Is WD in order?

[hei]

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Looks like I'm pretty late to discovering the SDN network; I wish I had found it sooner! I just graduated from UC and am working on secondaries now.

Reading through this forum is making me wonder if i should WD my app and wait to apply for an SMP instead. I thought I had a solid MD chance but... brr... thoughts may be deceiving!

My stats:

Major: chemical engineering/English
BCPM: 2.65
AO: 3.23
Total: 2.97

MCAT: V13, PS12, B10, W:R

LORs:

My professors and research advisor are beyond dedicated to helping me get into medical school. My favorite prof teaches QM and played a big part in my late-career 3.9 GPA turnaround (unfortunately too late to override 300 units' worth of hmmmm grades).

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ECs:

Collegiate Athletics (1400 hrs)

Clinical (500 hrs)

Research (130 hours)

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My biggest UG error was the over-emphasis on athletics. It was not until the last 1.5 yrs that I began exploring medicine, and the last 6 mos or so that I wanted to become a surgeon. I hauled arse accordingly, earning A+ marks in engineering courses (which AMCAS downgraded to mere A's ) and now, after reading through a night's worth of WAMC threads, am concerned I may have shot myself in the foot by applying this round and not going through SMP first.

My family and I already put forth the investment into AMCAS primaries. Should I withdraw from them, and focus on SMP entry? Will being a re-applicant if, (God please forbid!) I don't get in anywhere this cycle, be a massive setback?

Insight is much, much appreciated and will be deeply contemplated. Thanks!

 

[Catalystik]

Two years ago, SDN had a member accepted to an allopathic school with a cGPA of 2.92 and MCAT of 40 (and fantastic ECs, with three semester steep upward grade trend, as I recall). Widely varying stats like yours don't make an acceptance impossible, merely improbable. You need to decide if you want to proceed with the application cycle with low odds of a successful outcome.

If you return Secondaries, you will more than double your current investment in the application process. Rather than withdraw from AMCAS, consider withdrawing from most individual schools by email (no rush for this), unless you're sure the SMPs you're a candidate for don't want you to apply through AMCAS concurrently. (If you withdraw from AMCAS, you are banned from applying again in the same season. However, be aware, if you withdraw before verification, you'd get a lot of your money back, possibly all but $160.) Some schools don't like reapplicants, but the vast majority have no objection provided you have improved your application.

A 3.0 is a common requirement for SMPs, but there are some with lower requirements, I've heard. You have so many credit hours, it would be difficult for you to take enough classes as a postbac in a reasonable time frame to raise your GPA to the desired value.

So, I suggest you hie yourself over to SDN's Postbaccalaureate Programs forum and research SMPs and any other suitable programs (maybe medical masters), checking on prerequisite stats, need to co-apply through AMCAS, etc., and see if there are some that seem doable. Even if you decide to proceed with applying, you can still apply to some of these programs as your backup plan.

If you really want to apply somewhere this season where you have a chance, consider looking at those DO med schools which have a cut off for GPA of 2.5 to 2.75. Your excellent MCAT score will force them to pay attention to your application.

 

[hei]

Thanks for your quick response, Catalystik! I've read through the SMP threads (Didn't know what an SMP was before last night 😛) and will be submitting apps come January.

I expect to continue clinical/research ECs in SMP, but will I "lose" the leadership ECs since they were done at a separate institution? Or will they carry over if I reapply as an SMP graduate?

(i.e., like how high school activities are excluded from AMCAS because they're not UG; are UG activities excluded from AMCAS if the applicant is SMP?)

and for DO schools, is it true that getting placement for a surgery residency is beyond difficult? if so, this would really dissuade me from applying DO.

 

[Catalystik]

I expect to continue clinical/research ECs in SMP, but will I "lose" the leadership ECs since they were done at a separate institution? Or will they carry over if I reapply as an SMP graduate?

(i.e., like how high school activities are excluded from AMCAS because they're not UG; are UG activities excluded from AMCAS if the applicant is SMP?)

and for DO schools, is it true that getting placement for a surgery residency is beyond difficult? if so, this would really dissuade me from applying DO.

You will not lose any of your college activities if you do an SMP. Even if you completed a traditional masters (not recommended for your purposes), you would still list all your pertinent undergrad activities on the med school application.

I am not a DO physician so I can't give you my personal experience in regards to surgical residency, but in the Pre-Med Osteo forum, I've seen many Searchable threads discussing your question, where you can gain a better perspective. It's my understanding that if you can get the board scores to be competitive, DO is not a bar to a surgical residency. Also, be aware that DOs can apply to DO-only residencies, as well as MD residencies.