How I got into 3 US MD Schools with a 2.6 sGPA

[J_J_J]

Let’s start out with my stats:

2.99 ucGPA---> 3.0 cGPA (after 1 post-bacc class)
2.6 usGPA
3.7 SMP GPA
511 1st MCAT/517 MCAT retake
ORM

1,400 Service Hours
4,000 Non-Clinical Work Hours
3,600 Clinical Work Hours
400 Shadowing Hours
1,500 Research Hours and 6 Publications


Now my story:
Long story short, I was a **** student in undergrad. Instead of focusing on my classes, I worked and volunteered instead. You might be thinking, “Aren’t those important for medical school?” Yes, but nothing… I mean NOTHING can replace bad grades. Even though I went to a T15 school, I did not have the emotional maturity to understand that my actions and lackadaisical attitude towards school would cause me 3 years of heartbreak down the line.


After graduating, I took 3 gap years and did EVERYTHING I could to make it up. Between 2016-2018, I worked a full-time research job, and sought out additional research projects and shadowing on the side to rack up my publications/exposure. There was a point where I was working 90 hours a week and coming home at midnight just to wake up again at 6am and do it all over again. But this time was incredibly fruitful and rewarding— I was able to meet two of my letter writers then, publish 5 works, rack up close to 1k hours of research and 3.6k clinical working hours.


After all of this, I thought that my app would be padded enough to make it through a round of applications. I applied to 20 schools with my 2.6 usGPA/2.99 cGPA and 511 MCAT. I got rejected from all. In hindsight, no surprise there. Many schools have a 3.0 GPA screening requirement, so I was pretty much just donating money to schools from the start.


After a lot of thought, I decided I needed to do an SMP to have any shot at getting into medical school. $60K is steep, especially for a program that doesn’t guarantee acceptance afterwards. But everyone, let me make this clear. For those of you who have low GPAs, especially as low as mine, NOTHING will make up for this. No high MCAT, thousands of hours of clinical/shadowing hours, 20 publications, being President of your university…NOTHING will make up your ****ty GPA. The faster you understand this reality, the faster you can take the necessary steps to remediate and show that you can truly succeed in medical school.


I worked hard in my SMP, pulled off a decent GPA, retook my MCAT and scored high. I took 1 additional undergraduate level course to pull my 2.99 cGPA up to a 3.0 (just to not get auto-screened from a bunch of schools). I reapplied to 32 US MD schools, ended up interviewing at 3, and was accepted to all 3.



So how did I do it?

1. I completed and did WELL in a reputable SMP. Georgetown, BU, Drexel, Loyola, Temple, UCinn, EVMS are a few I hear have great outcomes. Insider tip: If your GPA is under a 3.0 and even the SMP programs have a GPA requirement, EMAIL the admissions office. Send them your CV. Show them that despite your low GPA, you have qualities that will have potential for their program. I was able to get accepted to 5/6 programs I applied to this way.
   
   
2. I retook my MCAT. Yes, a 511 is fine, but a 517 opened doors for me. Because in conjunction with my new SMP GPA, I showed considerable improvement in all academic fronts. I highly urge anyone that needs to show academic improvement to retake and KILL the MCAT. I was even told by 2 interviewers that they liked that I took the initiative to improve BOTH GPA and MCAT. I took 2 months off work before my SMP started, survived off my savings, and studied for 9 hours a day during those 2 months. No breaks. I treated it like a full-time job and was able to do well on the test even with only a little less than 2 months to prep for it.
   
   
3. I submitted EVERYTHING early (including my secondaries and LORs). My last submission was at the end of August. I recommend that everyone submits as early as possible, preferably by end of July. Apps aren’t reviewed in order of submission, but you don’t want to make timing a disadvantage. Control the things you can. Submit EARLY.
   
