Do Special Masters Programs/PostBacc students outperform traditional student classmates?

[watermelon master]

Been trying to find research or anecdotes on this... Is there a correlation with somebody doing a SMP/Post-Bacc and performance in medical school, such as Step I, II , and beyond, like successfully graduating residency?

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[USERX]

Dont know about research but academics are not even 50% of how likely you are to be a great doctor. It's about how good you are with patients and if you can recognize their needs. I think you can go to med school after an associates degree and succeed.

 

[pericardium]

If the SMP is completed at the same medical school, taught by the same professors, I've found the answer is yes for class performance. Whether this translates to Step 1 scores is another story. You also need to consider the fact that there is some level of selection within the SMP itself.

 

[watermelon master]

If the SMP is completed at the same medical school, taught by the same professors, I've found the answer is yes for class performance. Whether this translates to Step 1 scores is another story. You also need to consider the fact that there is some level of selection within the SMP itself.

First part makes sense. Can you clarify what you mean about the level of selection in the SMP?

 

[ERDOC555]

Been trying to find research or anecdotes on this... Is there a correlation with somebody doing a SMP/Post-Bacc and performance in medical school, such as Step I, II , and beyond, like successfully graduating residency?

I'm pretty sure with a large enough sample size there would be no effect.

Sure they'll have a leg up for MS1 since they've covered some of the topics, but that advantage would likely disappear almost immediately during MS2. In fact, I would guess Post-Bacc students, since these programs are usually for those lacking in GPA, would be less academically inclined over the long run compared to students who crushed academics from the beginning. But ultimately I doubt there is a significant quality difference between average med student and average post-bacc turned med student.

 

[pericardium]

First part makes sense. Can you clarify what you mean about the level of selection in the SMP?

Not everyone in the SMP will make it through, and not everyone who makes it through will actually get into the associated med school. Acceptance rates out of SMPs varies drastically too, and as stated above, usually the advantage SMP students has can wear off after MS1

 

[Major]

I don't know about outperforming, but I will say that I would be drowning right now if it weren't for my SMP.

 

[IlDestriero]

The highest performers don't need an SMP at all, they just go to medical school. If there was an initial advantage, it will be long gone before long.


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Il Destriero

 

[NotYou20]

Early in, a fair amount of my classmates that did a smp at my school have thought they knew more than they really did because they saw a lot of stuff in slightly less detail in the smp. Lead to some surprising tests for them. In second year there's a really wide variation. Some do great, some struggle a lot. That is still mostly a result of how much time their putting in just like everyone else

 

[clamsauce]

At my school they don't. Very few high performers come from our SMP. Basically lets the back door scrubs in. A few exceptions but we do not live on exceptions in life

 

[clamsauce]

The highest performers don't need an SMP at all, they just go to medical school. If there was an initial advantage, it will be long gone before long.


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Il Destriero

Yeah the high performers can click the right boxes on the mcat so they don't need an SMP

 

[Polonium-210]

If they get into their associated medical school, there is an annoying tendency for them to become to become the focal point for social connections within the class while also tending to fill out all the class leadership positions. At least that has been my observation across three years.

 

[Rekt]

The highest performers don't need an SMP at all, they just go to medical school. If there was an initial advantage, it will be long gone before long.


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Il Destriero

I also believe, with the exception of a PhD, people with advanced degrees have lower match rates than students that don't.

 

[clamsauce]

If they get into their associated medical school, there is an annoying tendency for them to become to become the focal point for social connections within the class while also tending to fill out all the class leadership positions. At least that has been my observation across three years.

It's like that at mine too. They all grab leadership positions, do all the social events, then fail classes and make 400 on comlex. At least a lot of them. Not that anybody in their right mind would want to do leadership positions residency directors could care less if your the med school prep.

There are exceptions but not many. Second year tended to dilate their rectum proficiently enough.


Ther are reasons they had to do an SMP and it's usually not due to delayed genius

 

[Peach Newport]

Yup. They have an enormous advantage first semester, and blow everyone away. But it doesn't disappear in MS2 - that's not true - it declines very quickly in the second semester of MS1. By MS2 it's gone completely.

+1 to the guy who said that they become focal points of clubs/social scene.