Post Bacc

[deleted925364]

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Hi I am currently in my 3rd year of college and worry about getting into medical school, I wanted to know can someone explain how a post bacc or smp works?

Are there ones that guarantee admittance to schools?

thanks.

 

[Dr. Basketball]

Former SMP student here.

Yes, there are ones that guarantee admittance provided that you maintain a certain GPA and sometimes pass a comprehensive final. There are others that guarantee an interview, and others that are there to beef up your application.

I think you´ll hear this a lot, but make sure you do your research. Not all SMPs are the same. With some it is common for most to get As, with mine, we were graded against each other and it was very difficult to get As. 7 or 8 of my classmates dropped out during the first semester, another 5 or 6 during the second.

In my opinion, SMPs are expensive and should be a last resort. I don´t know much about post baccs, maybe someone else can comment on that.

Either way, feel free to PM me if you have any other questions and good luck to you!

 

[deleted925364]

Former SMP student here.

Yes, there are ones that guarantee admittance provided that you maintain a certain GPA and sometimes pass a comprehensive final. There are others that guarantee an interview, and others that are there to beef up your application.

I think you´ll hear this a lot, but make sure you do your research. Not all SMPs are the same. With some it is common for most to get As, with mine, we were graded against each other and it was very difficult to get As. 7 or 8 of my classmates dropped out during the first semester, another 5 or 6 during the second.

In my opinion, SMPs are expensive and should be a last resort. I don´t know much about post baccs, maybe someone else can comment on that.

Either way, feel free to PM me if you have any other questions and good luck to you!

i went ahead and pm'ed you

 

[dostudentdoc]

Current SMP student!

Agreed with Dr. Basketball that you do have to do your research. Not all program are the same. Some school offer guarantee acceptance while some school of guarantee interview if you meet a certain GPA/MCAT.

You have to put in a lot of work into the program but you definitely learn a lot and improve your study skills. I've finished my Fall semester and I can already say I've definitely improved my study skills compared to the skills I had in undergrad. My school is very supportive and they want you to succeed. So it was definitely doable to get A's as long as you put in the work.

SMPs are expensive and make sure you know why you want to go. For me, it was because low MCAT and low GPA and I felt that SMP were a great way for me to bring up my GPA. If you are only considering SMP because you have low MCAT, then I highly don't recommend it.

Hope this help-let me know if you have specific questions 🙂

 

[Ragtime]

In regards to post bac programs, you're essentially taking undergraduate science courses to raise your undergraduate sGPA. Some people find it more practical to do a SMP if their undergraduate sGPA is beyond repairable. Depending on how much you need to raise your GPA, post bac programs are usually 1-2 years on average, and usually the less expensive route. If you feel that you can raise your GPA to an acceptable standard (at least ~3.3 for DO schools) in 1-2 years time, a post bac may be the better option. That is of course, assuming that all other aspects of your application taken together are adequate.