   
4. I made sure my entire app was unique, polished, and FUN to read. So much to the point that I was told that my personal statement was one of the best they have ever read. I didn’t just tell the adcoms WHAT I did. I told them stories of my time volunteering/researching/etc., and what I learned from the experience. For example, avoid this: “I taught English for Bob 3x a week. I taught him the valuable skills to learn English. I learned how to communicate better as a teacher.” SO boring, right? Instead, try: “I found Bob when he was on the verge of failing English. He was a new immigrant from China and struggled immensely with speaking up in class. After a few sessions, I quickly learned that Bob lacked the confidence to perform alongside his peers, and this fear was taking over his life. To improve his confidence, I…..blah blah.” Show, not tell!
   
   
5. I had a consistent narrative that showed that my interests were targeted. For example, I devoted a lot of time working with the Alzheimer’s disease population in every facet. My research was in Alzheimer’s, I volunteered with Alzheimer’s patients, I fundraised for Alzheimer’s foundations, and I shadowed neurologists. I showed schools that I am not just going and checking the boxes for what is “required” for medical school. I showed them that I have legitimate interests and that I care about something enough to devote considerable time into one field. During all three interviews, I had multiple questions about my devotion to Alzheimer’s patients. When you are DIFFERENT, you will pop from the sea of applicants and make them want to know you.
   
   
6. I was able to verbalize my mess ups and own them during the interview. Your interviewers will inevitably ask you why in the world you ended up getting under a 3.0 GPA in college. You have to be able to eloquently explain (not justify) your errors and how you have changed and learned from the experience. Always own up to your mistakes and end the conversation on a positive note. I emphasized that although I struggled to prioritize in undergrad, the emotional maturity I gained from the years of working to remediate my application was invaluable. I also emphasized that this emotional maturity would help me be a more composed, resilient physician, and I would never trade my experience for this exact reason.
   
   
7. Finally, I sent update letters and letters of interest. Do not be afraid to send these if the school accepts them. Put as much attention into these as you would your primary/secondary application. A well written letter of interest can go a LONG way, despite what some SDN posts may say. One school I was initially waitlisted at took me off it within the month after I sent in my update letter. During my acceptance call, they told me that my letter was the difference maker. YOU are in charge of your application, not anyone else. As long as your letters are well-written and meaningful, there should be no reason why you shouldn’t submit one.

There are so many times I wanted to give up. Many nights I stayed awake, staring at the ceiling, wondering why I did this to myself. I went through all the emotions of anger, grief, self-hatred, desolation…. Only to find myself finally invigorated and full of purpose once I accepted the path I needed to take to make it to my dream. For everyone who is going through what I went through, just know that it gets better. Do not give up. Accept that the road to redemption is a long one, but your resilience will help you navigate it.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[candbgirl]

Congrats on your success. Well done.

 

[Goro]

Reinvention rocks!

 

[J_J_J]

If anyone has questions about my journey or would like any input on yours, please feel free to reach out! I'm no expert but I can try to give insight on what I learned through my very long pre-med career haha

 

[czarcbas1026]

Let’s start out with my stats:

2.99 ucGPA---> 3.0 cGPA (after 1 post-bacc class)
2.6 usGPA
3.7 SMP GPA
511 1st MCAT/517 MCAT retake
ORM

1,400 Service Hours
4,000 Non-Clinical Work Hours
3,600 Clinical Work Hours
400 Shadowing Hours
1,500 Research Hours and 6 Publications


Now my story:
Long story short, I was a **** student in undergrad. Instead of focusing on my classes, I worked and volunteered instead. You might be thinking, “Aren’t those important for medical school?” Yes, but nothing… I mean NOTHING can replace bad grades. Even though I went to a T15 school, I did not have the emotional maturity to understand that my actions and lackadaisical attitude towards school would cause me 3 years of heartbreak down the line.


After graduating, I took 3 gap years and did EVERYTHING I could to make it up. Between 2016-2018, I worked a full-time research job, and sought out additional research projects and shadowing on the side to rack up my publications/exposure. There was a point where I was working 90 hours a week and coming home at midnight just to wake up again at 6am and do it all over again. But this time was incredibly fruitful and rewarding— I was able to meet two of my letter writers then, publish 5 works, rack up close to 1k hours of research and 3.6k clinical working hours.


