Medical Should I do an SMP - Unique app with low GPA and high MCAT?

[tantacles]

Hi SDN,


I have a unique case: low GPA (sub-2.0), high MCAT (523). The premed advisor at my university says that Caribbean the only choice now, but SDN members have warned about the Caribbean for many reasons.


I took the May MCAT and scored 523. Since DO schools have stopped grade replacement, I cannot replace the failed courses. With 15 upper level failed courses, my cGPA drops to sub-2.0.


I had a solid GPA of 3.95 for the first two years of my undergrad in Biochemistry. In the second semester of 3rd year I was hospitalized for 6 months with several surgeries.


I took 1.5 times the course load in 4th year to compensate and during finals had a surgery and failed all of them. I healed by the summer of 4th year and took my university’s hardest fourth year courses, Advanced Orgo and Histology with both an A+. I have 200 hours of clinical volunteering, some research and solid LORs.


I was advised to apply to SMPs. A Post-Bacc is not an option as I took 150 credits and would need 4 years of full course loads to reach a 2.80. I would like to take the SMP to ‘reinvent’ the application per Goro’s thread on this forum.

Year 1: 3.90
Year 2: 4.0
Year 3 Semester 1: 3.92
Year 3 Semester 2: 0
Year 4 with 1.5 times course load or 45 credits: 0.70
Year 4 summer: 4.0

Options are:
-SMP at an MD school – Not likely as these require GPA of 3.0+
-SMP at a DO school – not sure about this

-Caribbean Schools

I think if you want to go to medical school, an SMP is your best bet. You are one of those rare people who I can say with some certainty is likely to be able to get all A’s, and I think medical schools would be sympathetic to your story.

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[TheBoneDoctah]

Absolutely, positively do not GO the Caribbean route. I think you should do an SMP. Your MCAT and track record for grades shows me that you can succeed in your classes. I think that schools (especially DO) will be able to overlook your lower GPA given the circumstances if you can succeed in the SMP. Good luck!

 

[Goro]

I agree with my wise colleagues.

Some colleges allow for retroactive withdrawals. See if you can get that done.

Read this:

• Goro's advice for pre-meds who need reinvention

 

[tantacles]

I agree with my wise colleagues.

Some colleges allow for retroactive withdrawals. See if you can get that done.

Read this:

• Goro's advice for pre-meds who need reinvention

As an addendum to this, an attorney can often be helpful, particularly if you failed because of a disabling/debilitating (even temporarily) surgery, which may or may not be covered under the ADA. If your school won't play ball, I would lawyer up.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Obviously something happened in Year 3-Year 4, and taking that overload was probably not the best idea in retrospect. (This is your I invitation to let us know what happened.)

I think you probably are still in a decent position but you will need to do some solid networking and prepare for perhaps some postbac coursework. The MCAT score will help you for at least the next two cycles (likely three) so you won't have to worry about this as a barrier. Take Goro's reinvention advice, but get some insight from admissions officers about what to do since -- as a fellow prehealth advisor -- I don't agree with your advisor's reasoning for your next steps about going to the Caribbean at all.

Some schools may consider your last 60 credit hours or 30 science course grades as an additional indication of your upper-level biology preparation. You'll have to ask around to figure that out. I think you have a better shot than you think when it comes to postbac or SMP programs provided you are honest with your circumstances during Year 3 and Year 4, especially if you have posted an MCAT of 520+.