SMP Program

[colin]

Hi,

I have heard some people talking about SMP programs. I had a few quick questions. Namely, are these programs graduate programs are undergrad programs. I would be interested in a program that boosts my undergrad GPA but not a graduate program. And two, what are the differences between them and a Post Bacc program. And finally what SMP programs are there.

Any help would be apprecaited in clearing this up for me.

Thanks,
Colin

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[Mace]

Hi.

SMP programs are graduate programs. They do not boost (or have any effect whatsoever on) your undergraduate GPA because they are not considered undergraduate coursework.

As to your second question, SMP's are graduate programs for individuals who have completed Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Organic Chemistry already. Post Bacs's are generally for people who have decided after already finishing an undergraduate degree that they want to apply to medical school and need to take the prerequisites.

SMP's give you an opportunity to prove that you would be able to hack it in medical school because the classes that you take are medical school classes (such as biochemistry, physiology, neuroscience) with normal medical students. Each program has a different curiculum and most give you an Master's degree of some kind or another when you finish the program.

Search around SDN for different SMP programs but Boston University and Georgetown have two of the best known programs.

Good luck.

 

[sendwich]

If you're deciding whether to do a post bac or smp, i'd say that:

if you have a gpa > 3.0, go ahead and do an smp. it will take a LONG time to boost your ug gpa by taking more undergrad classes. but <3.0, take as many courses as you can to get it over 3.0. many medschools screen out applicants who are under.

 

[sendwich]

i'm finishing up my ma at bu's smp program. highly recommend it! although you have to have a go-getter attitude, there's a lot you can use to your advantage while in this program.

 

[mshheaddoc]

SMP programs often mimic medical school which can help you get your foot in the door when adcoms see your course load. I think if your gpa is low that this might be an alternative overall if you already have a bachelors in biology/science. Just my opinion though. For some bio majors, it will be hard to go back and "redo" your gpa without maybe doing something like chemistry (and we all know not everyone is a fan of pchem and the likes).

 

[dishsultan]

Please excuse this newbie, but what does the acronym "SMP" stand for?

 

[Mark84]

Special Masters Program, the stickies at the top of the page can pretty much answer any question you might have

 

[dishsultan]

Thx. Sorry for digging up dead threads.

 

[doctito]

hi folks...

So since i have a below 3.0 gpa (science gpa is much lower) and have taken all the prereqs for medical school ..Im thinking i should

1) do a post bac first (in formal or not)

2) SMP Masters (both are graduate courses anyways, but SMP's have linkages supposedly if you do well)

3)then apply to med school?

what do you guys think of this...please respond and good luck to all.

~m~

 

[DrMidlife]

So since i have a below 3.0 gpa (science gpa is much lower) and have taken all the prereqs for medical school ..Im thinking i should
1) do a post bac first (in formal or not)
2) SMP Masters (both are graduate courses anyways, but SMP's have linkages supposedly if you do well)
3)then apply to med school?

More or less, yes. My modifications:

0. Start on your extracurriculars and volunteering now.
1. plan 2 years of undergrad coursework, mostly upper div science
1a. prepare for the MCAT and take it in January of your 2nd year of postbac.
1b. apply to an SMP in April of your 2nd year of postbac (MCAT score required to apply).
1c. apply to med school in May/June of your 2nd year
- - - you could hedge your bets and skip the SMP, if you're confident
2. do SMP if necessary during med school app process
3. reapply if necessary

You can do as much of this as your wallet allows.

Best of luck to you, and keep us posted.

 

[doctito]

thanks for the response DrMidlife

I am going to start working on this schedule pronto

can anyone yes can second to DrMidlife? any other suggestions about my schedule (above) from anyone else would be wonderful too =)

~m~

 

[ilovescience]

thanks for the response DrMidlife

I am going to start working on this schedule pronto

can anyone yes can second to DrMidlife? any other suggestions about my schedule (above) from anyone else would be wonderful too =)

~m~

Make sure the upper division science coursework counts towards your bcpm gpa.

Apply early to SMP programs like around January (or perhaps even before if you're ready) of the year in which you hope to enter, not April. It takes time for your LORs and transcripts to come in, and some programs have deadlines in May. (So perhaps, you should think about taking the MCAT earlier).

