PCOM Biomed vs. Drexel IMS... (it's between these two)

[Led Zep]

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I know this thread exists but I'd like to tailor the information a bit for me personally, I did a search and need a bit more help with my decision. My grades are
3.35cGPA 3.30sGPA (MD)
3.58cGPA 3.50sGPA (DO)

Stellar ECs, LOR's

No MCAT yet

I have retaken 6 classes to get my DO GPA up, I'm not opposed to DO schools but I'm still trying to merit an MD acceptance.

I've looked at both programs somewhat and really want to make the right choice here. I feel confident I can land an interview and an acceptance with my DO gpa. But like I said I'm still trying for MD as well

I'm doing an EMT class this coming summer and I like the biomed program because it will let me work at least 1 shift a week to build up some more clinical hours, the IMS program is much more time intensive. (I know both require large amounts of studying, I'm just trying to round out my application)

However, I don't know if many students are coming out of the PCOM Biomed program with an allopathic acceptance. I'm trying to stay in PA (my home state) so I don't know how much weight PCOM holds at say drexel, temple, and jeff.

I think doing the IMS program doesn't kill my chances at osteopathic schools but I am concerned because I'm not getting a lot positive feedback about students completing this program with an allopathic acceptance either. Does anyone have a link to some solid numbers?

Any information and advice will be greatly appreciated, thanks all!!!

Does temple offer an SMP/Post bacc?
If so how does that stand?

 

[Led Zep]

Anyone? *bump*

 

[DeucesHigh3]

I suppose a lot might depend on your MCAT -- when are you taking it? A really good score could put you in the realm of possibility of an allopathic school without having to do a SMP. On the other hand, a middling score could make the SMP a necessity to balance out the undergrad GPA. Also, are you planning to apply next summer before either program starts, or after the year is over?

As for which school, I'm not sure I'd pick PCOM just to be able to do some EMS duty shifts this fall if your ECs are already good. On the other hand, it certainly couldn’t hurt. I don’t know how biomed grads fare at the PA schools, but I do know that IMS has a good relationship with Temple and Jefferson (as well as Drexel, obviously, plus UMDNJ and a few others). Drexel keeps their allopathic success statistics pretty close to the chest, but I’ve seen plenty of anecdotes both ways (people who sailed straight on to Drexel or their state school, and people who didn’t have any luck without the MMS year).

Also, as a follow-up to the other PCOM vs Drexel thread I posted in, I have some first-hand experience with how the med school curve works now. Basically, on a test-by-test basis, you aren't really graded against anyone -- you simply accumulate points toward your final grade. You can see the average and standard deviation for the other IMS students after each test/quiz, and usually they'll post the MS-1 average at some point too. However, the actual grades are determined at the end of the semester, and those are what are pegged to the med student average, as well as their cutoffs for High Pass and Honors.

Temple has a SMP, their Advanced Core in Medical Sciences (ACMS). It offers conditional acceptance to the medical school though, so it has pretty inflated statistics and is about as hard to get into as many actual medical programs (you can see some anecdotes in this year’s ACMS application thread).

 

[jslo85]

Your MD gpa is outside the competitive range for MD but you know that, and your GPA for DO school does not merit (you are already within the competitive range for traditional applying) you attending an SMP style graduate program at a DO school.

In my opinion what you need is a solid MCAT score. 33+ for MD would put you in a more comfortable spot to hope for an interview from lower mid tier schools and a 26+ would probably get you quite a few interviews at DO schools. I'm not sure if that still holds true at this time in the cycle (kind of late) but if you apply broadly enough, you should still get favorable responses from osteopathic schools.

As for your actual question if that is still relevant, you should attend a DO SMP if you want to get into osteopathic school. If you wanted to attend a graduate program that allopathic schools would look more favorably on, I would attend an allopathic program like IMS that Deuces suggested above. Again, I'm not dealing in absolutes in saying an SMP at a DO school will be a negative mark on your application and neither am I saying that it won't help your application, I'm only trying to say that if your goal is MD, you should attend an MD institution for an SMP if you had to attend one. I apologize if I'm beating a dead horse for you but I've had bad experiences explaining this in the past to people on SDN.

Another point to emphasize on your original question, PCOM PA is a far better choice for a program than PCOM GA. Why? Because of many different factors including PCOM PA having an established veteran faculty used to teaching the MBS program as well as the sheer potential for linkage. PCOM GA has 80-90 seats for their medical school yet their MBS program has anywhere from 45-65 spots (not sure so i'm offering a range). How many of those spots do you truly think are "reserved" for their MBS students if the students excel in that program? Then take a look at PCOM PA which has a medical school class of 200+ with an equivalent MBS program size. I think it's pretty clear.