SMP or RETAKE HELP DEADLINE

[PremedKiwi]

I'm again trying to get into DO or med schools in the states and planning to take the MCAT for the first time this September for 2014 applications. I don't know how much you know about the process or how to get in with sub-par grades, etc but I will give you my situation because all I really want is a good dose of advice from someone who may know something. Basically, I struggled at Kenyon and thank God for my Psych courses because I would have worse but graduated with a 2.77 in the sciences. I did a couple of summer courses in Physics and calculus that boost my overall science cumulative GPA to a 3.4 (surprising to me since they are summer courses and they may be given less consideration when I apply to medical schools, I'm not too sure but they weren't re-takes). I realize that is a low GPA applying to medical school and even DO school these days and I don't have three legitimate science professors I feel I could ask for recommendations because I didn't establish a good connection with but 2 of them during my four years. Right now as my options stand there are two (three if you count not pursuing either of the two and just looking for a job): I can attend a SMP (Special Masters Program) in Physiology and Biomedicine at Barry University on a one-year accelerated basis. The Masters is meant to help my application to medical school and is something students usually considered once they have already been rejected from medical school or if they have low GPAs and high MCAT scores. I applied because I read that medical schools don't look fondly on re-taking classes you achieved a C or better in and that applies to most of my science classes. The program is meant to be identical to the NOVA comm first year of Osteopathic Medicine and they set you up with a hospital dong volunteer work regularly. Anyway, second option is attending Cleveland State (where I went for summer school in 2012 and did pretty well, also enjoyed it) to work on boosting my GPA by re-taking core pre-med classes I did not achieve so highly in. I would also hope to volunteer in Cleveland and potentially get a part-time job working in Personal Care.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[PremedKiwi]

I'm again trying to get into DO or med schools in the states and planning to take the MCAT for the first time this September for 2014 applications. I don't know how much you know about the process or how to get in with sub-par grades, etc but I will give you my situation because all I really want is a good dose of advice from someone who may know something. Basically, I struggled at Kenyon and thank God for my Psych courses because I would have worse but graduated with a 2.77 in the sciences. I did a couple of summer courses in Physics and calculus that boost my overall science cumulative GPA to a 3.4 (surprising to me since they are summer courses and they may be given less consideration when I apply to medical schools, I'm not too sure but they weren't re-takes). I realize that is a low GPA applying to medical school and even DO school these days and I don't have three legitimate science professors I feel I could ask for recommendations because I didn't establish a good connection with but 2 of them during my four years. Right now as my options stand there are two (three if you count not pursuing either of the two and just looking for a job): I can attend a SMP (Special Masters Program) in Physiology and Biomedicine at Barry University on a one-year accelerated basis. The Masters is meant to help my application to medical school and is something students usually considered once they have already been rejected from medical school or if they have low GPAs and high MCAT scores. I applied because I read that medical schools don't look fondly on re-taking classes you achieved a C or better in and that applies to most of my science classes. The program is meant to be identical to the NOVA comm first year of Osteopathic Medicine and they set you up with a hospital dong volunteer work regularly. Anyway, second option is attending Cleveland State (where I went for summer school in 2012 and did pretty well, also enjoyed it) to work on boosting my GPA by re-taking core pre-med classes I did not achieve so highly in. I would also hope to volunteer in Cleveland and potentially get a part-time job working in Personal Care.
Also, Does anyone have any advice for cramming for the MCAT?

 

[Toss]

You really don't have to post the same thing in seven different threads across three different subforums.

 

[thisisansley]

Also DO school IS medical school.

 

[sector9]

Merging cross posted threads

 

[Lya]

I'm again trying to get into DO or med schools in the states and planning to take the MCAT for the first time this September for 2014 applications. I don't know how much you know about the process or how to get in with sub-par grades, etc but I will give you my situation because all I really want is a good dose of advice from someone who may know something. Basically, I struggled at Kenyon and thank God for my Psych courses because I would have worse but graduated with a 2.77 in the sciences. I did a couple of summer courses in Physics and calculus that boost my overall science cumulative GPA to a 3.4 (surprising to me since they are summer courses and they may be given less consideration when I apply to medical schools, I'm not too sure but they weren't re-takes). I realize that is a low GPA applying to medical school and even DO school these days and I don't have three legitimate science professors I feel I could ask for recommendations because I didn't establish a good connection with but 2 of them during my four years. Right now as my options stand there are two (three if you count not pursuing either of the two and just looking for a job): I can attend a SMP (Special Masters Program) in Physiology and Biomedicine at Barry University on a one-year accelerated basis. The Masters is meant to help my application to medical school and is something students usually considered once they have already been rejected from medical school or if they have low GPAs and high MCAT scores. I applied because I read that medical schools don't look fondly on re-taking classes you achieved a C or better in and that applies to most of my science classes. The program is meant to be identical to the NOVA comm first year of Osteopathic Medicine and they set you up with a hospital dong volunteer work regularly. Anyway, second option is attending Cleveland State (where I went for summer school in 2012 and did pretty well, also enjoyed it) to work on boosting my GPA by re-taking core pre-med classes I did not achieve so highly in. I would also hope to volunteer in Cleveland and potentially get a part-time job working in Personal Care.
Also, Does anyone have any advice for cramming for the MCAT?

So both 2.7 and 3.4 GPA are both sGPA? If so, what is your cumulative cGPA? Or you meant 3.4 cGPA and 2.7 sGPA? Either way, SMP or more classes are inevitable.

I know that re-taking classes is helpful in fixing GPA for DO apps, but not so much in MD apps. If you really want a good shot in MD apps, I would do the post bacc SMP, the first option. But if your budget is a little tight and SMP's cost seems unfavorable, the second option does not seem too bad at all.

For MCAT, I would look at the MCAT forum for advices if you are looking for something more than "Do lots of practice problems" and "stay confident throughout the preparation."

 

[PremedKiwi]

Thanks so much for the response and sorry for posting so many times. I live overseas and I'm trying to book my flight back in accordance with the program.
Apparently my sGPA is a 3.4 (my AACOMAS application equated it to this) but if you disregard the summer classes I took from a state university my sGPA is a 2.77 and this includes my behavioral psychology courses I think. I don't care DO or MD either way and I can definitely do SMP but I haven't heard a ton about the school that accepted me, Barry University so I'm a little nervous on that front. Just hope it's worth it and medical school does look upon it favorably when considering my application.