Is SMP / MBS worth it??? Get in mid/low tier now or wait and do top tier?

[bopmop]

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Stats:
3.4 GPA
10/10/10S 10/11/10R

Firstly, my goal is to be an MD/PhD or ideally be an MD involved partly in research, which makes my situation slightly different, than if I wanted to be purely a clinical MD.

So I've been debating this over and over these past few weeks. Do I apply for the SMP / MBS programs I've seen, work my butt off for those 2 years, hopefully kick butt and go for top tier schools? Or do I make do with my stats and apply to easier to get into medical schools (MD or MD/PhD) currently within my range?

It's been hard for me to tell if an SMP/MBS is worthwhile from what I see...some give you lucrative interview options and most certainly demonstrate your ability to be competitive in medical school, but at the same time, it slows the whole enrollment by a good 1-2 years depending on program which I find a bit of a drag...delaying the actual practice for a few more years to come. I also feel like age in some part hurts an applicant, and I don't want to be 26 and getting into med school.
Has anyone every contemplated this??? Any tips?? 😕

 

[nanaschool2000]

Stats:
3.4 GPA
10/10/10S 10/11/10R

Firstly, my goal is to be an MD/PhD or ideally be an MD involved partly in research, which makes my situation slightly different, than if I wanted to be purely a clinical MD.

So I've been debating this over and over these past few weeks. Do I apply for the SMP / MBS programs I've seen, work my butt off for those 2 years, hopefully kick butt and go for top tier schools? Or do I make do with my stats and apply to easier to get into medical schools (MD or MD/PhD) currently within my range?

It's been hard for me to tell if an SMP/MBS is worthwhile from what I see...some give you lucrative interview options and most certainly demonstrate your ability to be competitive in medical school, but at the same time, it slows the whole enrollment by a good 1-2 years depending on program which I find a bit of a drag...delaying the actual practice for a few more years to come. I also feel like age in some part hurts an applicant, and I don't want to be 26 and getting into med school.
Has anyone every contemplated this??? Any tips?? 😕

With your GPA and MCAT score... I would just apply to medical school. How do you determine low/mid tier medical school? Personally, I believe all medical schools are great in their own ways. Don't get too stressed out by that US NEWS ranking.

 

[TheGalvaniFrog]

I don't think SMP is geared toward people who are hoping for top-tier schools. It's the mid and lower tier schools that respond most favorably to SMP students. In my opinion a SMP is not worth it in your case. If you are aiming for MD/PhD, maybe devote yourself to getting some good publication would be more worthwhile.

 

[bopmop]

Yeah so far I've focused on reearch, but I'm afraid I'm shaping up too much to be a strong PhD candidate as opposed to MD / PhD.

The thing that's tempting is not as much the SMPs maybe but the Masters programs in Biomedical Sciences that have been advertised to help MD/PhD applicants (i.e. Mount Sinai and Tufts) by offering good research as well as tough courses.

Basically, I'd say I could possibly get into Virginia Commonwealth / Drexel, etc. with my standings, but if I wanted to get into Mount Sinai's MD/PhD or Tufts MD/PhD it would be a lot tougher, than if I were to get the MBS and go from there.

 

[kidthor]

Is your science gpa a 3.4 too?

 

[bopmop]

yeah it is.

 

[Nasrudin]

I arrived at the answer of "no." I'll have a 3.3 cum 3.9 science and have decided SMP's are just not worth it. It backs me up against the wall for the MCAT but that's when I perform at my best.

To me an SMP is only a barely palatable proposition if your are sub 3.2 with little chance of moving your gpa.