Is Smp For Me????

[DR. BOSTON]

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Hi everyone-

First let me give you a brief intro to me...I am in the '06 class of a highly competitive university with a 3.6 gpa and very very good EC and LOR....my problem is that my mcat fell a little short of the verbal section...the breakdown was:

P:12
V: 6
B: 10
WR: S

I am exploring options incase I dont get accepted....what exactly are the SMP programs and do you think that an SMP program would be right for me???

Any other advice would be helpful...thank you

 

[sunnyjohn]

I don't think you need an SMP. I think you need to re-take the MCAT.

Why not take a review class and use the new forums here to improve your scores?

 

[medstylee]

well the general thought on smps is that they're best for those with higher mcats and lower gpas. the programs give you the chance to show that you can handle medical school academically. most people in smp programs don't have gpa's like yours. this is just my opinion, of course, but you might try applying to medical school once and then also apply to smp programs to fall back on it med school doesn't work out.

i'm not sure about websites or info on other smps, but here's the site for the georgetown smp program.
http://smp.georgetown.edu/

best of luck.

 

[silverdime]

I agree with what everyone's been saying: the SMP and similar post-baccs degrees are designed more for GPA-boosting than MCAT compensation.

I'd urge you to work on raising that verbal score as much as possible. While a 28 with a 3.6 is usually ok, med adcoms place a high value on the verbal. It's going to hurt you a little. Hopefully the rest will balance it out.

You're probably best off applying this cycle, mentioning on the AMCAS that you're retaking in August, and doing nothing but studying for the MCAT until then--or even wait to submit until scores come back, if you haven't already. If you could boost it to 30+, I don't think you'd be set back too much by the late application. And if you don't get in, at least you can ask why you weren't considered.

A little off-topic: Based on discussions with a couple of former application readers, I don't think adcoms really care where you went to undergrad, unless they have a cozy relationship with the school or you went to a very low-ranked school. Once you're at the 3.6 range, I doubt they weight it much more because you went to Harvard instead of BU, for example (the readers in question read apps for each). This isn't against the OP at all--I'm thinking more of the people who tell me that their very low GPA doesn't matter because they were in so-and-so program at such-and-such school. A C, unfortunately, is still a C...geez, that AMCAS form is depressing. 😱

 

[TiggidyTooth]

Hi everyone-

First let me give you a brief intro to me...I am in the '06 class of a highly competitive university with a 3.6 gpa and very very good EC and LOR....my problem is that my mcat fell a little short of the verbal section...the breakdown was:

P:12
V: 6
B: 10
WR: S

I am exploring options incase I dont get accepted....what exactly are the SMP programs and do you think that an SMP program would be right for me???

Any other advice would be helpful...thank you

You will probably here most people say that SMP's work best for people with low GPA's and high MCATs and not to waste 50K and just retake the test. Well, that might be a good plan of action but I do know someone personally who took the test 2 times and could not get his verbal above a 6 even though he had 11's in all other sections. He decided to go to georgetown, against a lot of people's advise and is now a MS1 there. My point is that if you are looking for insurance than an SMP is a great way to go if you feel as though bringing your verbal up substantially is not possible. Though, it is not cheap.

Tooth