Planning on doing an SMP and applying MD, how should I play my cards?

[arbor_vitae]

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Hey all, long-timer lurker, first-time poster here

I'm graduating from an Ivy League school in May and my one desire in life is to become a physician. Unfortunately, my GPA is way too low. Ultimately I screwed myself over by going to an Ivy for undergrad. Although it pushed me to my limits and I grew a lot, I stood no chance of "beating the curve" (median grade in premed classes: C+). I'm a low-income, first-generation college student so the learning curve was tough, and as soon as I got settled, everyone in my family became sick and I was spending a lot more time caring for them than on myself and my classes. As of now, I have a 3.1 cumulative GPA and a 2.7 BCPM GPA, 516 on the MCAT. Besides this, everything else is stellar. I've had fantastic clinical and laboratory research experiences, worked with the WHO, excellent leadership positions, volunteering, speak five languages, etc.

I'm planning on attending an SMP at Georgetown or Tufts next year because I feel like I can perform well there and show I am really ready for medical school. The issue I am now facing (assuming I attend the SMP) is when and where to apply to medical school. I feel very ready to apply this upcoming cycle, and I would prefer to not have a gap year in between. Some people tell me it is better to apply before/while you attend the SMP (as per the FAQ on SDN and these SMP schools), while others say it is better to wait until you complete the program to present all of your grades. The thing is, it's hard to say what med schools prefer and it's likely different on a school to school basis anyway.

My current plan is to apply to my top personal choices (5-7 schools that I think are a great fit for me, not crazy reaches), and if I don't get in, to apply a lot more broadly in the following cycle once I have all my grades (and perhaps reapply to the ones I was rejected from before?). It's very unusual to think about applying in such a truncated fashion, but this way the financial risk is not as large by applying to a smaller number of schools (~$500 vs $2000) and I would not have to have an additional gap year if I do get in. Can anyone offer me advice on if this plan is feasible or not? Is it fair game to call these schools and ask if they will consider the fall SMP grades before making a decision?

 

[GrapesofRath]

Couple things I see

1) You really want to raise your BCPM GPA before doing an SMP. 2.7 is rather low. First off, it's low enough a number of reputable SMPs(which are the only ones worth a damn IMO) will take a pass on you. But even if you do find a good SMP to take you on, they arent necessairly doing you any favors. A 2.7 BCPM GPA still runs the risk of being screened out at a number of schools. There would be nothing worse than spending 60k and going all out to ace an SMP only to find that schools will never even look at all that effort because your GPA got you screened out before you got eye balls on your app. Now there is some track record and anecdotes of people with sub 3.0 GPAs acing SMPs and then getting into MD programs but that's just rolling the dice. Spend some time getting your BCPM GPA to 3.0.....then the SMP starts making alot more sense.

2) The people who apply to med school the same year of the SMP and tend to be successful are the borderline candidates. Your 3.4/33 types. Many of these people are reapplicants who had previous IIs in cycles and the SMP is literally the final little nudge they need. In other words, if you apply the year you do an SMP to med school you are relying on your background and UG credentials to at least put you in a fair spot. Your BCPM GPA makes that a foolish bet. Why would anybody be interested in reading your application come August or September with no SMP grades yet and a 2.7 BCPM GPA? Answer, they wont. Nobody is going to bother to wait for your SMP grades to make a decision in your case. It'll be an easy reject decision.

3) You should never ever plan on applying to medical school more than once. Your best chance is always with your first application. Re-applicants often have higher expectations and in some cases a stigma attached to them and can be discriminated against to some extent. The bar is set higher for them; they need to show significant improvement from their first app to be successful and in many ways that will require them doing more/going above and beyond what someone who isnt a reapplicant would have to. And even with substantial improvement, that wont just erase all questions/concerns re-applicants face.

The most realistic plan I see here is
Spend some time doing informal post-bacc work to raise the BCPM GPA. This will be good for you because not only does it makeyou a more viable candidate post-SMP it lets you improve your study habbits significantly. If you were only a 2.7 student in UG, even at an IVY, what exactly makes you think you can routinely beat the MS1 class averages and beat out 60+% of MS1s like you would need to in an SMP? There's nothing yet. You can complain about how difficult your UG is all you want but I can guarantee the vast majority of people at your school who hit 516/35 on the MCAT have much higher GPAs than yours. Your study habbit were a problem in college regardless of where you went with that MCAT score and that GPA.

Start slow, take classes at a local State U and ace them. Once your BCPM GPA hits 3.0 then the SMP starts becoming a smart plan. The 2.7 BCPM GPA puts you in a hole. Many have climbed out of it before in your shoes and your MCAT score is a great first step but grade repair is a process, often a slow one. You cant rush steps otherwise it wont work. What you are trying to do with that plan is to rush steps.

