SMP: Have I made a mistake in my timeline? (Long read but would greatly appreciate help/advice)

[elizabethmarinescu]

I recently finished my undergrad with a sGPA of 2.8 and a cGPA of 3.24. My low GPA was mainly due to teaching myself how to effectively study for the first time (and a death in the family) so I knew I wanted an SMP not only for a grade boost but also to be able to practice the study habits I have developed and further prepare me for M1 (god willing).

I have about 8 months of intensive caretaking for the family member who passed, alongside my physician mother who was granted permission by the oncologist to treat my grandmother at home with procedures, meds, etc. I know this is something not usually allowed as experience, but I am mentioning it here.

I also have 8 months (360 hours) of Research. I have been unable to shadow during undergrad due to 1. the pandemic 2. the gap in education as a caretaker 3. unable to access hospitals/doctors in a really small college town. I recently started volunteering in January, and have new volunteering lined up (Court Appointed Special Advocates volunteer, something I donated to in college through my organization's philanthropy and loved, Mental Health Crisis volunteer, etc).

I have been studying for the MCAT since February. The purpose is for 2 SMP programs that require an official MCAT score (these programs are in-state, therefore very ideal for me financially). Throughout this time, I have been unable to break 505, so this is something I am realizing will need to be retaken, with things I have learned along the way to be more successful the second time around.

I also obtained my Medical Assistant certification, but nobody will hire me due to me only being able to work for 3 months (June - August, before the program starts). This is something I am now realizing will need to be used after completion of my SMP (since I do not plan to divide my attention during the SMP).

This leads me to the purpose of this post, and how I am worried I have made a mistake. I know assumptions are a killer, but I did not expect to be unable to find a job as an MA this summer and did not expect my MCAT to be this low. I have already started submitting applications for SMP programs this fall, but now I worry that I am doing everything in the wrong order.

I would essentially be doing the SMP, and using a summer (either the summer between a 2-year SMP or the summer after a 1-year SMP) to retake the MCAT. Most of the programs that I am applying to advise to take the MCAT after completion of their program or in between the program duration, seeing as they assist in MCAT Prep, so hopefully this order (SMP then MCAT) would not be frowned upon.

I would also be using the year after my SMP to gain more shadowing and clinical experience. Would medical school frown upon the order I completed everything in, and the amount of time taken even after an SMP, before applying to medical school? I am working as hard as I can to fix the careless mistakes I made in undergrad, and I am willing to take as many years as needed after the SMP to make myself a solid candidate before applying to medical school.

However, now I worry that the mentality of being willing to improve, however long it takes after the SMP, coupled with the order of my process, would actually make me a less solid candidate than I thought.

Can anyone share any advice or give their input? Is it super out of the ordinary & could it affect my admission in the future that I completed these things out of order? Is this mentality something that is admired as a reinvented applicant?

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[Mr.Smile12]

I'm not sure your issue is about the "order" of your process. I think it's being impatient about it. You have a lot of things that are just beginning, but I'm worried you haven't shown that you could either juggle all of those things or remain committed to those activities.

I also would have taken my time after graduation to get an immersive clinical experience. I would ensure you could use your MA certification and work for at least a year. No one wants to hire anyone with a short commitment, as you can tell. You are willing to spend money carelessly without giving yourself a chance to apply your knowledge and earn modest money, and I think that's what's going to happen as you rush into an SMP.

SMP's will be there after you log a few thousand hours of work as an MA and a thousand hours of community service (CASA is a great opportunity). You don't need to spend more money needlessly, only to have to continue working and let your MCAT score lapse (meaning you'd have to prepare again).

Do medical school admissions committees care about the order in which you do things? With the results you have described here, I say yes, because you aren't letting things mature. (If your results were satisfactory, we wouldn't care as much.) Time management is something many faculty look for, and if you keep putting the cart before the horse, they are wary of your preparation for a more intense career like healthcare.