If you also apply to med school at the same time, make sure the SMP programs you apply to are only one year so they can be completed in the gap year.

 

[doctito]

hi Perrotfish,
i did not take the mcat and have been studying for a couple months now. my scores from a couple practice tests are still low...trying to figure out what I am doing wrong here still...

since studying for the mcat is going to be awhile, I am planning to start a post bac on my own as a start...
~m~

 

[Nasem]

SMP programs... how are the grades you earn ? pass / fail ?
I ask this becuase someone said your going to be sitting with medical students...


2nd question, how hard are those SMP classes? Is a 3.5 GPA and higher something achievable if you study well ? Or is it one of those programs were no matter how hard you study and how much you prepare, its just impossible to get above 3.5

 

[Perrotfish]

SMP programs... how are the grades you earn ? pass / fail ?
I ask this becuase someone said your going to be sitting with medical students...


2nd question, how hard are those SMP classes? Is a 3.5 GPA and higher something achievable if you study well ? Or is it one of those programs were no matter how hard you study and how much you prepare, its just impossible to get above 3.5

The courses are graded on the same A/B/C/F scale used by the medical students, and you will be graded on the same curve as the medical students. The only advantage you have over the medical students is that you will be taking fewer classes. I think that should also answer the question of whether a 3.5 is achievable (you should do slightly to moderately better than you would have done in medical school)

The exceptions are Loyola and VCU, which aren't true SMPs but instead grad program where you take courses similar to what is offered in the the associated medical school. You would not be graded against the med students in those programs, and I can't comment on the difficulty.

 

[Nasem]

The courses are graded on the same A/B/C/F scale used by the medical students, and you will be graded on the same curve as the medical students. The only advantage you have over the medical students is that you will be taking fewer classes. I think that should also answer the question of whether a 3.5 is achievable (you should do slightly to moderately better than you would have done in medical school)

The exceptions are Loyola and VCU, which aren't true SMPs but instead grad program where you take courses similar to what is offered in the the associated medical school. You would not be graded against the med students in those programs, and I can't comment on the difficulty.

That makes alot of sense... the only reason why I was confused is... I have a few friends who went to med school who say that in med school... everyone gets either a pass or fail grade...

My friend started the SMP program at wayne state, he said he only took 1 class last semester, he said it wasn't as bad as everyone thought, there are no final exams, its just alot of material that goes into alot of detail but its not bad at all... he got a 3.7 at the end (lucky for him. he was accepted into wayne state med school and he'll be starting this july 30th)

 

[RoadRunner17]

That makes alot of sense... the only reason why I was confused is... I have a few friends who went to med school who say that in med school... everyone gets either a pass or fail grade...

My friend started the SMP program at wayne state, he said he only took 1 class last semester, he said it wasn't as bad as everyone thought, there are no final exams, its just alot of material that goes into alot of detail but its not bad at all... he got a 3.7 at the end (lucky for him. he was accepted into wayne state med school and he'll be starting this july 30th)

Didn't know there was a SMP program at Wayne State. Got any further information on this?

 

[Dr2Bee]

SMP programs... how are the grades you earn ? pass / fail ?
I ask this becuase someone said your going to be sitting with medical students...


2nd question, how hard are those SMP classes? Is a 3.5 GPA and higher something achievable if you study well ? Or is it one of those programs were no matter how hard you study and how much you prepare, its just impossible to get above 3.5

Getting those A's in any special masters program is going to be a challenge, but it can be done.
The program at BU is rigorous, but at least there are pre-set curves for most of the classes...its good b/c you don't have to directly compete with other students. So in theory, pretty much every student can get As if they can make the cutoffs.

 

[Transformers]

Are SMPs masters degress (like an MPH) that you can report and will it beenfit you when you apply for residencies?

 

[Transformers]

Are SMPs masters degress (like an MPH) that you can report and will it beenfit you when you apply for residencies?

 

[Transformers]

Are SMPs masters degress (like an MPH) that you can report and will it beenfit you when you apply for residencies?

 

[Transformers]

Are SMPs masters degress (like an MPH) that you can report and will it beenfit you when you apply for residencies?

 

[deleted248403]

I'm not sure an MPH counts as an SMP, but you can report it on AMCAS but again im not sure how many of the classes count as science classes or not.

