Smp or DIY postbacc

[LukaDoncicLuk]

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[Goro]

With a good target list this cycle, you shouldn't have a need of either.

+'s and -s for post-bacs and SMPs are here; but personally I lean to SMPs.
Goro's advice for pre-meds who need reinvention

 

[LukaDoncicLuk]

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[FreeRadicals]

Wow a 525 MCAT! Congrats.

 

[Goro]

I appreciate the feedback. I'm planning to apply to 35-40 MD schools (depending if I get secondaries from schools that screen) and ~5 DO Schools. I'm complete at 26 schools and hoping to finish my labor day.

Do schools care if you take online courses? I have taken a few postbacc courses through UCLA extension and to my knowledge online courses do not show up on the UCLA ext as being online. It would be very convenient for me to do so. I would be able to tack on about 6 extra As onto my transcript.

35-50 schools is insane. You'll burn yourself out doing secondaries.

I recommend:
UCSF
Columbia
Case
NYU
Mayo
Pitt
BU
Hofstra
Dartmouth
tufts
Drexel
Wake
U Miami
Netter
Duke
SLU
Tulane
Your state schools
Albany
NYMC
Gtown
EVMS
GWU
Wayne State
Any DO school except the four on my Bad Boy list.

Pre-reqs should not be taken online. You'll need to check MSAR on what each school's policy is.

 

[Planes2Doc]

If you do an SMP, it's sink or swim. If you don't rock it, then you will have almost certainly killed your chances for medical school.

 

[LukaDoncicLuk]

35-50 schools is insane. You'll burn yourself out doing secondaries.

I recommend:
UCSF
Columbia
Case
NYU
Mayo
Pitt
BU
Hofstra
Dartmouth
tufts
Drexel
Wake
U Miami
Netter
Duke
SLU
Tulane
Your state schools
Albany
NYMC
Gtown
EVMS
GWU
Wayne State
Any DO school except the four on my Bad Boy list.

Pre-reqs should not be taken online. You'll need to check MSAR on what each school's policy is.

I greatly appreciate your feedback. You and the other adcom members of this forum have been incredibly helpful throughout this process. I have decided to limit my secondaries and will only be adding BU, NYU Miami and Duke (already complete at all other schools that you listed) based on your feedback and plan on having them complete by labor day.

For DO schools where do you think a CA native interested in potentially going into psych or a more competitive specialty would be happy?
Tentative DO list:
PCOM
DMU
NYITCOM
KCUMB
LECOM
Western

Based on the feedback in this thread I will probably just take 1-2 postbacc classes and work on improving my ECs. SMPs are far too expensive for me.

 

[insaiyanpredent]

I'm already applying this cycle but wanted to get some feedback in case I strike out. How can I best improve my chances for next cycle. I have a 3.3c and 3.18 sgpa with a 525. I have a strong upward trend (3.6+) in last 70 credit hours. Should I start applying to SMPs or take more post bacc classes. I work 40 hours a week and volunteer 10 hours each week so it would be tough to take more than 1 or 2 postbacc classes.

Hey that MCAT score is slammin!!! Put those applications through the slamberry hole. On a serious note I would suggest apply to many md schools and SMPs with a conditional acceptance, i.e Temple and Drexel. This way you don't waste another gap year applying and don't have to retake the MCAT.

 

[Goro]

I greatly appreciate your feedback. You and the other adcom members of this forum have been incredibly helpful throughout this process. I have decided to limit my secondaries and will only be adding BU, NYU Miami and Duke (already complete at all other schools that you listed) based on your feedback and plan on having them complete by labor day.

For DO schools where do you think a CA native interested in potentially going into psych or a more competitive specialty would be happy?
Tentative DO list:
PCOM
DMU
NYITCOM
KCUMB
LECOM
Western

Based on the feedback in this thread I will probably just take 1-2 postbacc classes and work on improving my ECs. SMPs are far too expensive for me.

That's a good list. Keep in mind LECOM has a dress and lecture attendance code. Consider TUNCOM, Western-OR or PacNW