After all of this, I thought that my app would be padded enough to make it through a round of applications. I applied to 20 schools with my 2.6 usGPA/2.99 cGPA and 511 MCAT. I got rejected from all. In hindsight, no surprise there. Many schools have a 3.0 GPA screening requirement, so I was pretty much just donating money to schools from the start.


After a lot of thought, I decided I needed to do an SMP to have any shot at getting into medical school. $60K is steep, especially for a program that doesn’t guarantee acceptance afterwards. But everyone, let me make this clear. For those of you who have low GPAs, especially as low as mine, NOTHING will make up for this. No high MCAT, thousands of hours of clinical/shadowing hours, 20 publications, being President of your university…NOTHING will make up your ****ty GPA. The faster you understand this reality, the faster you can take the necessary steps to remediate and show that you can truly succeed in medical school.


I worked hard in my SMP, pulled off a decent GPA, retook my MCAT and scored high. I took 1 additional undergraduate level course to pull my 2.99 cGPA up to a 3.0 (just to not get auto-screened from a bunch of schools). I reapplied to 32 US MD schools, ended up interviewing at 3, and was accepted to all 3.



So how did I do it?

1. I completed and did WELL in a reputable SMP. Georgetown, BU, Drexel, Loyola, Temple, UCinn, EVMS are a few I hear have great outcomes. Insider tip: If your GPA is under a 3.0 and even the SMP programs have a GPA requirement, EMAIL the admissions office. Send them your CV. Show them that despite your low GPA, you have qualities that will have potential for their program. I was able to get accepted to 5/6 programs I applied to this way.
   
   
2. I retook my MCAT. Yes, a 511 is fine, but a 517 opened doors for me. Because in conjunction with my new SMP GPA, I showed considerable improvement in all academic fronts. I highly urge anyone that needs to show academic improvement to retake and KILL the MCAT. I was even told by 2 interviewers that they liked that I took the initiative to improve BOTH GPA and MCAT. I took 2 months off work before my SMP started, survived off my savings, and studied for 9 hours a day during those 2 months. No breaks. I treated it like a full-time job and was able to do well on the test even with only a little less than 2 months to prep for it.
   
   
3. I submitted EVERYTHING early (including my secondaries and LORs). My last submission was at the end of August. I recommend that everyone submits as early as possible, preferably by end of July. Apps aren’t reviewed in order of submission, but you don’t want to make timing a disadvantage. Control the things you can. Submit EARLY.
   
   
4. I made sure my entire app was unique, polished, and FUN to read. So much to the point that I was told that my personal statement was one of the best they have ever read. I didn’t just tell the adcoms WHAT I did. I told them stories of my time volunteering/researching/etc., and what I learned from the experience. For example, avoid this: “I taught English for Bob 3x a week. I taught him the valuable skills to learn English. I learned how to communicate better as a teacher.” SO boring, right? Instead, try: “I found Bob when he was on the verge of failing English. He was a new immigrant from China and struggled immensely with speaking up in class. After a few sessions, I quickly learned that Bob lacked the confidence to perform alongside his peers, and this fear was taking over his life. To improve his confidence, I…..blah blah.” Show, not tell!
   
   
5. I had a consistent narrative that showed that my interests were targeted. For example, I devoted a lot of time working with the Alzheimer’s disease population in every facet. My research was in Alzheimer’s, I volunteered with Alzheimer’s patients, I fundraised for Alzheimer’s foundations, and I shadowed neurologists. I showed schools that I am not just going and checking the boxes for what is “required” for medical school. I showed them that I have legitimate interests and that I care about something enough to devote considerable time into one field. During all three interviews, I had multiple questions about my devotion to Alzheimer’s patients. When you are DIFFERENT, you will pop from the sea of applicants and make them want to know you.
   
