SMP Dilemma - Tufts or Georgetown?

[gridguy]

I have been accepted to both Tufts and Georgetown for their SMP programs and feel a bit conflicted. Which of the two is better for me?

My big hangup is the cost for Georgetown - $43,402 at Georgetown vs $35,436 at Tufts. I think that if they were the same cost, I would go to Georgetown, but that may be because I live a few blocks from the campus.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Californian]

I would go to g-town. money? once you are a doctor u will pay back easily.

 

[aidama]

I would go to g-town. money? once you are a doctor u will pay back easily.

I lol'd.

OP: if it were me, I would go to the closer institution. Less of a hassle (moving etc). Both places apparently have good reputations.

 

[Crisco]

I have been accepted to both Tufts and Georgetown for their SMP programs and feel a bit conflicted. Which of the two is better for me?

My big hangup is the cost for Georgetown - $43,402 at Georgetown vs $35,436 at Tufts. I think that if they were the same cost, I would go to Georgetown, but that may be because I live a few blocks from the campus.

Georgetown kinda tries to get you in within the year while Tufts is after the first year. With that said, while georgetown does try it within a year, many people have trouble getting into places.

I would say the lower your GPA is, the more you should lean towards going to Tufts than Georgetown.

 

[gridguy]

Georgetown kinda tries to get you in within the year while Tufts is after the first year. With that said, while georgetown does try it within a year, many people have trouble getting into places.

I would say the lower your GPA is, the more you should lean towards going to Tufts than Georgetown.

You make an intriguing point... but based on what?

 

[Crisco]

You make an intriguing point... but based on what?

Georgetown tries to get you in the same year, and your chances increases substantially with a relatively okay GPA and a stellar performance at Georgetown.

However, as your undergrad GPA gets lower, the effectiveness of getting into med school within that year drops sharply. In such a case, a program that is geared towards a longer investment of time would have a more noticeable effect.

 

[gridguy]

I suppose a relevant question is... Which is it easier to get into - Georgetown SOM through their SMP or Tufts SOM through their own? Ultimately, I am looking for the path of least resistance with a required minimum return of an acceptance to a US allopathic medical school.

 

[Californian]

probably g-town.

 

[Crisco]

i actually want to say tufts. I think a fair bit of them are given a chance to be interviewed. I think. My memory is rusty so check up on both threads.

 

[gridguy]

i actually want to say tufts. I think a fair bit of them are given a chance to be interviewed. I think. My memory is rusty so check up on both threads.

Well, I am not sure. I recently spoke to a (soon-to-be?) graduate of their two year, MPH program that is starting medical school in a few weeks (NOT at Tufts). They told me that while their first class (2006?) had a high acceptance rate into Tufts (perhaps 40%?), Tufts has become considerably more selective about who they take. Because they promise to interview so many of their MBS students, an analogy was drawn between the interview and a carrot at the end of a stick. Again, this is based purely on a conversation with a former student.

While Georgetown hardly takes the majority of their SMP students, they are more transparent - they self-report who goes where (though they don't list how many people don't get in anywhere or the stats associated with anyone). I guess to a certain extent it is all just an enormous risk, but it would be nice if they shared this data - I am confident that they are meticulously collecting and analyzing it.

 

[Haplo]

If you want approx chances for Gtown, they interview about 70/184 smpers (~38%).

There is a secondary cutoff of those 70 interviewed, based mostly on smp grades (i.e. they cut most below GPAsmp~3.7); however, my impression is that they use absolute points from classes, rather than the straight grades.

Somewhere around 30-35 get accepts, about a third of those off the waitlist. Not all of those accepts matriculate, bringing numbers down to about the 25 commonly on the website. Magic and rainbows prove to be the common theme separating the accepts from the non-accepts at this point.

So, you have maybe a 20% chance to get in from the SMP assuming you have good program grades and clinical xp.

 

[gridguy]

If you want approx chances for Gtown, they interview about 70/184 smpers (~38%).

There is a secondary cutoff of those 70 interviewed, based mostly on smp grades (i.e. they cut most below GPAsmp~3.7); however, my impression is that they use absolute points from classes, rather than the straight grades.

Somewhere around 30-35 get accepts, about a third of those off the waitlist. Not all of those accepts matriculate, bringing numbers down to about the 25 commonly on the website. Magic and rainbows prove to be the common theme separating the accepts from the non-accepts at this point.

So, you have maybe a 20% chance to get in from the SMP assuming you have good program grades and clinical xp.

So I withdrew from Tufts and will attend Georgetown.

I contacted the SMP director and was told that students from the SMP class of 2010 directly entering GUSOM class of 2014 had an average SMP GPA of 3.5 - I found that number to be surprisingly low!

 

[Haplo]

So I withdrew from Tufts and will attend Georgetown.

I contacted the SMP director and was told that students from the SMP class of 2010 directly entering GUSOM class of 2014 had an average SMP GPA of 3.5 - I found that number to be surprisingly low!

Wow, it's really only 3.5 now? That makes me really wonder what the GUSOM criteria was, because I had many friends in the program performing much higher (i.e. 3.8 and 9s) who got the straight axe. And of the 20 or so I knew a few months ago who got in, the avg gpa was maybe 3.7. This means there is a cohort of people with 3.3-4s or so to balance out that acceptance average.

This also makes me want to warn you not to put all of your eggs in one basket, at the risk of being burned. The SMP is a great program that will help you get into med school, I just would not count on it to get you into GUSOM, unless you are literally the valedictorian. These stats demonstrate that the highest smp grades guarantee nothing, and mediocre performance was often sufficient (probably balanced by ECs). There are so many variables ranging from your undergrad institution, who interviewed you, any Gtown connections, class balancing criteria, tests, service to the GT community, etc. that come into play for those accepted vs not.

 

[cristiano]

Wanted to re-ignite this. gridguy, if you still are on the forums, input would be much appreciated.

Any new opinions on Tufts MBS vs Georgetown SMP?

 

[smarty666]

Well, I am not sure. I recently spoke to a (soon-to-be?) graduate of their two year, MPH program that is starting medical school in a few weeks (NOT at Tufts). They told me that while their first class (2006?) had a high acceptance rate into Tufts (perhaps 40%?), Tufts has become considerably more selective about who they take. .

Do you know by chance if your friend who is getting the MPH also did their MBS? I spoke with them a few weeks ago and found out that you can get a MBS and MPH if you do just 2 years full-time since their is a linkage program.

If not, I keep seeing more and more people getting an MPH before going into medical school. Many on hear say it does not help your chances or application by getting an MPH but I have friends and several on hear I have heard do this and were able to get into medical school.