SMP Decision Help!

[stilltryingtogetintoMD]

Hi all,

I am applying to both MD and SMPs this cycle and need help deciding between SMPs.

I want to stress that if not accepted into an MD program this cycle, I will reapply next cycle before starting a SMP.

I have been accepted to:
Tufts Biomedical Science
Tulane Biochemistry
Tulane Anatomy
EVMS
Loyola

Still waiting to hear from:
BU
Cincinnati

Tufts and BU are at the bottom of my list exclusively based on price and cost of living.

Loyola is next to the bottom due to the fact that their program is taught by graduate faculty across town from their medical school campus.

That leaves EVMS (45k/yr), Cincinnati (39k/yr), and Tulane (29k/yr).

Can anyone speak to the pros/cons of these programs and/or give me some insight to help make my decision?

Thank you in advance for all your time and help!

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[vrazzles]

I have no idea about the SMPs but you should consider changing your avatar to maintain anonymity.

Also why would you apply to SMPs if you weren't going to attend until another cycle has passed anyways? Maybe I'm not understanding.

 

[stilltryingtogetintoMD]

I have no idea about the SMPs but you should consider changing your avatar to maintain anonymity.

Also why would you apply to SMPs if you weren't going to attend until another cycle has passed anyways? Maybe I'm not understanding.

The largest weakness to my MD application is my undergraduate GPA (3.33) - my hope is that by starting my MD application before matriculation into a SMP program, I can update MD schools with first semester grades.

 

[vrazzles]

Gotcha. I'm no expert on this matter but I would go with the cheapest option (unless money isn't a factor). The point of an SMP is to show med schools that you can handle med school level coursework. If all the SMPs you mentioned allow you to take classes with med students, I would say that they are functionally equivalent.

 

[chaim123]

The largest weakness to my MD application is my undergraduate GPA (3.33) - my hope is that by starting my MD application before matriculation into a SMP program, I can update MD schools with first semester grades.

You may want to think about this a little more. While grade updates are fair and fine, you will still be applying with the same AMCAS GPA grid as before, and medical schools are under no obligation to wait for an update from you before rejecting you and moving on. If you want to give medical schools new data to look at, the best course of action is to apply AFTER the SMP, so that you will have a (hopefully) wonderful post-bac GPA to show in your grid.

 

[Goro]

Hi all,

I am applying to both MD and SMPs this cycle and need help deciding between SMPs.

I want to stress that if not accepted into an MD program this cycle, I will reapply next cycle before starting a SMP.

I have been accepted to:
Tufts Biomedical Science
Tulane Biochemistry
Tulane Anatomy
EVMS
Loyola

Still waiting to hear from:
BU
Cincinnati

Tufts and BU are at the bottom of my list exclusively based on price and cost of living.

Loyola is next to the bottom due to the fact that their program is taught by graduate faculty across town from their medical school campus.

That leaves EVMS (45k/yr), Cincinnati (39k/yr), and Tulane (29k/yr).

Can anyone speak to the pros/cons of these programs and/or give me some insight to help make my decision?

Thank you in advance for all your time and help!

Pretty much the same. Go with the cheapest, that's also the shortest, and has some sort of linkage to the med school.

 

[Andrew Baines Bernard]

The largest weakness to my MD application is my undergraduate GPA (3.33) - my hope is that by starting my MD application before matriculation into a SMP program, I can update MD schools with first semester grades.

The problem is that I would imagine most MD schools wouldn't care about your first semester grades in an SMP. I would think that, more importantly, adcoms would want to see a long-term GPA trend, rather than just a single datapoint from one semester. I know it's tempting to apply after the first semester or first year of an SMP, but your greatest chance of giving them a complete view of your academic abilities (the whole reason you're doing an SMP in the first place) is to finish out both years, get 4.0's all four semesters, and present that to them.

Then again, if you have the time and money to fill out applications, go on interviews if you get them, and still succeed in your SMP, then it might not necessarily hurt you.

 

[HopeIsStrength]

I'm not sure if you're accepted to that tulane program thay has the leadership certificate in it then I'd pick that. They have that guaranteed linkage thing where if you do above 50th percentile as compared to their MD students in anatomy then assuming you don't do something totally crazy you get in to the MD. Sounds like a fairly sweet deal since it's also like 26k which is less than the other smp options around