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- Pre-Medical
That is a very nice story of your success. It is not indicative of every applicant.
And if cost is an issue, if someone else isn't paying, then perhaps it'd be wise to look at other programs.
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There is no one drumming up more conjecture on this thread than you are - particularly your taking to heart one person's abstract assertion that there have been people who graduated from the program with a 3.9 with a 34 MCAT who did not get into medical. As a current SMP with a much deeper understanding of the program, I can assure both of you that even if there are such people, it is more of a reflection of their interviewing skills or other extracurricular shortcomings that are holding them back.
To those reading this thread, such applicants (in addition to 16mai and others) are not a true reflection of the program, but fail in spite of it. Doing above average against Georgetown medical students will get you into school, assuming the rest of your application is competitive. I urge those with legitimate interest in the program to contact the amazing staff here, or those like myself and nosarcasm who are a part of it. SDN is notorious for its plethora of rumors that have no basis in reality, and you will do well to focus your energy on those with firsthand experience, with no motives other than helping those that come after us to truly appreciate the opportunity this program represents, assuming you come ready to work.
I assure you that I've heard from more than one person, and I have no motives other than the dissemination of truthful, unbiased information. If you'd like to apply to Gtown's SMP, by all means.
Frankly, using SDN as a means of influencing potential students isn't a concern of mine. I can't say the same of everyone in this thread.
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I agree! If you have the ability to get into med school/DO without the SMP, obviously DO IT! The SMP isn't a magic bullet that will get you into Harvard or something. But if you can't get into med school with your current stats, please DO give the SMP a chance. I never would have been accepted to medical school before the SMP (had an F and many Cs), but I worked really hard in the program and am going to gusom (had a few other options too).
The other thing I didn't realize before this program is that you have to choose very carefully which med schools to apply for. Some schools don't accept grade updates, and therefore won't care at all if you are in an SMP. Other schools LOVE updates and love the SMP. If you want to go to one of those schools that doesn't like updates, then you have a better chance of getting in there the cycle after the SMP so you can put all your SMP grades on your AMCAS. Be smart about where/when you apply, do well in the SMP, and you will get in!
Bottom line: If you can get in now, do it and forget the SMP! If you can't get in now, work hard in the SMP and you WILL get in (maybe not your SMP year due to the updates thing I mentioned, but very likely next year).
Can you say which schools you applied to that you think love updates/SMP?
The schools that have historically accepted many SMPs are :Can you say which schools you applied to that you think love updates/SMP?
The schools that have historically accepted many SMPs are :
Albany
Creighton
Drexel
Eastern Virginia
Florida International
George Washington
Georgetown
New York Medical College
Penn State Univ
Quinnipiac
Rosalind Franklin
Tufts
Tulane
Univ of Cincinnati
University of Miami
USUHS
Virginia Tech Carillion
VCU
Of the ones on this list, I applied to Albany, Creighton, GW, Georgetown, NYMC, Penn State, Tulane, VCU. Of these 8 I found that Albany, Creighton, GW, NYMC really liked to get updates. Of course many students apply and are accepted to schools outside this list, but I think it's a decent idea to apply to at least a few of the schools on this list if you are going to be an SMP!
Most of the schools you listed have their own SMP's.
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True - that should indicate that these schools have come to learn of the value graduates of these programs bring to medical schools, to the point that they are willing to take those from other programs. I know people in the program going to NYMC, Tulane and UCinn, so it is not uncommon. In fact, historically these schools have been some of the biggest feeder schools of the GU program, with the reverse not being true. This should tell you the weight this program carries.
And it'd probably be even more advantageous to bypass the Georgetown masters in lieu of going directly to the corresponding SMP of a medical school, especially if the price is right. The admissions faculty could directly interact with and evaluate prospective students, rather than trust one letter of recommendation written by an advisor the student met once.
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If you are set on the SMP's medical school, then that is true. But Georgetown's program carries more weight with those schools that don't have such programs, including one's state school that may be cheaper and closer to home. I chose GU because it would allow me to cast a wider net. Most of the SMP programs will get you to medical school if you do well, but there are other factors to consider when choosing the right one for your own goals.
