SMP or something else after grad?- Anxious International Pre-med Senior

[Sashaxoxo]

Hi there! I'm a current senior very interested in med school, but definitely need to prepare before I even apply. For context:
I am a male, Asian international Bio major at a T20 with a current cGPA 3.63 and sGPA: 3.4 and will likely remain so (kind of a weird trend neither up or down, kind of inconsistent). I am currently studying hard for the MCAT and planning to take it in the spring, hoping to get a 515+.
For extracurriculars, I have one publication in a high impact publication as a second author, am heavily involved in research and have leadership in my school's culture club. I have around 300 hrs+ of clinical experience abroad (back at my native country) but only around 60 w/in the US. Furthermore, my nonclinical volunteering will be around 100 hours by the time I graduate.
I am hoping to apply in two cycles and build up my application before then. I want to do an SMP, preferably at BU or Brown, but I'm not sure if it's worth it even if I can afford it. Would it be better to maybe work and build up my application, or do some post-bacc classes, or do an SMP, which I heard pays off well if you do good in the program, but is detrimental if you don't.
I am extremely set on med school, and would do whatever it takes, especially because I know it's more competitive for an applicant like me.

Thanks!

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[chilly_md]

do an SMP, which I heard pays off well if you do good in the program, but is detrimental if you don't.

It can pay off for domestic applicants. The only way it would be worth the investment (with the assumption you would do very well instead of being the inconsistent student you have been) is if the program provides guaranteed linkage that extends to international students or has shown they've taken international students from the SMP before.

 

[candbgirl]

Why are you taking the MCAT this year? You aren’t ready to apply and your score might expire before you apply or are accepted. You need to fill the holes in your application with ECs in the USA and develop to best possible application possible. The MCAT can wait.
I have no idea about international students and SMP programs.
Good luck.

 

[gyngyn]

The most recent publication from the AAMC is this: Applying to Medical School as an International Applicant

Since that was published, the number of MD schools that consider international applicants has dropped to 43 and many of them matriculate very few (if any). There are about 20 DO schools that consider internationals, but I don't have more information than that.

Last year, 1,268 non US residents applied to MD schools. 153 matriculated. This appears to include Canadians, though. https://www.aamc.org/media/6016/download?attachment
It's not impossible, but you need to get as much information as you can before making a decision regarding an SMP.

 

[Sashaxoxo]

Why are you taking the MCAT this year? You aren’t ready to apply and your score might expire before you apply or are accepted. You need to fill the holes in your application with ECs in the USA and develop to best possible application possible. The MCAT can wait.
I have no idea about international students and SMP programs.
Good luck.

In order to apply to the SMP programs I'm interested in, I have to have an MCAT score, so that's why I'm taking it.

 

[gyngyn]

In order to apply to the SMP programs I'm interested in, I have to have an MCAT score, so that's why I'm taking it.

That is unfortunate for a couple of reasons.
All scores remain visible forever. If you under-perform, it will hurt your eventual application.
If you do well, it may be expired by the time you have an application ready for submission.

It is possible that these SMPs are intended for re-applicants. Perhaps you could contact them to see if your grades and situation might allow for a delay in taking the MCAT as a single strong score is your best MCAT strategy.

 

[Sashaxoxo]

The most recent publication from the AAMC is this: Applying to Medical School as an International Applicant

Since that was published, the number of MD schools that consider international applicants has dropped to 43 and many of them matriculate very few (if any). There are about 20 DO schools that consider internationals, but I don't have more information than that.

Last year, 1,268 non US residents applied to MD schools. 153 matriculated. This appears to include Canadians, though. https://www.aamc.org/media/6016/download?attachment
It's not impossible, but you need to get as much information as you can before making a decision regarding an SMP.

I'm not sure if I can find specific stats on international students within the SMP who are accepted into the school, but I am willing to work really hard at the SMP program if it means it is going to pay off. Would a more traditional masters help my app?

 

[Sashaxoxo]

That is unfortunate for a couple of reasons.
All scores remain visible forever. If you under-perform, it will hurt your eventual application.
If you do well, it may be expired by the time you have an application ready for submission.

It is possible that these SMPs are intended for re-applicants. Perhaps you could contact them to see if your grades and situation might allow for a delay in taking the MCAT as a single strong score is your best MCAT strategy.

I'm not sure if it would expire since I plan to apply 2025 and plan to take it Spring 2024, but I definitely will try to take it only once! I'm interested in doing a one year SMP program and hope it will boost my application. I tried to caluclate the amount of credits I can take to raise my GPA, and it seems like it would take 60-70 credits to raise it to a 3.7 (assuming I make a 4.0 in all of them), so now I'm thinking if that's even worth it either.

 

[gyngyn]

I tried to caluclate the amount of credits I can take to raise my GPA, and it seems like it would take 60-70 credits to raise it to a 3.7 (assuming I make a 4.0 in all of them), so now I'm thinking if that's even worth it either.

Graduate grades do not change undergraduate gpa for MD schools. Graduate grades (including SMPs) appear on an entirely different line.
DO schools seem to average them in, however.

 

[gyngyn]

I'm not sure if I can find specific stats on international students within the SMP who are accepted into the school, but I am willing to work really hard at the SMP program if it means it is going to pay off. Would a more traditional masters help my app?

The SMP should be able to provide you with outcomes for internationals. Be sure that they give you specific outcomes broken into US MD/DO and that they exclude offshore matriculation in their "successes." You will also need them to break out Canadians into a distinct category from other internationals.