Help Deciding on SMP - USC or BU?

[Deus Ex Medicine]

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Hey everyone! I need help deciding which SMP to pursue. Clearly need to prioritize academic repair and linkage to medical schools, but I fear that I'll have to retake my MCAT, take a gap year (or 2!), and work on my ECs.

Stats:
3.0 GPA, 2.6 sGPA
28 MCAT
100+ shadowing hours
50 volunteer hours
3 years part time work
6 months research

Accepted:
USC Master of Global Medicine
Tulane 1-year Master in Cell and Molecular Bio
BU MAMS

Rejected:
NYMC IPP Program

Haven't heard back:
Georgetown SMP
U of Cincinnati SMP
Tufts MBS
Temple University Advanced Core in Medical Sciences (AMCS)
VCU Pre Health Certificate
Rosalind Franklin Biomedical Sciences Program
U of Toledo MSBS
Rutgers MBS
Loyola MAMS

 

[The Helpful Aye Aye]

Honestly, you need to do more undergraduate work to have a fair shot at acceptance to medical school using a non-linkage program. Of those listed, only Temple is guaranteed if and only if you have 30+ MCAT, meaning your pipe dream of not retaking the test is unreasonable (based on that list). If you want a vague shot at MD you'll have to do 1-3 years of straight A's in undergrad science courses, kill the MCAT. and then do an SMP. If you can suspend the natural propensity towards disbelief in OMM and are willing to do D.O., you'll have to do 1-2 years of grade replacement/upper division coursework and possibly retake the MCAT.

I don't believe that with those stats, the schools that accepted you have any intention of accepting you to their host institution, nor do they have much confidence that you'll be going anywhere but the Caribbean. Unless you have some very compelling non-medical EC's that you didn't list, an interesting life story that sufficiently explains your low grades, and an upward trend you have to invest the time and money into one of the above plans. =\ People have come back from far worse, but after years of working on it after realizing they're in no position to apply with anything but their best possible application.

 

[Deus Ex Medicine]

Hey notajock2day. Thanks for your reply. Though I'd say it's closer to 2-4 years of undergrad courses with how difficult to get classes it is, this is my belief as well. I have been toying with the idea of DO as well, in which case I may be able to grade replace my GPA to as high as a 3.7 within 1-2 years.

I've been in contact with the admissions department at BU. I'm aware of the linkage between BU MAMS and the BU medical school and each year 25-30 applicants are taken. It seems that you want to get about a 3.7 graduate GPA, 34-ish MCAT, and have good ECs over the course of at least the first year (apply in year number 2 of the program). They tell me that as long as I have an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or above, they're not going to factor that much into admission, but base it on what I stated above. Obviously, I'd retake the MCAT and need to do better + study like my life depends on it (it does), but there seems to be a shot through the MAMS. There is even a separate admissions committee that looks at only the MAMS students for entry to the med school. I'd like to hear your opinion on what I've researched. Do you still think it's a too much of a long shot?

The USC program seems to have changed over the past 2 years, and isn't really an SMP anymore. There's really no linkage to the medical school and is more of an "academic enhancer" than a path to med school at all.

 

[The Helpful Aye Aye]

How many science credits is your 2.6 made of? Did you have an upward trend that indicates your study habits/personal situation has improved enough to allow you to get a 3.7 in graduate and M1 integrated courses? These are serious questions you need to consider since if you don't get into BU for medical school (low MCAT scores, bad interview, not the right EC's) your app will be screened out at other schools because of your sGPA. It's a lot to depend on an unofficial linkage. =\

 

[Deus Ex Medicine]

At last count 142 quarter units for BCPM classes, which I think is quite a bit. my grades are all over the place, but I have a weak upward trend in my fourth and final year. Over the course of three quarters, I went from C's > B's > A+'s. In that period, I radically changed my study habits. Does this indicate that I can handle graduate coursework and M1 courses? To adcoms, the answer is still likely no, but the optimist in me believes I can personally handle them. No matter what, I'm in a "do or die" situation as a poor showing at the graduate level would be the nail in the coffin.

If I accept my place at BU MAMS, I would either try take the next 3 months to study for the MCAT or retake 1 year from now. From what I've read on SDN, despite the fact that BU has optional MCAT prep courses built into their program, you generally want to have the MCAT over with in order to just focus on grad school. Unfortunately, not the case for me, as statistically, I need a 32+. If I had just practiced verbal more aggressively in April, gone from 7 to 10, I would have had a 32.