School spirit is important, but it's important to realize, Gtown isn't the be-all and end-all of post-undergraduate, premedical programs.
Yes, there are no guarantees in life, to quote another's worthless platitude. However, this program is far from a guarantee into top tier medical schools, especially Georgetown's own medical school.
And the desperate, frantic students searching for entrance in med schools should consider this truth as well as Georgetown's SMP's financial burden.
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That's not really the expressed intent of this thread. I have enough experience with your program to comment on what I have, and regardless of what you're being instructed to do, you too should give an accurate account. Otherwise you're just trying to sell something.
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That's not really the expressed intent of this thread. I have enough experience with your program to comment on what I have, and regardless of what you're being instructed to do, you too should give an accurate account. Otherwise you're just trying to sell something.
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Hi @nosarcasm and @Cadaverous, thank you for all the great info!! I have a few questions
1. How do you guys know the number of students accepted into various med schools from the SMP?
2. Do you feel GUSOM gives highly successful students a leg up in admissions compared to similar stat non SMP students? GUSOM is one of my top choice schools (GW and GUSOM due to location/personal life reasons). If the SMP gave an upperhand to GUSOM applicants, I would be much more willing to take the financial burden of the extra year in school. Otherwise I have decent stats for lowish ranked schools (3.3 GPA - 3.4 after DIY post bacc and 519 MCAT).
3. I know the school accepts composite/committee letters, but mine likely won't be finished until late June (bc my school finishes them once AMCAS is verified)... do you guys think that will be too late?? I already sent in my application and MCAT scores.
When did you submit your application? When did you receive the email that it's under review?Just got accepted! So excited but also waiting to hear from other schools.
Incredibly quick turnaround - only 6 days!
Would current students recommend doing this program for an applicant w/ my stats (3.6 GPA, 31 MCAT)? I received several interviews this year, but no acceptances. Currently on the waitlist at GUSOM and TCMC but my hopes are dwindling. I want to make sure my application is as strong as possible for the next application cycle but I'm not sure if the benefits outweigh the risks for SMP in my situation. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
I've been placed in the downtown campus but have no idea if I want to switch or not. Can a current downtown SMP student give any details of the day to day there and any examples of what you do? And any things that have come up that may have made you think going to the other campus may have been better? Thanks!
I'm currently on the downtown campus, so hopefully I can provide some insight to help you make a decision. As far as the day-to-day, the downtown campus is focused more on flipped sessions where students are expected to watch the lectures at home and then review the material in class. These reviews can take the form of case studies, working things out on a smart-board, or going through exam questions, and are led by an assistant professor and student instructor that are specific for our campus. I think these reviews were helpful regardless of whether or not I had reviewed because they provided an opportunity to think about the material. Occasionally we've also had professors come down for Q&A sessions, which were really helpful during the med classes to clarify the material and go over examples that couldn't be seen in the lecture captures. Overall, the educational experience is much more structured downtown and I think helps to keep everyone on top of the material. Even though this was just the first year, our averages in the med classes have been above the med student average in every class, so if you participate and stay on track you'll see results.
Some other things to consider are the physical location and the clinical/volunteer experiences. The downtown campus is right in the heart of the city, so going to class means that there's a good excuse to go explore and take study breaks at some amazing places like the national portrait gallery or the library of congress. Classes are also Monday-Thursday, with Fridays being open for the clinical/volunteer experiences. I think these experiences have overall been very helpful as I feel like I learned something from each one, and they gave me a lot to talk about during my interview with Georgetown.
As far as a comparison with the main campus, one of the major differences is the schedule. The downtown campus is a week behind the main campus to afford us the flexibility to watch lectures at home and have flipped sessions in class, but this also has meant that it's been difficult to coordinate activities with the main campus. Our exams have also been after almost every break which gave us more time to study, but we also haven't had an official break from studying throughout the year. I've been able to work in breaks on my own so it really hasn't been an issue, but it really depends on how well you're able to schedule your studying.
