Need some advice- DIY Postbacc vs SMP!

[DancingDO]

Hello! I will be graduating in May with a 3.2 gpa, 3.08 sgpa. I will be retaking my MCAT in June, I received a sub 500 my first time due to severe burnout. I have also just gotten accepted into an SMP at PCOM-GA but I am confused if I should do that or do a DIY postbacc at my current 4 year university and retake some classes I did subpar in (I've received around 5 C's and one D).

My main reasoning is because of the mixed reviews I have heard of PCOM-GA and the high cost of doing an SMP but I'm really confused about which is a better path. Doing a DIY postbacc would also give me some time to increase my clinical hours but I don't know if it would raise my GPA enough to be competitive.

Also, I am mainly looking to go into DO schools and I am an ORM. I have 1000+ hours in research, 300+ hours in non-clinical volunteering, around 100 hours in direct patient care and multiple leadership positions.

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[drgoldenboy]

Why are you mainly looking into DO schools?

 

[ampersandwich]

If you're interested mostly in DO, you should pass on the SMP. Your GPA is good enough as-is for many DO schools with a 505+ MCAT. I would do the DIY-post-bacc at a local college and commit to retaking the MCAT instead. If you can raise your sGPA to above 3.3, you would be in a good place for applying.

 

[Osminog]

Don't do an SMP. Your GPAs are low, but they're high enough to exceed most schools' screening thresholds. Also, don't ever retake a class unless it's required for admission and you got a C- or lower in it.

SMPs are high risk-high reward, and they're only worthwhile as a last resort. A low GPA in an SMP is extremely (often irredeemably) damaging to an application, but strong SMP performance can lead to a smooth, painless acceptance.

DO schools tend to emphasize your highest MCAT attempt, so don't worry too much about your low score from before. Use a Reddit MCAT Anki deck (e.g., MCAT Anking) every day, go through all the section banks and UWorld questions, take a bunch of NS and AAMC practice exams, etc. If you can knock the MCAT out of the park, you'll be in a good position to get DO interviews if you apply broadly.