Gtown SMP

[jash0624]

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I'm in my third year of UG right now and I really really messed up my first two years of college (read: 2.65 🙁 ) because I didn't care at all. My parents were protective and strict, so I went to college in the city, I took full advantage of it. Obviously, my schoolwork suffered. First year, I didn't go to some of my exams because I was too drunk or hungover. But I finally grew up and started realizing I had to get things together. I took 3 upper division bio classes the summer after my sophomore year and got all A's. I'm getting all A's in my classes this semester and I plan on taking a lot of classes in winter break and summer to get my GPA as high as it can go. I'm guessing it will be around 3.2 - 3.3 by the time the app cycle rolls around for the SMP.

My question is, how highly do they scrutinize our transcript? A lot of my prereqs are the classes I've messed up in (Gen Bio/Chem for example) but my upper division classes are going very well.

Also, I've been scoring mid 30's on my practice MCAT tests...though I don't know how well that projects on my real score. I've always been a fantastic standardized test taker though.

When I finally got serious, I did a lot of research and the Gtown SMP is my dream come true. I'd do pretttty much anything it took to get myself in the door there, even if it meant becoming a gunner for my last years of UG

 

[Touchdown]

Apply this January when the application opens up, the sooner you apply the more likely you are to get in. Im a 2005-2006 grad and got in with a 3.2 and a 32 on my MCAT.

 

[jash0624]

Apply this January when the application opens up, the sooner you apply the more likely you are to get in. Im a 2005-2006 grad and got in with a 3.2 and a 32 on my MCAT.

Aren't we supposed to apply in the January of senior year? This is only my third year now.

 

[daeojkim]

If you keep up with the way that you are doing for another year, then raise your GPA to 3.0+ and 30+ in MCAT, there is a good chance that you will get in. It is better to have a rising trend in GPA than other way around.

So for now study hard, do some volunteer work, and do well in upcoming MCAT.

There is nothing wrong being a gunner as along as you don't cheat, hurt others and/or be an arrogant prick.

 

[imrep1972]

I'm in my third year of UG right now and I really really messed up my first two years of college (read: 2.65 🙁 ) because I didn't care at all. My parents were protective and strict, so I went to college in the city, I took full advantage of it. Obviously, my schoolwork suffered. First year, I didn't go to some of my exams because I was too drunk or hungover. But I finally grew up and started realizing I had to get things together. I took 3 upper division bio classes the summer after my sophomore year and got all A's. I'm getting all A's in my classes this semester and I plan on taking a lot of classes in winter break and summer to get my GPA as high as it can go. I'm guessing it will be around 3.2 - 3.3 by the time the app cycle rolls around for the SMP.

My question is, how highly do they scrutinize our transcript? A lot of my prereqs are the classes I've messed up in (Gen Bio/Chem for example) but my upper division classes are going very well.

Also, I've been scoring mid 30's on my practice MCAT tests...though I don't know how well that projects on my real score. I've always been a fantastic standardized test taker though.

When I finally got serious, I did a lot of research and the Gtown SMP is my dream come true. I'd do pretttty much anything it took to get myself in the door there, even if it meant becoming a gunner for my last years of UG

Can I just point out that if you are scoring mid-30's and can perform like that on the real test that you may not need an SMP...

mid-30's (35 and up) is 95th percentile or something like that. If you look at the stats on the AAMC, 99% of people with that score are admitted to med school. And that is especially true if your second two years show the kind of uptrend that you would need to get from a 2.6 to a 3.3.

Keep in mind that SMP's can backfire if you aren't careful: People can have stats that are good enough to get into med school but go to an SMP without trying to apply to med school. They wind up not performing as well in the SMP and then hurting their application overall.

What I would recomend is to email Dr. Myers, the head of the program, and ask him if he thinks you should apply to med school or the SMP (or both) based on your stats. You can contact him through the yahoo group in my sig.

It is good that you are considering the SMP, I just want to ensure that you're not doing that and not considering applying to med school. Good luck!

 

[jash0624]

Can I just point out that if you are scoring mid-30's and can perform like that on the real test that you may not need an SMP...

mid-30's (35 and up) is 95th percentile or something like that. If you look at the stats on the AAMC, 99% of people with that score are admitted to med school. And that is especially true if your second two years show the kind of uptrend that you would need to get from a 2.6 to a 3.3.

Keep in mind that SMP's can backfire if you aren't careful: People can have stats that are good enough to get into med school but go to an SMP without trying to apply to med school. They wind up not performing as well in the SMP and then hurting their application overall.