Overall I've had a positive experience downtown and would choose it again if I had the choice, but which campus is best for you really depends on how you study and what you want to get out of your education.
It took a little under a week for me. I got an email that there was a decision ready for me to view. I also go a few emails from different departments of the acceptanceHow long did it take for accepted students to receive the official "Apply Yourself" portal notification?
Is there typically enough financial aid to cover tuition and living expenses?
I can't speak to the financial aid inquiries, but I can tell you that you can easily get by without purchasing any books at all. I only bought Gray's Anatomy.I would also like to know about the "actual" cost. I thought I saw a Georgetown.edu page that covered all the potential costs of an SMP year but I cannot find it now. Going through loosely now, I can find only two set costs:
Tuition: $49,772 for the whole year
Books: $700 for the whole year
Rent + food + utilities, I'm guessing could be as high as $1500 to $2000 a month.
I guess I'm looking for someone who has personally experienced this and has taken out loans with financial aid for the program. If the aid award is significantly higher than your calculated cost (more than $3,000, say), do you take the whole award or accept a partial offer? I've never done this before, and previous financial aid was always pretty in line with the tuition and other calculated costs.
I would also like to know about the "actual" cost. I thought I saw a Georgetown.edu page that covered all the potential costs of an SMP year but I cannot find it now. Going through loosely now, I can find only two set costs:
Tuition: $49,772 for the whole year
Books: $700 for the whole year
Rent + food + utilities, I'm guessing could be as high as $1500 to $2000 a month.
I guess I'm looking for someone who has personally experienced this and has taken out loans with financial aid for the program. If the aid award is significantly higher than your calculated cost (more than $3,000, say), do you take the whole award or accept a partial offer? I've never done this before, and previous financial aid was always pretty in line with the tuition and other calculated costs.
Edited to add: Also, not sure if I had put my stats up, or if it's too late to assuage people's worries if they're still looking to hear back.
uGPA - 2.67, sGPA about the same; major: Chemistry (never again), top 10 university (...also never again...haha; prestige means NOTHING if you don't personally try.)
cGPA - 2.9, with post-bac courses, about ~10 courses with a 3.6/3.7 GPA
MCAT - took three times, first 33S, then 36, then the new one last year at 514
two years scribe experience, ED mainly, also outpatient orthopedics, and time as a "manager" of sorts
two years of neuroscience research at NIDA, no pubs, but a few poster sessions and a conference
I am an absolute pessimist when it comes to applying to medical school, or for that matter any undergrad or grad school. I think it's all a crap shoot, honestly. However, I think with the personal nature of this program, they do seriously take a look to whom they could realistically give a "second chance." So don't give up!!!
Also interested in the financial aid question
Thanks @nosarcasm ! Just wondering if there is anything other than filling out FAFSA that I need to do? Or would I have to go and get a loan on my own?I had to take out loans for the cost of tuition (I had enough in my savings luckily to cover my cost of living- I worked full time for about four years before the SMP). As for financial aid... there isn't really any. Did you get a financial aid offer? I was under the impression that there weren't typically any for the SMP (sometimes some very lucky people get merit-based small scholarships, but I don't know anyone personally who has gotten one).
Happy to answer any specific questions you might have!
I don't think people mean non-loan financial aid, just the process of getting your reimbursement to pay for housing etc. I have emailed the financial aid office twice to find out if my file is set up to receive the loan offer, or how I can fill out any additional paperwork, and they haven't gotten back to me. I think I will call them next week, or try to stop by there next Friday when I go to the housing fair on campus.
When I called and asked about additional paperwork, I was told that there isn't any aside from FAFSA for SMP, even though the website states to contact financial aid and ask for them.
And yes, you're right about my initial question. I was wondering if there is enough loan offering to cover tuition and housing expenses. I'm not expecting any scholarships/grants.
Just wondering where student typically live?
Can anyone share their sGPA before getting accepted into the program?