SMP after a neuro master’s

[anatneuro]

My ugrad gpa is 2.85 and my master’s gpa is 3.74. I took 2 medical school classes during my master’s and did well in them. My MCAT is 517. I applied to over 60 schools and I have only received rejections so far. I think its time to start planning reapplying, but I don’t know what to do about my GPA. Should I do a formal SMP, or is it alright to just reapply next year?

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[Osteosaur]

Well something has to change. Don't reapply assuming you were unlucky. Cool MCAT but it won't save you. I have always been told schools look at masters GPAs separately and usually stratify by uGPA.

SMP is made for your kind of situation - redeeming "poor" grades (poor from a med school POV). Clearly you've cleaned up your act.

 

[Bloobury]

My ugrad gpa is 2.85 and my master’s gpa is 3.74. I took 2 medical school classes during my master’s and did well in them. My MCAT is 517. I applied to over 60 schools and I have only received rejections so far. I think its time to start planning reapplying, but I don’t know what to do about my GPA. Should I do a formal SMP, or is it alright to just reapply next year?

Nice MCAT! What about your EC's and LORs? Do you feel good about your personal statement and application otherwise? Remember, it's a weird cycle and II's are going to keep coming for a while into 2021.

You could probably just take a few classes on the side (that's what I did/am doing to bolster my 3.5 cGPA, 3.0sGPA) to get your UG GPA above a 3.0.

You may also consider reaching out to some of the schools you applied to, to see if you can get a re-screen or whatever. I don't know if that's actually a thing but I've heard whispers of folks reaching out to have their application looked over by a real human if there is something extraordinary about their app that the numbers may not demonstrate.

 

[anatneuro]

Well something has to change. Don't reapply assuming you were unlucky. Cool MCAT but it won't save you. I have always been told schools look at masters GPAs separately and usually stratify by uGPA.

SMP is made for your kind of situation - redeeming "poor" grades (poor from a med school POV). Clearly you've cleaned up your act.

I'm wondering if I've done enough to prove that I've cleaned my act. I've heard lots of schools value ugrad GPA more than grad GPA because they assume that grad GPA's are inflated. If I do go to an SMP, do you think a 1 year SMP is enough because I already have a masters?

 

[Osteosaur]

I'm wondering if I've done enough to prove that I've cleaned my act. I've heard lots of schools value ugrad GPA more than grad GPA because they assume that grad GPA's are inflated. If I do go to an SMP, do you think a 1 year SMP is enough because I already have a masters?

I don't know. I'd ask an adcom.

But ultimately the SMP, unlike some other masters, is intended to be an audition for medical school. Oftentimes those will give you an automatic interview at their program if you pass a threshold. That's why I think its a little different than "just any masters". But I'd definitely ask other programs how they view the info. But that is always the sense I've gotten.

Right now your GPA is what stands in the way.

Did you go DO, also?

 

[anatneuro]

Nice MCAT! What about your EC's and LORs? Do you feel good about your personal statement and application otherwise? Remember, it's a weird cycle and II's are going to keep coming for a while into 2021.

You could probably just take a few classes on the side (that's what I did/am doing to bolster my 3.5 cGPA, 3.0sGPA) to get your UG GPA above a 3.0.

You may also consider reaching out to some of the schools you applied to, to see if you can get a re-screen or whatever. I don't know if that's actually a thing but I've heard whispers of folks reaching out to have their application looked over by a real human if there is something extraordinary about their app that the numbers may not demonstrate.

I've been working with refugees and asylum seekers for 4 years. My main clinical experience was as a refugee patient navigator, where I connected refugees and asylum seekers to services within the hospital and other case management services. I think my weakness in my application outside of my GPA is that I don't have enough traditional clinical experience, but I learned a lot about how immigration status interplays with social determinants of health.

I did a master's thesis, and my PI mentioned in her LOR that we are in the process of turning my thesis into a paper where I will be the first author. Right now, I am working as a Staff Research Associate at a different lab.

I was a nationally ranked debater in ugrad and I was a leader for 3 years in a religious/cultural organization.

My other LORs come from the course director of one of the courses I took with medical students. She was also my advisor for a teaching project. One of my LORs came from the head of the staff at the place where I was a refugee patient navigator. My last LOR came from the staff advisor for the organization where I held my leadership position.

Taking a couple of classes while I'm working might not be a bad idea, I'll keep that in mind.

I asked for a rescreen from 2 of my state schools. But, I'm from California, so I don't expect too much from those schools.

