CT-scan. Some doctors even asked me,"Tell me what do you see?" to "Is that pneumonia or atelectasis?" It was exciting. I even, with the permission of the attending doctor, put in the diagnos(es) for the patient and explained to the doctor why I choose those diagnos(es)-- something a 3rd-4th year would do...... There was even a point where the physician assistant asked me "uhhh what do I do next?" on a patient when the attending doc was out on a bathroom break aka lunch.... I learned about the patient-physician relationship and most importantly, learn about the physician's thought process and how to write up a precise medical documentation...... I always had a notepad to write down any new medication,diagnosis, and/or procedure. I will admit, some of the physician assistants/nurse practitioners charting were horrible, convoluted, and even had contradictions-- which may come back and bite them in a legal sense.

During one of my interviews, I had a lengthy discussion with one of the medical professors where I was getting a tour around their school. We talked about radiographic films-- the CT-scans, x-rays, MRI, and ultrasound. This professor was doing some sort of research imaging and hope to incorporate it into the curriculum because using cadavers were limited and expensive. I was able to follow and even have inputs within the conversation. I thought it was a plus to have some prior knowledge before entering medical school-- because I might be a step ahead of my classmates and even teach them a thing or two.

Edit for more content-- I had an opportunity to participate in a meeting with 2nd-year students at ATSU-SOMA. I participated in the discussion and even had more inputs than half of the students. Thanks to my scribing job of course.

 

[adrian710]

I will start med school this coming up summer.....

I worked in the ER for the past 2.5 years, 50 hours a week in the last year due to high attrition rate. Apparently, the ER is no playground...... I learned a lot of medications, emergency procedures (intubation, central line, abscess drainage, chest tube, etc), reading x-rays and CT-scan. Some doctors even asked me,"Tell me what do you see?" to "Is that pneumonia or atelectasis?" It was exciting. I even, with the permission of the attending doctor, put in the diagnos(es) for the patient and explained to the doctor why I choose those diagnos(es)-- something a 3rd-4th year would do...... There was even a point where the physician assistant asked me "uhhh what do I do next?" on a patient when the attending doc was out on a bathroom break aka lunch.... I learned about the patient-physician relationship and most importantly, learn about the physician's thought process and how to write up a precise medical documentation...... I always had a notepad to write down any new medication,diagnosis, and/or procedure. I will admit, some of the physician assistants/nurse practitioners charting were horrible, convoluted, and even had contradictions-- which may come back and bite them in a legal sense.

During one of my interviews, I had a lengthy discussion with one of the medical professors where I was getting a tour around their school. We talked about radiographic films-- the CT-scans, x-rays, MRI, and ultrasound. This professor was doing some sort of research imaging and hope to incorporate it into the curriculum because using cadavers were limited and expensive. I was able to follow and even have inputs within the conversation. I thought it was a plus to have some prior knowledge before entering medical school-- because I might be a step ahead of my classmates and even teach them a thing or two.

Edit for more content-- I had an opportunity to participate in a meeting with 2nd-year students at ATSU-SOMA. I participated in the discussion and even had more inputs than half of the students. Thanks to my scribing job of course.

What school are you attending? You are very active on SDN and have yet to figure it out. Cheers.

 

[oOKawaiiOo]

Thank you for all of your input. I am still currently volunteering 5 hours a week at surgery waiting in my nearest hospital where I escort patients and their families through pre-op and post-op, etc. Do you think it'd be better to keep doing this rather than cutting it off to do non-clinical volunteering? I don't think I can manage doing both while being successful in school. I really enjoy this position as well. Despite it being 6:30 in the morning on a Monday, I get to see nurses, doctors, etc. in a behind-the-scenes way and the people I work with make it extremely enjoyable. If I continued at the rate I've been doing, I could have 500 hours of clinical volunteering by the time I'm done, but I wouldn't have non-clinical volunteering/leadership elsewhere.

Thank you for your well wishes. Going from a 1.8 to a 2.8 so far has been an a long journey with lots of bumps, but I'm hoping I can serve to show others that you can really do it even if you have to claw your way from the bottom up.

I had never heard of screening an 8 before either, and I'm hoping the 12 in VR might show that I have strong critical thinking skills that are valued in medicine.

Keep your volunteer work in Surgery. The hours and commitment will be in your favor.

Some schools' website will state their minimum requirement...... It will save you a bunch of money and time if you do ur research.

What school are you attending? You are very active on SDN and have yet to figure it out. Cheers.

I'm kinda torn between two schools[I prefer to keep this unknown, unless you delve into my messages and find out ].......I have one more interview to attend...... so it depends on if they give me their blessing. I wish you the best when you apply.