What I would recomend is to email Dr. Myers, the head of the program, and ask him if he thinks you should apply to med school or the SMP (or both) based on your stats. You can contact him through the yahoo group in my sig.

It is good that you are considering the SMP, I just want to ensure that you're not doing that and not considering applying to med school. Good luck!

I was considering just applying to med schools in my senior year and skipping the whole SMP process until I got involved in research last year. Ultimately, it was my love for research that got me to turn my grades around. I'd love to pursue an MD/PhD and Georgetown offers one in my field of interest, which isn't all that common in other places: Biophysics. So my applying to the SMP has an ulterior motive. I know that if I do well I have a decent shot of getting into Gtown's SOM with some classes already under my belt, which might give me some time to do research within the school my first year and get to know some of the faculty better. That might help my app if I try to transfer into the MD/PhD after first year. I don't know how feasible it is, but a 2% chance is better than not trying at all!

 

[DrGoofy]

how many people are admitted to the Gtown SMP every year????

 

[silkworm]

This year the class size is 155.

 

[daeojkim]

I agree with imprep1972.

If you can get to 3.2-3.3 GPA and 35+ in MCAT then you do have a decent shot at getting into med school w/o SMP. I am not sure about MD/PhD, but if you have good research publications you could do it as well.

But like imrep1972 said, SMP at GU is no joke. It is possible to do well, but be ready to study like you never studied before. If you do poorly then it can permanently hurt your chances at getting into med school.

I honestly think that some people did not do well because they did not try hard enough. You don't have to be smart to do well in SMP, it is mostly persistence and focus all you need to have.

 

[DrGoofy]

I'm thinking of applying to the Gtown SMP for this upcoming year (aug 2007).
I have a 3.15 overall and 2.9 BCMP. I'm taking the mcat in april. Do you guys think I have a shot at getting in??? If not, what can I do to improve my chances of getting accepted into the SMP?

 

[imrep1972]

Dr. G,

The best way to find out your chances are to post to the yahoo group in my sig. Dr. Myers is the director of the program and he reads that forum daily (or nearly so.) He will be very honest and upfront with you about your chances. If he thinks it is worth your time to apply, he will tell you, if not, he will tell you.

Two things I see right off: with a 3.15 (and a sub 3 BCMP) you need to do well on the MCAT to have a realistic chance, IMO. Good in this case means in the 30's, with higher being better, obviously. Second, you are taking the april MCAT which means you won't get your scores until, what, June? That's going to put you way behind the rest of the applicants. GTown does hold positions for late applicants (as you will be) but it is always better to apply as early as you can (applications are accepted as early as January.)

Having said all that, I'm not saying you can't make it (even if you score sub-30.) Just observing general trends. As far as what you can do to improve your chances, without knowing more about you, that's probably the best advice I can give: 1. Contact Dr. Myers directly, 2. Kick ass on the MCAT.

 

[ssquared]

A somewhat unrelated question, but still about the Georgetown SMP: How long are people in classes each day? How does it work with having some classes with the med school students and others purely graduate courses? Also, I hear that there's no parking. What do people who don't/can't live in Georgetown do to get to campus? It would be a nightmare to have to pay visitor parking at the hospital everyday!

 

[Touchdown]

ssquard: How long are people in classes each day?
-For the first third of the year you will have class until 9:00-3:00 on a regular basis (with some 10:00 starts and some 12:00 endings,) during the winter youll have class from 9-12, and during the spring except when you have neuro lab youll be done by noon too
-You take a mix med classes are: embryo, MA (aka histology,) Physio, Neuro and Biostats and your grad classes are MIM (Micro and Immuno,) CMP (Biochem,) Intro to Neuro Anatomy, Pathways (helps you applying and an easy A,) Nuitrion (also an easy A,) and your reasearch paper.
-There is very little parking (all of which is street parking) but fear not, Washington has one of the best public transporation systems in the world; if you dont want to live by the school just get an apartment by a Metro Station (preferably on the Red, Orange or Blue line) and you can get off at Rosslyn (Blue and Orange) or Dupont Circle (Red) and take a free shuttle bus to school (or move into a place near those bus stops.)

 

[imrep1972]

Touchdown,

One small alteration to your class list:

I think they have removed Biostats from the curriculum for the SMP's (THANK GOD.)