   
6. I was able to verbalize my mess ups and own them during the interview. Your interviewers will inevitably ask you why in the world you ended up getting under a 3.0 GPA in college. You have to be able to eloquently explain (not justify) your errors and how you have changed and learned from the experience. Always own up to your mistakes and end the conversation on a positive note. I emphasized that although I struggled to prioritize in undergrad, the emotional maturity I gained from the years of working to remediate my application was invaluable. I also emphasized that this emotional maturity would help me be a more composed, resilient physician, and I would never trade my experience for this exact reason.
   
   
7. Finally, I sent update letters and letters of interest. Do not be afraid to send these if the school accepts them. Put as much attention into these as you would your primary/secondary application. A well written letter of interest can go a LONG way, despite what some SDN posts may say. One school I was initially waitlisted at took me off it within the month after I sent in my update letter. During my acceptance call, they told me that my letter was the difference maker. YOU are in charge of your application, not anyone else. As long as your letters are well-written and meaningful, there should be no reason why you shouldn’t submit one.

There are so many times I wanted to give up. Many nights I stayed awake, staring at the ceiling, wondering why I did this to myself. I went through all the emotions of anger, grief, self-hatred, desolation…. Only to find myself finally invigorated and full of purpose once I accepted the path I needed to take to make it to my dream. For everyone who is going through what I went through, just know that it gets better. Do not give up. Accept that the road to redemption is a long one, but your resilience will help you navigate it.

CONGRATULATIONS!!! I am totally in the same boat. How did you efficiently study for the mcat in 2 months? Do you have something that worked well for you? Content review then a lot of practice problems? Thats amazing and all of this is so well deserved. DId you end up at an MD or DO program?

 

[J_J_J]

CONGRATULATIONS!!! I am totally in the same boat. How did you efficiently study for the mcat in 2 months? Do you have something that worked well for you? Content review then a lot of practice problems? Thats amazing and all of this is so well deserved. DId you end up at an MD or DO program?

Thank you

For MCAT, I did 3 weeks of content review and everything else was practice problems. For content review, I focused on things I barely remembered like Bio/Physics/Orgo. Biochem and genchem was my strong suit, so I just made sure I understood key concepts and memorized all formulas early. From the very beginning, I built an Anki deck with every soc/psych term I can possibly see on the exam. This took around a month of consistently doing this for around 1-2 hours a day. So by the end, you can go through these daily while doing your practice prompts. I made an excel and organized every section into questions I missed and why I missed them. I put the key concept I missed and reviewed that concept that day.

I only applied to MD programs!

 

[callmemister]

CONGRATULATIONS!!! I am totally in the same boat. How did you efficiently study for the mcat in 2 months? Do you have something that worked well for you? Content review then a lot of practice problems? Thats amazing and all of this is so well deserved. DId you end up at an MD or DO program?

“I reapplied to 32 US MD schools ended up interviewing at 3, and was accepted to all 3.”

 

[bronzeflamingo]

Let’s start out with my stats:

2.99 ucGPA---> 3.0 cGPA (after 1 post-bacc class)
2.6 usGPA
3.7 SMP GPA
511 1st MCAT/517 MCAT retake
ORM

1,400 Service Hours
4,000 Non-Clinical Work Hours
3,600 Clinical Work Hours
400 Shadowing Hours
1,500 Research Hours and 6 Publications


Now my story:
Long story short, I was a **** student in undergrad. Instead of focusing on my classes, I worked and volunteered instead. You might be thinking, “Aren’t those important for medical school?” Yes, but nothing… I mean NOTHING can replace bad grades. Even though I went to a T15 school, I did not have the emotional maturity to understand that my actions and lackadaisical attitude towards school would cause me 3 years of heartbreak down the line.


After graduating, I took 3 gap years and did EVERYTHING I could to make it up. Between 2016-2018, I worked a full-time research job, and sought out additional research projects and shadowing on the side to rack up my publications/exposure. There was a point where I was working 90 hours a week and coming home at midnight just to wake up again at 6am and do it all over again. But this time was incredibly fruitful and rewarding— I was able to meet two of my letter writers then, publish 5 works, rack up close to 1k hours of research and 3.6k clinical working hours.