Alternatively I'll add you can go grade replacement at a local state U and go the DO route if you dont want to pursue this longer path and just want to be a doctor. I get why you would want to gun for the MD, particularly with that MCAT score and upcoming merger, but the DO route it would be foolish not to consider. And realize even if you do an SMP, you still might have to go the DO route that's just how competitive it is now days.

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

I agree with Grapes. Be sure to consider DO, you'll stand a way better chance there. Get the GPA up to at least a 3.0 before entering the SMP.

**Buyer Beware: bomb an SMP and you are permanently screwed from getting accepted anywhere...Along with having another 60K in non-dischargeable debt.

 

[Favoritefarm]

Your first problem to overcome is "feel sorry for me attitude". Are there plenty of people at ivy schools and also your school that do well and get into med school? Yes. You lost me and you will lose a lot of people when you open up with "I have a low GPA but it's not my fault".I'm not trying to be mean but it certainly makes you look immature.

 

[Goro]

At my school we seldom interview or admit people who have only one semester's worth of an SMP to show that they can handle medical school.

Apply to med school with the best possible app, even if it means missing a cycle. Med schools aren't going anywhere.

And beggars can't be choosy, you will need to have DO schools on your eventual list.

Hey all, long-timer lurker, first-time poster here

I'm graduating from an Ivy League school in May and my one desire in life is to become a physician. Unfortunately, my GPA is way too low. Ultimately I screwed myself over by going to an Ivy for undergrad. Although it pushed me to my limits and I grew a lot, I stood no chance of "beating the curve" (median grade in premed classes: C+). I'm a low-income, first-generation college student so the learning curve was tough, and as soon as I got settled, everyone in my family became sick and I was spending a lot more time caring for them than on myself and my classes. As of now, I have a 3.1 cumulative GPA and a 2.7 BCPM GPA, 516 on the MCAT. Besides this, everything else is stellar. I've had fantastic clinical and laboratory research experiences, worked with the WHO, excellent leadership positions, volunteering, speak five languages, etc.

I'm planning on attending an SMP at Georgetown or Tufts next year because I feel like I can perform well there and show I am really ready for medical school. The issue I am now facing (assuming I attend the SMP) is when and where to apply to medical school. I feel very ready to apply this upcoming cycle, and I would prefer to not have a gap year in between. Some people tell me it is better to apply before/while you attend the SMP (as per the FAQ on SDN and these SMP schools), while others say it is better to wait until you complete the program to present all of your grades. The thing is, it's hard to say what med schools prefer and it's likely different on a school to school basis anyway.

My current plan is to apply to my top personal choices (5-7 schools that I think are a great fit for me, not crazy reaches), and if I don't get in, to apply a lot more broadly in the following cycle once I have all my grades (and perhaps reapply to the ones I was rejected from before?). It's very unusual to think about applying in such a truncated fashion, but this way the financial risk is not as large by applying to a smaller number of schools (~$500 vs $2000) and I would not have to have an additional gap year if I do get in. Can anyone offer me advice on if this plan is feasible or not? Is it fair game to call these schools and ask if they will consider the fall SMP grades before making a decision?

 

[piii]

I have done an SMP.

@Goro and @GrapesofRath are pretty spot on.

A few things.

1) You have the MCAT. That's great. Seems like the people who graduate from SMPs that have success have a 33+/514+. So that's good.
2) You need to raise the sGPA to above a 3.0 with a post bacc.
3) DONT APPLY UNTIL YOU'VE COMPLETED A FULL YEAR OF YOUR SMP. The point of the program is to show a long term improvement in handling a rigorous curriculum. How the heck is only 3 months of SMP going to do that? It isn't. Not with your GPAs for sure. Worry about applying after both semesters, it'll be way less stressful.
4) Make sure you go to a good SMP (GT, BU, Tufts, Cinci).
5) Don't apply until you are ready. Have the mentality to apply once and get in, not to half ass it with a few schools and take your chances as a reapp. Terrible POV.
6) Take ownership of your grades. Don't put it all on "going to an Ivy made me do worse." That's bullcrap and adcoms won't care. With that GPA, you probably would have done poorly at a state school. Don't make excuses. Make improvements.
7) Apply to DO schools too.
8) Aim for a 3.7+ SMP GPA. It'll be hard as balls. Don't expect a social life.

 

[Krupke]

OP, I also vote that you look into DO. You should think carefully about how your debtload will look since it doesn't sound like you will have parental financial support. You don't want to be starting med school with over $100K in debt.

It's easy to get so caught up in the stress of potentially not getting into med school that you make rash decisions. Develop a clear plan before you take any big risks. Good luck!