 

[PistolPete]

The SMP program requires a research paper? What kind of research? Lab or library?

ssquard: How long are people in classes each day?
-For the first third of the year you will have class until 9:00-3:00 on a regular basis (with some 10:00 starts and some 12:00 endings,) during the winter youll have class from 9-12, and during the spring except when you have neuro lab youll be done by noon too
-You take a mix med classes are: embryo, MA (aka histology,) Physio, Neuro and Biostats and your grad classes are MIM (Micro and Immuno,) CMP (Biochem,) Intro to Neuro Anatomy, Pathways (helps you applying and an easy A,) Nuitrion (also an easy A,) and your reasearch paper.
-There is very little parking (all of which is street parking) but fear not, Washington has one of the best public transporation systems in the world; if you dont want to live by the school just get an apartment by a Metro Station (preferably on the Red, Orange or Blue line) and you can get off at Rosslyn (Blue and Orange) or Dupont Circle (Red) and take a free shuttle bus to school (or move into a place near those bus stops.)

 

[imrep1972]

The SMP program requires a research paper? What kind of research? Lab or library?

It is a library research paper. You do it at the end of the program after all your classes are finished. It is not as daunting as it might sound.

 

[Touchdown]

Specifically it is a 10 page paper, based on any topic you want, and research basicly involves you checking out medline. With the correct motivation this is a two day job, but more likely it will take you a week with procrastination.

 

[jash0624]

What's this I hear about GTown being in financial trouble? 😕 😕

 

[Touchdown]

I have no specfic information but I highly doubt G-town is in any trouble. Its too big of a name, with too many high profile alums and to top it off their basketball team (a huge source of money) was fantastic last year. Besides havent you noticed, tuition has been climbing 3X the cost of inflation for the past 10+ years, I cant imagine any larger university in money trouble in this environment.

 

[imrep1972]

What's this I hear about GTown being in financial trouble? 😕 😕

This is an old, non-story, from what I understand.

A few years ago (late 90's, maybe?) the med school was having financial difficulty for various reasons. Among those was mismanagement of the hospital on campus - it was bleeding cash. They wound up selling the hospital to a local hospital system. So now, the med school no longer owns the hospital on its campus, but it is still closely affiliated.

From everything we have been told, the issue seems to be resolved, and the school has gotten its budget back on track.

Of course, then again, what else would they tell us??? 😛

I don't think its that big of a deal. It was a crisis that passed a few years ago. I think it got blown out of proportion, honestly, and I can't say I have seen any major indications that it is a concern now.

 

[jash0624]

Yay! That's good to hear. Georgetown is actually my first choice...well, out of the schools that I have a shot of getting into. Everyone has a few "YEAHHHH RIGHT" schools that they apply to in case some adcom member adds them to the accept pile by accident.

 

[Timmythemic22]

It is a library research paper. You do it at the end of the program after all your classes are finished. It is not as daunting as it might sound.

It's really not. It's on average 10 pages, with maybe 15-20 refs. I finished it in a week and a half. Don't worry about that one.

 

[ntsystematic]

How important is it to have research experience? I don't have any, just a lot of clinical experience. Will this hurt my chances of being admitted?

 

[tacrum43]

How important is it to have research experience? I don't have any, just a lot of clinical experience. Will this hurt my chances of being admitted?

I doubt it will have much of an effect. Clinical experience is much more important anyway, unless you're shooting for a top reasearch school. I suppose it might be a bit of a disadvantage later on in terms of getting into med school, but it probably won't matter hardly at all.

 

[Touchdown]

I have never in my life done one minute of research and yet got into the SMP and Med School. Its not the only way to get "medical experience" besides most schools do actually want to here "I want to be a clinician."

 

[pamolive]

I don't have much clinical experience at all. Is that going to hurt me? I think my chances are pretty slim as it is. I have a 3.0 GPA (3.1 science) and a 28 Q on my MCAT.

 

[Touchdown]

Probably not, I didnt have too much exposure either, My pre admission clinical experiences (this did not change inbetween my SMP and Med School Acceptance except for the last item🙂
-Shadowed a Doctor for a month
-Vollenteered at a Nursing Home for a month
-Son of a Doctor (not sure if that counts, I didnt list it there on my AMCAS obviously)
-SMP (it may not be clinical experience but gosh darn it it certainly is medical school experience)

I spent my undergrad years as an athletic manager which morphed into a 50 hour a week job my junior (football) and senior (womens soccer) year so I had no time to do much else. If you dont have the clinical experience to back you up, your interview and essays becomes that much more important because you have to articulate why you want medicine and how you came to that decision.

Also neither of this matters for your SMP acceptance, just apply early (Jan) and you may want to take that MCAT again (I cant remember where G-town's cuttoff is at but I want to say its 30.)