Postbacc/SMP decision help: LECOM, PCOM, Temple ACHS, or Rutgers?

[redking10000]

---

Members don't see this ad.

I graduated undergrad with a 3.0 cGPA and 2.8 sGPA. I have roughly 1500 clinical hours, 700 volunteering hours, 350 research hours with 1 publication. Have not taken the MCAT yet.

Currently have acceptances to Rutgers MBS at NJMS, and PCOM MS in Biomedical Sciences. Interviewed for Temple ACHS (postbacc, not SMP like the others) and waiting for a response within a week. Waiting on decisions from Case Western MSMP and LECOM MMS.

Need help choosing a program that gives me the best shot of getting into a medical school the following cycle. The issue right now is that Rutgers and PCOM are the only acceptances I have. Rutgers wants a decision back by today 6/30. What should I do?

Update: Accepted to LECOM MMS as well.

 

[mcmidic]

I am in a similar boat, but I have minimal clinical hours (although I was a lifeguard and made some rescues I dont think that counts though). More than half your volunteering hours (mission trips in South America (it is clinical actually)., 0 research. I took my mcat and im hoping for a 506 or something, my scores come out next month. Do I have a chance or should I go carribean?

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

I graduated undergrad with a 3.0 cGPA and 2.8 sGPA. I have roughly 1500 clinical hours, 700 volunteering hours, 350 research hours with 1 publication. Have not taken the MCAT yet.

Currently have acceptances to Rutgers MBS at NJMS, and PCOM MS in Biomedical Sciences. Interviewed for Temple ACHS (postbacc, not SMP like the others) and waiting for a response within a week. Waiting on decisions from Case Western MSMP and LECOM MMS.

Need help choosing a program that gives me the best shot of getting into a medical school the following cycle. The issue right now is that Rutgers and PCOM are the only acceptances I have. Rutgers wants a decision back by today 6/30. What should I do?

You should go to whichever one has the strongest linkage flat out. Don't waste your money on one that doesn't have a guaranteed interview program.

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

I am in a similar boat, but I have minimal clinical hours (although I was a lifeguard and made some rescues I dont think that counts though). More than half your volunteering hours (mission trips in South America (it is clinical actually)., 0 research. I took my mcat and im hoping for a 506 or something, my scores come out next month. Do I have a chance or should I go carribean?

You should never go Caribbean. Spend a year to make your resume better and try for DO or go PA/nurse/some other related career field.

 

[Wamuu]

You should never go Caribbean. Spend a year to make your resume better and try for DO or go PA/nurse/some other related career field.

I cannot agree with this more. I want to put this here in case anyone reads it in the future:

I was accepted to two Caribbean schools last year, one of which was SGU. I know SGU has the best reputation of all of them down there, so that comforted me. But, I decided that I would defer and try again, because I knew that if I was much earlier to the game I would have a better chance than the cycle prior. There are other factors involved, namely residency opportunities, COL/QOL, and education rigor.

I went straight back to the grindstone to get hospital experience again while networking with doctors who could help me figure out how to present my application in a more genuine light, not one that appears as what I think ADCOMs would want to see. I start medical school in the good ole US of A next month. Do not give up your fight if this is what you really want, and do not compromise on the quality of your education because you think that you have to have it now and any waiting is wasted time. That was my mistake... almost.

I still have to go and write that withdrawal email...

 

[mcmidic]

I cannot agree with this more. I want to put this here in case anyone reads it in the future:

I was accepted to two Caribbean schools last year, one of which was SGU. I know SGU has the best reputation of all of them down there, so that comforted me. But, I decided that I would defer and try again, because I knew that if I was much earlier to the game I would have a better chance than the cycle prior. There are other factors involved, namely residency opportunities, COL/QOL, and education rigor.

I went straight back to the grindstone to get hospital experience again while networking with doctors who could help me figure out how to present my application in a more genuine light, not one that appears as what I think ADCOMs would want to see. I start medical school in the good ole US of A next month. Do not give up your fight if this is what you really want, and do not compromise on the quality of your education because you think that you have to have it now and any waiting is wasted time. That was my mistake... almost.

I still have to go and write that withdrawal email...