 

[JDtoMD16]

Hello,

So I've done GPA calculations and after this upcoming semester, if I were to get all As, I would be at ~2.96 GPA. I'm pretty frustrated as I've been doing retakes for ages and have climbed from a 1.8 GPA to this point but I still won't have any chance of getting into DO schools with that GPA. My problem second to that is that I'm starting to run out of classes to retake and I'm worried about my MCAT expiring (took it September 2014). I was hoping to be able to apply this summer with another chance to apply the following year if I wasn't accepted (not sure if I'd be willing to retake MCAT). I made a similar thread recently, but I had assumed I was going to get over a 3.0. Now that I know it's not possible, I'm wondering if a DO SMP would be the best way to go. Firstly, here are my stats again:

~2.9 GPA, higher sGPA (can't remember exactly)
28 MCAT (7/12/9)
300 hours clinical volunteering.
Shadowing (Will make sure this is completed before applying)

Secondly, here are my questions:

1) Most DO SMPs that I've looked at have rolling admissions that go through June and are already open. I would definitely need to complete my classes for the Spring 2016 semester. If I applied immediately after their completion, would I even stand a chance applying so late in the cycle? Is it even a good idea to apply to one of these? It seems like I'm so close to the requirements of DO school that it's frustrating to have to do one, but I would push through it if that's what it took to be accepted.
2) I could take ~6 non-retake credits over the summer and apply in September, but my calculations put my GPA at 3.00 and I feel like there is a lot of risk to hinge everything on being absolutely perfect throughout Spring and Summer. A single A- would throw that for a loop. That's a bad plan, correct?
3) I could spend through the next year taking whatever retakes or non-retakes I can and apply June 2017. I would guaranteed have over a 3.0 This gives me a single chance at applying and I'm extremely nervous about this. However, all of my stats would be over the requirements. My MCAT won't be considered expired if I apply before September (when I took them MCAT), is that correct?

Thank you for your time!

I'm actually in a very similar situation as OP. I graduated 5 years ago with a 1.9/2.1 s/c GPA and that includes the entire degree 120 credits and all...Now I'm standing at a 3.3/3.0 s/cGPA and planning on applying DO next cycle. I am also running out of meaningful retakes.

For what's it's worth here is my current rationale in the SMP vs Post Bacc:

I'm applying to DO SMP's with grades still coming in at the end of May. I believe May/June will be later in the cycle but still possible to be admitted somewhere.

I am weighing the option of another year of post bacc instead of SMP. With the flags on my application I believe that I need that "foot in the door" which an SMP may provide me that a post bacc cannot. Even after another year of GPA repair I may be at like 3.4/3.2 and that is still LOW end for most DO schools.

I still am not 100% sure this is the right call but since our situations are very similar perhaps you can agree or disagree with this logic.

 

[adrian710]

I'm actually in a very similar situation as OP. I graduated 5 years ago with a 1.9/2.1 s/c GPA and that includes the entire degree 120 credits and all...Now I'm standing at a 3.3/3.0 s/cGPA and planning on applying DO next cycle. I am also running out of meaningful retakes.

For what's it's worth here is my current rationale in the SMP vs Post Bacc:

I'm applying to DO SMP's with grades still coming in at the end of May. I believe May/June will be later in the cycle but still possible to be admitted somewhere.

I am weighing the option of another year of post bacc instead of SMP. With the flags on my application I believe that I need that "foot in the door" which an SMP may provide me that a post bacc cannot. Even after another year of GPA repair I may be at like 3.4/3.2 and that is still LOW end for most DO schools.

I still am not 100% sure this is the right call but since our situations are very similar perhaps you can agree or disagree with this logic.

If you 4.0 a post-bacc then it will essentially show you are ready for medical school, same with if you 4.0 an SMP

Have you considered linkage programs into DO schools such as LECOM's? VCOM's? LMU's? Touro's?

SMP's are more expensive than post-bacc's I believe and potentially longer as well. I think post-bacc's are equally as beneficial as an SMP quite honestly.

I am applying to LECOM's post-bacc and PCOM's SMP as a back for if my MCAT is not as high as I hope and do not think cycle will go great, but I am applying to AACOMAS nonetheless

 

[adrian710]

Do a DIY post-bacc and repair those grades, option #3. Aim for a +3.25 GPA and more doors will open to you when you apply. Because your GPA isnt stellar, mine wasnt, your ECs will need to compensate that. Aim for.....

+100 shadowing hours--Shadow D.O.s in primary care-- most schools are driven towards primary care and was brought up in every single interview Ive attended.
+250 clinical hours
+250 non-clinical hours.
Get as many D.O. letters as you can.....
Leadership roles are hard to find, but working for Habitat for humanity/any hospice centers can help

Get a scribe job if you can. As I call it the "golden" opportunity to learn medicine and it's so easy to get a strong LOR.

Your MCAT is good, but that 7 in , I assume, in bio might be worrisome. Some schools will pre-screen you because of it.

Can you expand more in this? I shadowed a neurologist, DO. I know DO is FP geared but quite honestly I want to specialize. I think I would back up my reason for shadowing a speciality DO simply bc I want to specialize.

 

[JDtoMD16]

If you 4.0 a post-bacc then it will essentially show you are ready for medical school, same with if you 4.0 an SMP

Have you considered linkage programs into DO schools such as LECOM's? VCOM's? LMU's? Touro's?

SMP's are more expensive than post-bacc's I believe and potentially longer as well. I think post-bacc's are equally as beneficial as an SMP quite honestly.

I am applying to LECOM's post-bacc and PCOM's SMP as a back for if my MCAT is not as high as I hope and do not think cycle will go great, but I am applying to AACOMAS nonetheless

More specifically I am generally grouping linkage post bacc and SMP's together and comparing them to an informal grade repair post bacc.