After all of this, I thought that my app would be padded enough to make it through a round of applications. I applied to 20 schools with my 2.6 usGPA/2.99 cGPA and 511 MCAT. I got rejected from all. In hindsight, no surprise there. Many schools have a 3.0 GPA screening requirement, so I was pretty much just donating money to schools from the start.


After a lot of thought, I decided I needed to do an SMP to have any shot at getting into medical school. $60K is steep, especially for a program that doesn’t guarantee acceptance afterwards. But everyone, let me make this clear. For those of you who have low GPAs, especially as low as mine, NOTHING will make up for this. No high MCAT, thousands of hours of clinical/shadowing hours, 20 publications, being President of your university…NOTHING will make up your ****ty GPA. The faster you understand this reality, the faster you can take the necessary steps to remediate and show that you can truly succeed in medical school.


I worked hard in my SMP, pulled off a decent GPA, retook my MCAT and scored high. I took 1 additional undergraduate level course to pull my 2.99 cGPA up to a 3.0 (just to not get auto-screened from a bunch of schools). I reapplied to 32 US MD schools, ended up interviewing at 3, and was accepted to all 3.



So how did I do it?

1. I completed and did WELL in a reputable SMP. Georgetown, BU, Drexel, Loyola, Temple, UCinn, EVMS are a few I hear have great outcomes. Insider tip: If your GPA is under a 3.0 and even the SMP programs have a GPA requirement, EMAIL the admissions office. Send them your CV. Show them that despite your low GPA, you have qualities that will have potential for their program. I was able to get accepted to 5/6 programs I applied to this way.
   
   
2. I retook my MCAT. Yes, a 511 is fine, but a 517 opened doors for me. Because in conjunction with my new SMP GPA, I showed considerable improvement in all academic fronts. I highly urge anyone that needs to show academic improvement to retake and KILL the MCAT. I was even told by 2 interviewers that they liked that I took the initiative to improve BOTH GPA and MCAT. I took 2 months off work before my SMP started, survived off my savings, and studied for 9 hours a day during those 2 months. No breaks. I treated it like a full-time job and was able to do well on the test even with only a little less than 2 months to prep for it.
   
   
3. I submitted EVERYTHING early (including my secondaries and LORs). My last submission was at the end of August. I recommend that everyone submits as early as possible, preferably by end of July. Apps aren’t reviewed in order of submission, but you don’t want to make timing a disadvantage. Control the things you can. Submit EARLY.
   
   
4. I made sure my entire app was unique, polished, and FUN to read. So much to the point that I was told that my personal statement was one of the best they have ever read. I didn’t just tell the adcoms WHAT I did. I told them stories of my time volunteering/researching/etc., and what I learned from the experience. For example, avoid this: “I taught English for Bob 3x a week. I taught him the valuable skills to learn English. I learned how to communicate better as a teacher.” SO boring, right? Instead, try: “I found Bob when he was on the verge of failing English. He was a new immigrant from China and struggled immensely with speaking up in class. After a few sessions, I quickly learned that Bob lacked the confidence to perform alongside his peers, and this fear was taking over his life. To improve his confidence, I…..blah blah.” Show, not tell!
   
   
5. I had a consistent narrative that showed that my interests were targeted. For example, I devoted a lot of time working with the Alzheimer’s disease population in every facet. My research was in Alzheimer’s, I volunteered with Alzheimer’s patients, I fundraised for Alzheimer’s foundations, and I shadowed neurologists. I showed schools that I am not just going and checking the boxes for what is “required” for medical school. I showed them that I have legitimate interests and that I care about something enough to devote considerable time into one field. During all three interviews, I had multiple questions about my devotion to Alzheimer’s patients. When you are DIFFERENT, you will pop from the sea of applicants and make them want to know you.
   
   
6. I was able to verbalize my mess ups and own them during the interview. Your interviewers will inevitably ask you why in the world you ended up getting under a 3.0 GPA in college. You have to be able to eloquently explain (not justify) your errors and how you have changed and learned from the experience. Always own up to your mistakes and end the conversation on a positive note. I emphasized that although I struggled to prioritize in undergrad, the emotional maturity I gained from the years of working to remediate my application was invaluable. I also emphasized that this emotional maturity would help me be a more composed, resilient physician, and I would never trade my experience for this exact reason.
   