Any reason why? other than high cost? I want to open my own clinic

 

[Wamuu]

Any reason why? other than high cost? I want to open my own clinic

Well, there are a few reasons why that readily come to mind:

• Lower residency match rates
• High attrition rates, we're talking 20-30%
• Licensing challenges (stricter U.S. requirements and lower USMLE pass rates)
• High costs, risky returns as tuition rivals U.S. schools but with lower return on investment
• Stigma in residency applications

I also want to make it clear that they also make you take a CBSE exam, which they use to make you Step eligible. If you don't meet their threshold, you are at a high risk of dismissal. There are hurdles to get to the actual hurdles, and they will not support you if you have troubles with that or courses. I promise you that the effort to get into a school stateside is worth the peace of mind.

 

[mcmidic]

Well, there are a few reasons why that readily come to mind:

• Lower residency match rates
• High attrition rates, we're talking 20-30%
• Licensing challenges (stricter U.S. requirements and lower USMLE pass rates)
• High costs, risky returns as tuition rivals U.S. schools but with lower return on investment
• Stigma in residency applications

I also want to make it clear that they also make you take a CBSE exam, which they use to make you Step eligible. If you don't meet their threshold, you are at a high risk of dismissal. There are hurdles to get to the actual hurdles, and they will not support you if you have troubles with that or courses. I promise you that the effort to get into a school stateside is worth the peace of mind.

I need to take a year of org chem and a year of physics, but I have a 3.0 gpa, so I dont think I will be able to get in. I just never paid attention during my undergrad but Studying for the mcat that has all changed but its been years since I was in college, I have no idea where to get LORs and stuff like that for med school applications. My online org chem and physics coursework makes me eligible for SGU but not us schools as they dont want online coursework, was forced to take online bc of covid. I am still waiting on my MCAT score. I dont want to miss out on GRAD Loans plus, I got accepted to SGU and I can go in august. That way I will be grandfathered into the loans, otherwise there is no way to pay for me. Do you still think I should risk getting rejected and delaying and waiting after all this info?

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

I took online Orgo and physics and am at a USMD school right now. There's at least 30 schools you're eligible to apply at. DO schools don't care at all about online or not and would be a 500x better option for you than Caribbean. In your situation, I would submit right now for DO/your state MDs and see what happens.

The Grad PLUS situation is total bull**** and I don't have any advice there, but having to take out private loans in your later years is still probably less bad than going Caribbean imo.

 

[Wamuu]

I need to take a year of org chem and a year of physics, but I have a 3.0 gpa, so I dont think I will be able to get in. I just never paid attention during my undergrad but Studying for the mcat that has all changed but its been years since I was in college, I have no idea where to get LORs and stuff like that for med school applications. My online org chem and physics coursework makes me eligible for SGU but not us schools as they dont want online coursework, was forced to take online bc of covid. I am still waiting on my MCAT score. I dont want to miss out on GRAD Loans plus, I got accepted to SGU and I can go in august. That way I will be grandfathered into the loans, otherwise there is no way to pay for me. Do you still think I should risk getting rejected and delaying and waiting after all this info?

As @Nontrad_FL_LGBT said, I would send it with DO now. I would sooner go the PA route or even nursing before I would do Caribbean if I had the option again. All the schools I applied to accepted online courses since I took three during COVID and one this past year because it was a complementary course to biochem lecture. This is just to illustrate that even after the pandemic, they were still accepted.

To address your concern about LORs, this can come easily with spending some time in direct patient experience. Did your mission trips involve any doctors that you can get in touch with about letters? If you can acquire at least two from a doctor, the rest should be easy.

Please consider other options, including the private loans mentioned above, before going to SGU. You do not want to risk your career chances because it means going right this moment.

 

[redking10000]

Update: I got accepted to LECOM. So currently between LECOM, PCOM, Temple (assuming I interviewed well), and Rutgers.

 

[Wamuu]

Update: I got accepted to LECOM. So currently between LECOM, PCOM, Temple (assuming I interviewed well), and Rutgers.

Doesn't LECOM have a pathway from their MMS to the DO program? If you can keep up that 3.0 and other requirements, it seems pretty solid.