I'm infinitely skeptical about out-of-country schools, but DO is a realistic option for me. Admission advisors have led me to believe to make up for my undergraduate transcript, not only would I need to retake classes for grade replacement, but I would likely still have to do an SMP or other Masters level work + MCAT retake (!) to have the "best possible application," as you say. In that vein, it seems that I have something to gain from MAMS no matter whether I want to beat the astronomical odds for MD or attempt a less risky DO path. Of course, a low GPA and low MCAT at BU may shut that door forever and the debt (which I haven't even mentioned yet) is considerable.

Let me ask your advice on this: it seems that besides taking extensive undergraduate courses, I would still need to do a masters. Would it not make sense to go to BU (or even USC for that matter?) NOW since I already got admitted and do the undergrad courses after that? In other words, just reverse the order of what you suggested: first graduate then undergraduate work? Rather unconventional I suppose, but would it not be the same thing? That way, if I get into the MD program, I'm golden, but if I don't I just fall back on the DO plan. Thanks for the help notajock2day! I appreciate the dialogue, friend

 

[The Helpful Aye Aye]

At last count 142 quarter units for BCPM classes, which I think is quite a bit. my grades are all over the place, but I have a weak upward trend in my fourth and final year. Over the course of three quarters, I went from C's > B's > A+'s. In that period, I radically changed my study habits. Does this indicate that I can handle graduate coursework and M1 courses? To adcoms, the answer is still likely no, but the optimist in me believes I can personally handle them. No matter what, I'm in a "do or die" situation as a poor showing at the graduate level would be the nail in the coffin.

If I accept my place at BU MAMS, I would either try take the next 3 months to study for the MCAT or retake 1 year from now. From what I've read on SDN, despite the fact that BU has optional MCAT prep courses built into their program, you generally want to have the MCAT over with in order to just focus on grad school. Unfortunately, not the case for me, as statistically, I need a 32+. If I had just practiced verbal more aggressively in April, gone from 7 to 10, I would have had a 32.

I'm infinitely skeptical about out-of-country schools, but DO is a realistic option for me. Admission advisors have led me to believe to make up for my undergraduate transcript, not only would I need to retake classes for grade replacement, but I would likely still have to do an SMP or other Masters level work + MCAT retake (!) to have the "best possible application," as you say. In that vein, it seems that I have something to gain from MAMS no matter whether I want to beat the astronomical odds for MD or attempt a less risky DO path. Of course, a low GPA and low MCAT at BU may shut that door forever and the debt (which I haven't even mentioned yet) is considerable.

Let me ask your advice on this: it seems that besides taking extensive undergraduate courses, I would still need to do a masters. Would it not make sense to go to BU (or even USC for that matter?) NOW since I already got admitted and do the undergrad courses after that? In other words, just reverse the order of what you suggested: first graduate then undergraduate work? Rather unconventional I suppose, but would it not be the same thing? That way, if I get into the MD program, I'm golden, but if I don't I just fall back on the DO plan. Thanks for the help notajock2day! I appreciate the dialogue, friend

It would look funny lol. There's no policy against that and grad students do sometimes have cross registration with undergrads in the non-SMP world, so how good/bad it looks depends on how you frame it. Going back to undergrad and doing anything except the most difficult classes looks not so great, but getting screened is the other option. If you do BU now, you're depending on BU almost entirely for matriculation which is fine if it works! See what your state schools things- give them a call as well, explain your situation in the same way you did to BU and see what they say.

Another thing to consider is that if you're doing a DIY post bacc (i.e. non-degree granting) you might not even be able to get financial aid, meaning that while paying out of pocket you'll have to start paying off your loans from BU. You'll have to look into it more, but I've heard of that happening and being a pain.

 

[Deus Ex Medicine]

It would look funny lol. There's no policy against that and grad students do sometimes have cross registration with undergrads in the non-SMP world, so how good/bad it looks depends on how you frame it. Going back to undergrad and doing anything except the most difficult classes looks not so great, but getting screened is the other option. If you do BU now, you're depending on BU almost entirely for matriculation which is fine if it works! See what your state schools things- give them a call as well, explain your situation in the same way you did to BU and see what they say.

It would be unconventional at least 🙂 Nevertheless, if I were to go back to my state institution, I'd likely be taking as heavy a science course load as possible. The decision to make would be whether I retake previous classes to pursue DO (grade replacement) or I just stack upper div bio courses to push for the MD. I appreciate your advice - I think I'll go speak to them asap.

Another thing to consider is that if you're doing a DIY post bacc (i.e. non-degree granting) you might not even be able to get financial aid, meaning that while paying out of pocket you'll have to start paying off your loans from BU. You'll have to look into it more, but I've heard of that happening and being a pain.

This is a valid concern. I definitely don't want to pay for both at the same time that way. Also, USC's program is only one year and may be half the cost - something to consider. I'll look into the financial aspect of it then. Thanks for the suggestions notajock2day! Good luck on your journey as well.