   
7. Finally, I sent update letters and letters of interest. Do not be afraid to send these if the school accepts them. Put as much attention into these as you would your primary/secondary application. A well written letter of interest can go a LONG way, despite what some SDN posts may say. One school I was initially waitlisted at took me off it within the month after I sent in my update letter. During my acceptance call, they told me that my letter was the difference maker. YOU are in charge of your application, not anyone else. As long as your letters are well-written and meaningful, there should be no reason why you shouldn’t submit one.

There are so many times I wanted to give up. Many nights I stayed awake, staring at the ceiling, wondering why I did this to myself. I went through all the emotions of anger, grief, self-hatred, desolation…. Only to find myself finally invigorated and full of purpose once I accepted the path I needed to take to make it to my dream. For everyone who is going through what I went through, just know that it gets better. Do not give up. Accept that the road to redemption is a long one, but your resilience will help you navigate it.

Your story is so inspiring. I needed this. Sent you a DM to ask a few questions. Thanks!

 

[bronzeflamingo]

Can I ask what SMP you attended, and whether you applied to med school the summer before you started the program or after you completed it?

 

[J_J_J]

Your story is so inspiring. I needed this. Sent you a DM to ask a few questions. Thanks!

Replied!

 

[J_J_J]

Can I ask what SMP you attended, and whether you applied to med school the summer before you started the program or after you completed it?

I applied to medical school after my SMP so that I could apply with my new SMP GPA from the start of the process.

 

[ellebelle_8]

Would you mind telling me where you got interviews? I have a similar story and want to apply to schools that appreciate such.

 

[Graveyard_Shift_Sally]

If anyone has questions about my journey or would like any input on yours, please feel free to reach out! I'm no expert but I can try to give insight on what I learned through my very long pre-med career haha

Would you mind sharing where you went for SMP in a message? If you don't feel comfortable, I understand. Congrats!

 

[Apprentice of St. Luke]

Your story is just what I need to hear (err...read).

Congratulations!

 

[YCAGA]

Would you mind sharing where you went for SMP in a message? If you don't feel comfortable, I understand. Congrats!

Cincinnati and Georgetown are the only two MD SMP’s I would consider. Cincinnati because it is small, has good outcomes, and you are fully integrated with the med students. Georgetown because of the brand recognition for both the med school and the SMP and it is also truly medical student lectures and exams. Boston U for example is not integrated with the med students and you are taking old exams.

If you have to choose, do Cincinnati because it is much smaller than GT (30 vs 180), half the price, Cincinnati is a better medical school, and OH has 6 MD schools, 4 of which are public and offer instate tuition after M1.

If those two SMP’s don’t accept you, you aren’t a good fit for MD SMP’s. If your MCAT is below the median MD accepted (currently like 511?), you aren’t a good fit for MD SMP’s. It is too much of a financial risk to do an SMP and then still not have an MD competitive MCAT. Then you could have saved $60k and most likely gone DO. If you tried incredibly hard in college with good study strategies and time management and still had a <3.2 GPA, MD SMP’s are not a good fit. SMP’s are for people who were lazy in college and for lack of a better word, have plenty of mental horsepower for medical school.

Also since this thread got bumped, congrats OP. Your hard work is exactly why SMP’s were made.

 

[LizzyM]

SDN clickbait....

How I got into 3 US MD Schools with a 2.6 sGPA​

and a 3.7 in a SMP and a 511 MCAT with a 517 retake.

Bravo!
Have you considered a side gig with BuzzFeed?

 

[Princeton Medical Student]

Cincinnati and Georgetown are the only two MD SMP’s I would consider. Cincinnati because it is small, has good outcomes, and you are fully integrated with the med students. Georgetown because of the brand recognition for both the med school and the SMP and it is also truly medical student lectures and exams. Boston U for example is not integrated with the med students and you are taking old exams.

