Postbacc or Volunteering

[Shreman]

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I'm currently a second year SMP student set to apply in June 2017. With my time left, I've got a couple options to choose from to optimize my application.

1. Take 8 credits of postbacc. This would lead to a total of 12 credits of postbacc and cGPA: 3.20 sGPA: 3.11 SMP GPA: 3.51

2. Spend more time continuing clinical volunteer work, raising my hours from ~600 to 800. I could also focus a greater degree on research to push for a publication submission that is nearly complete. My stats would be cGPA: 3.15 sGPA: 3.03 SMP GPA: 3.51

For reference, I have taken the MCAT twice; 513 and 516. I will have 120 hours shadowing, ~250 hours non-clinical volunteering, and 2000+ research hours with a master's thesis and at least 1 publication.

 

[kamakazi5]

Your volunteer hours are fine. The GPA bump is minimal but getting more A's in upper levels will still be a boost. I would think you need more than 12 hours though. A solid years worth of courses would likely help quite a bit.

 

[Scrizzy]

Definitely go for the publication. Other than that, you can go either way for the post Bac or volunteer.

Sent from my ZTE A2017U using Tapatalk

 

[Shreman]

Thanks for the responses! I was hoping some of the Adcoms could weigh in @gonnif @Catalystik

 

[Catalystik]

I'm currently a second year SMP student set to apply in June 2017. With my time left, I've got a couple options to choose from to optimize my application.

1. Take 8 credits of postbacc. This would lead to a total of 12 credits of postbacc and cGPA: 3.20 sGPA: 3.11 SMP GPA: 3.51

2. Spend more time continuing clinical volunteer work, raising my hours from ~600 to 800. I could also focus a greater degree on research to push for a publication submission that is nearly complete. My stats would be cGPA: 3.15 sGPA: 3.03 SMP GPA: 3.51

For reference, I have taken the MCAT twice; 513 and 516. I will have 120 hours shadowing, ~250 hours non-clinical volunteering, and 2000+ research hours with a master's thesis and at least 1 publication.

The current 600 hours of clinical volunteering and 120 hours of shadowing are more than enough. A submitted manuscript that has not yet been accepted will not boost your application. I don't know the quality of your SMP and whether you are earning that 3.51 in direct competition with med students, but regardless, I'd go with option #1 (earning straight As) and take additional undergrad postbac classes in med school-like classes to raise your undergrad cGPA and uBCPM GPA.

 

[Shreman]

Sorry Gonnif, I should be more clear. I'm basically trying to decide between doing postbacc work or increasing my clinical volunteering hours. The research and subsequent publication is not a focus, but an added bonus if I decide not to take postbacc classes.

I'm in a well known Boston SMP that directly matches the medical school curriculum.