Post Bacc or SMP??

[skittles927]

I have a 3.47 GPA and haven't taken the mcat. I'm going to be taking it next march. I'm still in undergrad but really want to know what I should do! With a 3.47, should I be leaning more towards a bost bacc or SMP?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[LaughingGas]

it really depends on how many years /terms you have left of your undergrad and what your mcat score will be.
also how many classes you have taken on upper bio.

 

[combatwombat]

Post-bac. You do not want to go through a SMP unless you absolutely have to. You will learn a lot in an SMP, but it is not a good way to live, expensive, and less effective at getting you into medical school.

If you have not taken any of the pre-req courses, you should be in great shape. Just keep your GPA as high as possible.

 

[skittles927]

Well I haven't taken the MCAT as of yet. I'm a bio major so I have taken upper level bio classes and will continue to take them. I'm graduating in May 2011.I just feel having a 3.47 now makes me extremely uncompetitive for med school. Do I even need to be considering a post bacc or SMP? Thanks!!!!

 

[LaughingGas]

Well I haven't taken the MCAT as of yet. I'm a bio major so I have taken upper level bio classes and will continue to take them. I'm graduating in May 2011.I just feel having a 3.47 now makes me extremely uncompetitive for med school. Do I even need to be considering a post bacc or SMP? Thanks!!!!

I personally think postbac is a waste of time
hense..

http://www.naahp.org/resources_Postbac_Article2.htm

hope this helps...

 

[combatwombat]

Well I haven't taken the MCAT as of yet. I'm a bio major so I have taken upper level bio classes and will continue to take them. I'm graduating in May 2011.I just feel having a 3.47 now makes me extremely uncompetitive for med school. Do I even need to be considering a post bacc or SMP? Thanks!!!!

How many of the medical school prerequisite courses have you already taken? If you've only done 2 semesters of bio you should be able to do a post-bac. Just choose a post-bac program that 1) has a good track record for getting people into schools, and 2) will give you a committee letter of recommendation. If possible, look for one that also has 3) MCAT classes and 4) a linkage program to a medical school. If you can find a post-bac that has all 4 of these things, you'll be way better off than going to a SMP

 

[TyrKinase]

I personally think postbac is a waste of time
hense..

http://www.naahp.org/resources_Postbac_Article2.htm

hope this helps...

I would take that article with an enormous VW-sized block of salt. From the byline:

"by Gerald Soslau, Ph.D., Yolanda Pressley, and Laura Mangano"

​

It just so happens those Dr. Soslau is the dean in charge of the Office of Professional Studies in Health Sciences at Drexel University, and Ms. Pressley and Ms. Mangano work under him. Through this office, Drexel runs fourteen programs, including SMPs, each designed to help students reach some vague healthcare-related goal. And of course, they charge handsomely for this service.

In the article, there are five different scenarios, representing five different under-qualified applicants to medical school. And who would believe that through the Office of Professional Studies in the Health Sciences, Drexel has just the program for four of those five hypothetical students (excluding the one who needs additional undergraduate level coursework).

Just for kicks, see the third reference at the bottom on the page.

As for skittles927's question: I would go with the post-bacc. It might not be entirely necessary if you're graduating in May 2011 because you'll have two more semesters to bump up your GPA. You could also delay graduation a year, and just take more coursework assuming you don't attend an expensive private college.

Best of luck!

 

[skittles927]

Isn't a post bacc for people who don't have all of their science pre reqs? I have more than enough. I'm just totally unfamiliar with post baccs and SMP's. I've been told by some people that I should do an SMP because I have all of the courses I need. If I need an SMP and do a post bacc or vise versa...will it hurt me? Thanks!!

 

[betterlate]

Isn't a post bacc for people who don't have all of their science pre reqs? I have more than enough. I'm just totally unfamiliar with post baccs and SMP's. I've been told by some people that I should do an SMP because I have all of the courses I need. If I need an SMP and do a post bacc or vise versa...will it hurt me? Thanks!!

Postbacc programs are generally for career-changers who have not taken science coursework. SMPs are for people who have the right premed prerequisites but need to improve their GPAs. If you have all the courses, then you are correct that you are not eligible for a formal postbacc program.

 

[momofj]

Postbacc programs are generally for career-changers who have not taken science coursework. SMPs are for people who have the right premed prerequisites but need to improve their GPAs. If you have all the courses, then you are correct that you are not eligible for a formal postbacc program.

How about people who took their pre-recs 15 yrs ago? would a post-bac program be the best route?

 

[betterlate]

How about people who took their pre-recs 15 yrs ago? would a post-bac program be the best route?

You may or may not be eligible for a career-changer postbacc. You'd have to contact programs individually to see if/how they would accommodate your past coursework.

 

[runnerbee]

Career-changers can definitely do post-baccs as they usually do not have the required prereqs for med school. As others have said, try to bump up your GPA during your senior year as much as possible. I would also suggest taking more undergrad work at your school if you're willing to attend for another year or enroll in an informal post-bacc.