 

[Bloobury]

I've been working with refugees and asylum seekers for 4 years. My main clinical experience was as a refugee patient navigator, where I connected refugees and asylum seekers to services within the hospital and other case management services. I think my weakness in my application outside of my GPA is that I don't have enough traditional clinical experience, but I learned a lot about how immigration status interplays with social determinants of health.

I did a master's thesis, and my PI mentioned in her LOR that we are in the process of turning my thesis into a paper where I will be the first author. Right now, I am working as a Staff Research Associate at a different lab.

I was a nationally ranked debater in ugrad and I was a leader for 3 years in a religious/cultural organization.

My other LORs come from the course director of one of the courses I took with medical students. She was also my advisor for a teaching project. One of my LORs came from the head of the staff at the place where I was a refugee patient navigator. My last LOR came from the staff advisor for the organization where I held my leadership position.

Taking a couple of classes while I'm working might not be a bad idea, I'll keep that in mind.

I asked for a rescreen from 2 of my state schools. But, I'm from California, so I don't expect too much from those schools.

Sounds like all the pieces are in place! Having someone knowledgeable take a look at your PS and activities section might help tease out if anything could be written better if you don't get in this cycle or if you have to reapply. Being a lower stat applicant myself I expected to be interviewing late in the cycle. Lots of folks on here have stories about interviewing in March or whatever and getting in! Hold onto that hope!

 

[anatneuro]

I don't know. I'd ask an adcom.

But ultimately the SMP, unlike some other masters, is intended to be an audition for medical school. Oftentimes those will give you an automatic interview at their program if you pass a threshold. That's why I think its a little different than "just any masters". But I'd definitely ask other programs how they view the info. But that is always the sense I've gotten.

Right now your GPA is what stands in the way.

Did you go DO, also?

I'll try to ask some of the schools that rejected me about what they think about my program when March rolls around.

I applied to 5 DO schools, no word from them yet.

 

[Redpancreas]

I've been working with refugees and asylum seekers for 4 years. My main clinical experience was as a refugee patient navigator, where I connected refugees and asylum seekers to services within the hospital and other case management services. I think my weakness in my application outside of my GPA is that I don't have enough traditional clinical experience, but I learned a lot about how immigration status interplays with social determinants of health.

I did a master's thesis, and my PI mentioned in her LOR that we are in the process of turning my thesis into a paper where I will be the first author. Right now, I am working as a Staff Research Associate at a different lab.

I was a nationally ranked debater in ugrad and I was a leader for 3 years in a religious/cultural organization.

My other LORs come from the course director of one of the courses I took with medical students. She was also my advisor for a teaching project. One of my LORs came from the head of the staff at the place where I was a refugee patient navigator. My last LOR came from the staff advisor for the organization where I held my leadership position.

Taking a couple of classes while I'm working might not be a bad idea, I'll keep that in mind.

I asked for a rescreen from 2 of my state schools. But, I'm from California, so I don't expect too much from those schools.

I think we found the problem.

 

[Redpancreas]

OP, be resilient and don't see this as a knock on your ability. Admissions to medical school are not fair. Take a step back and decide how much you're willing to put into this and what you're willing to accept. I'm way too far removed from the medical school admissions process so I don't want to over-speculate on what having no interviews at this point means especially with COVID-19 but I can't imagine it's an ideal situation. You may still hear back and I know anecdotally of people getting their first interview in Feb and matriculating into medical school that year. That said, I think you may want to start thinking of your next cycle like you've self-identified.

1.) Unfortunately the SMP is starting to become a validated convenient cash-cow which is unfortunate. It creates more socioeconomic disparity as those who can afford it vs those who can not. In essence you're paying $$$ for a chance to redeem yourself academically from undergrad. I second the validity of doing a true SMP. A master's typically doesn't cover the breadth of medical material whereas a good SMP typically does if its in something like physiology, medical sciences, etc. Additionally it allows schools to put your performance in perspective relative to actual medical schools which is the ultimate vindication of your academic record.

2.) I think you underapplied to DO schools. They are a great, equivalent option. Think about what you want in medicine. While most competitive fields are MD heavy DOs are breaking barriers in many fields. Next year (if you're unsuccessful this year) put some more effort in applying to those. They're less competitive and often as a result open to assessing academic redemption.

 

[DNAJB6]

My ugrad gpa is 2.85 and my master’s gpa is 3.74.

You probably didn't get past auto screen with the GPA. Take some undergraduate science classes and raise your GPA to at least 3.0 and preferably at least 3.2. You might find some love with DO schools with an upward trend. For MD schools do the same, but you may also need a SMP on top of it with linkage tobacco medical school.