Need advice: should I do an SMP?

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lemonxlime

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Hi everyone,

I am seeking advice. For background, I graduated in 2015 and took all of my pre-reqs at the time. My intention was to go to medical school then, but after losing a parent I decided to enter they workforce instead. I’ve been working for 5 years and now I want to try to go to medical school. Some of my pre-reqs are old (7-9 years old) and since I work full-time it is hard to find classes that fit with my schedule.

I was thinking about applying to either the SMPs at Georgetown, Cincinnati and Boston.

My undergrad overall gpa is a 3.55, sgpa is a 3.57 and other is 3.56. My mcat score is a 504 and I plan on retaking it. I realized there’s a lot of information I’ve forgotten since graduating.

1) Should I apply to an SMP?
2) Should I focus solely on bringing up my MCAT score and then take 2-3 pre-reqs at my state college and then just apply to medical school?
3) Other suggestions?

Thanks for your help.

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I don't think an SMP is needed in your situation. I would focus more on bringing up your MCAT score and getting the experiences necessary for any successful medical school application, such as research, shadowing, or other clinical experiences.

Kevin W, MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors
 
Hi everyone,

I am seeking advice. For background, I graduated in 2015 and took all of my pre-reqs at the time. My intention was to go to medical school then, but after losing a parent I decided to enter they workforce instead. I’ve been working for 5 years and now I want to try to go to medical school. Some of my pre-reqs are old (7-9 years old) and since I work full-time it is hard to find classes that fit with my schedule.

I was thinking about applying to either the SMPs at Georgetown, Cincinnati and Boston.

My undergrad overall gpa is a 3.55, sgpa is a 3.57 and other is 3.56. My mcat score is a 504 and I plan on retaking it. I realized there’s a lot of information I’ve forgotten since graduating.

1) Should I apply to an SMP?
2) Should I focus solely on bringing up my MCAT score and then take 2-3 pre-reqs at my state college and then just apply to medical school?
3) Other suggestions?

Thanks for your help.
SMP, no.

Retaking expired pre-reqs, yes.
 
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My prereqs were that old and it was not a problem.
 
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My prereqs were that old and it was not a problem.

Mine were like 10ish years old too, and I encountered no difficulty at any school I applied to. You'll need to double-check with your state/target medical schools to be sure, but old prereqs aren't typically a problem.

I actually encountered more difficulty with my old prereqs while trying to complete my DIY postbac - I had originally taken Biology I in the mid-2000s, but my postbac university (2016-2017 timeframe) wouldn't let me enroll Bio II/upper division biology without retaking Bio I since "the credits were too old". *shrug*
 
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Thanks all! I am experiencing the same thing. I’m having trouble enrolling in upper division science courses, because my pre-reqs are 5-7 years old.
 
My prereqs were 10 yrs old and I had no issues. The only school I found that didn't take old (over 10 yrs) prereqs was Jefferson/ Sidney Kimmel in Philly (having MSAR was great for this - get it if you don't already have it).
I did however take 2 classes the yr before I applied , 1 being biochem in preparation for the MCAT.
I agree that bringing up your MCAT might do it for you.
Good luck OP.
 
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Thanks all! I am experiencing the same thing. I’m having trouble enrolling in upper division science courses, because my pre-reqs are 5-7 years old.
You don't need an SMP. You don't really need any sort of post-bacc with a 3.55 uGPA. The only thing that you really need to do is raise your MCAT score to 510+ for MD schools. If you're ok with DO school then your current 504 is probably ok if it is relatively recent.

If you want to refresh your underlying knowledge then take some CC courses. They're cheap, relatively easy, and should provide you with all the knowledge you need to do well on the mcat.
 
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SMP, no.

Retaking expired pre-reqs, yes.
@Goro if I took biochem 6 years ago and got an A+, would it be crazy to retake it again? Should I take upper level bio courses? Many of the schools I’m interested in say they don’t have a specific expiration date for pre-read. Thanks for your help!
 
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