If you have to choose, do Cincinnati because it is much smaller than GT (30 vs 180), half the price, Cincinnati is a better medical school, and OH has 6 MD schools, 4 of which are public and offer instate tuition after M1.

If those two SMP’s don’t accept you, you aren’t a good fit for MD SMP’s. If your MCAT is below the median MD accepted (currently like 511?), you aren’t a good fit for MD SMP’s. It is too much of a financial risk to do an SMP and then still not have an MD competitive MCAT. Then you could have saved $60k and most likely gone DO. If you tried incredibly hard in college with good study strategies and time management and still had a <3.2 GPA, MD SMP’s are not a good fit. SMP’s are for people who were lazy in college and for lack of a better word, have plenty of mental horsepower for medical school.

Also since this thread got bumped, congrats OP. Your hard work is exactly why SMP’s were made.

Cinci SMP was my consideration too at some point because they post each student’s outcomes and they are pretty damn good.

 

[J_J_J]

SDN clickbait....

How I got into 3 US MD Schools with a 2.6 sGPA​

and a 3.7 in a SMP and a 511 MCAT with a 517 retake.

Bravo!
Have you considered a side gig with BuzzFeed?

HAHA sneaky sneaky~

 

[J_J_J]

Cincinnati and Georgetown are the only two MD SMP’s I would consider. Cincinnati because it is small, has good outcomes, and you are fully integrated with the med students. Georgetown because of the brand recognition for both the med school and the SMP and it is also truly medical student lectures and exams. Boston U for example is not integrated with the med students and you are taking old exams.

If you have to choose, do Cincinnati because it is much smaller than GT (30 vs 180), half the price, Cincinnati is a better medical school, and OH has 6 MD schools, 4 of which are public and offer instate tuition after M1.

If those two SMP’s don’t accept you, you aren’t a good fit for MD SMP’s. If your MCAT is below the median MD accepted (currently like 511?), you aren’t a good fit for MD SMP’s. It is too much of a financial risk to do an SMP and then still not have an MD competitive MCAT. Then you could have saved $60k and most likely gone DO. If you tried incredibly hard in college with good study strategies and time management and still had a <3.2 GPA, MD SMP’s are not a good fit. SMP’s are for people who were lazy in college and for lack of a better word, have plenty of mental horsepower for medical school.

Also since this thread got bumped, congrats OP. Your hard work is exactly why SMP’s were made.

I didn't go to either Cinn or GT. They are both great options, but not the only way. My classmates had great success matriculating to MD programs if they performed well in the program (meaning 3.6+ and 513+ mcat). i prefer my identity to be as anonymous as possible, so I won't reveal my program publicly.

I didn't have the GPA to even qualify for most SMPs, but I have made my way. Every SMP is a risk and I recommend everyone do their own research (ask questions to faculty, connect with some of the recent SMP grads for advice) to what fits their needs best

 

[jhmmd]

I didn't go to either Cinn or GT. They are both great options, but not the only way. My classmates had great success matriculating to MD programs if they performed well in the program (meaning 3.6+ and 513+ mcat). i prefer my identity to be as anonymous as possible, so I won't reveal my program publicly.

I didn't have the GPA to even qualify for most SMPs, but I have made my way. Every SMP is a risk and I recommend everyone do their own research (ask questions to faculty, connect with some of the recent SMP grads for advice) to what fits their needs best

A while ago I made a spreadsheet of different SMPs. Write down questions you have like matriculation rate to med school, percentage D.O. vs. M.D. matriculation (not all schools break it down this way), cost, location, reputation, difficulty, whether or not you take classes along with med students, etc. Contact SMPs (politely!) and ask admissions officers these questions to get a feel for each school.

As @J_J_J alluded to in his or her post, SMPs are a huge risk. They can make or break your chances for med school. Only attend if you are CONFIDENT that you can get a high GPA while competing for As with med students. That is the hitch. You have to out-perform the med students to make up for a potentially sh*tty undergrad experience. So the lesson to be learned from this is get the highest GPA you can in undergrad.