In terms of helping for residency - your board scores and how well you faired in med school will be far more significant than a MPH you did 4 years prior

 

[Isoprop]

Are SMPs masters degress (like an MPH) that you can report and will it beenfit you when you apply for residencies?

SMPs are not like MPHs. To my knowledge, SMPs will have zero impact on your residency application.

I'm not sure an MPH counts as an SMP, but you can report it on AMCAS but again im not sure how many of the classes count as science classes or not.

In terms of helping for residency - your board scores and how well you faired in med school will be far more significant than a MPH you did 4 years prior

You are generally right. The exception is that it MAY help with a preventive medicine residency.

 

[asing011]

another newbie here...Do most colleges have SMP programs? How do I find and apply to these programs?

 

[asing011]

another newbie here... do most colleges have SMP? How do i find these programs and apply?

 

[asing011]

another newbie here... do most colleges have SMP? How do i find these programs and apply?

nvm..i think I got it! Another question though... I have a low GPA so if I am in SMP while applying to med school would that increase my chances or should I wait until I finish with SMP to apply?

 

[deleted248403]

If you GPA is below 3.0, you won't get into an SMP asing011.

Depending on how low your GPA is makes a difference in whether to apply whilst in the SMP or not.

I chose not to apply during my year as i wanted a full years worth of grades under my belt before I applied.

 

[DrMidlife]

nvm..i think I got it! Another question though... I have a low GPA so if I am in SMP while applying to med school would that increase my chances or should I wait until I finish with SMP to apply?

Depends on what med school you're applying to. Keep reading in this forum and you'll find the answers. For example, if you want to do the Georgetown SMP, you'll find info on what med schools recognize that SMP for same year apps and which do not. Hint: if you live in California, you need to plan on an extra year.

 

[Californian]

why an extra year?

 

[DrMidlife]

why an extra year?

Competition at the UCs is too intense for them to wait for SMP results. You generally can't successfully do an SMP the same year you're applying to a UC (assuming you need the SMP to be competitive). So generally if you're doing an SMP and applying to UCs, you wait to apply until after you finish the SMP.

Keep in mind that SMPs are a very east coast thing. (Keep in mind that west coasters think of Ohio and Illinois as east coast. East coasters think of Colorado as "west" so that's fair, imho.)

 

[Johnny38]

I have a few friends that have done the SMP at Georgetown, and here is my #1 warning to anyone who is interested in applying: Only apply to this program if you are a science major or have a science background. I'm not talking about having completed only the pre-med requirements. But rather, having taken numerous science classes.

To boost your GPA, you are much better off (if you are a non-science major) to take undergraduate classes at a local college or post-bacc. The classes in this program are designed for students who have seen this material before. Trust me. You will be in way over your heads if you decide to do the program. Again this applies to the non-science majors out there.

I have nothing to gain from writing this post at all - except simply to help others not make the same mistakes that some of my friends did a few years back.

Definitely consider it.

Jon

 

[deleted248403]

The same post in 3 threads is a bit overkill...

 

[maeii]

Competition at the UCs is too intense for them to wait for SMP results. You generally can't successfully do an SMP the same year you're applying to a UC (assuming you need the SMP to be competitive). So generally if you're doing an SMP and applying to UCs, you wait to apply until after you finish the SMP.

Keep in mind that SMPs are a very east coast thing. (Keep in mind that west coasters think of Ohio and Illinois as east coast. East coasters think of Colorado as "west" so that's fair, imho.)

I have emailed a couple of the UCs and they confirmed that they would want the full year of grades. Is there a list of schools more likely to accept and recognize SMPs and the difference from grad programs used as credential enhancers? One UC I talked to said they view all grad (as well as undergrad) prgrams as equal, which has me wondering if it's better to do a program such as IUPUI than the more expensive Georgetown. Anyone?

 

[Johnny38]

The same post in 3 threads is a bit overkill...

I'm glad you frequent this site often enough to notice my three separate posts. For your information, I wrote the post in three separate places to make sure that people, who perhaps visit this site less frequently than yourself or who maybe are new to it, may see it. Just trying to be helpful to others - b/c i think it's an important distinction to make. I'm glad that a future fellow doctor is supportive enough to diagnose this issue. best of luck with your decision for DO vs MD. it may behoove you to take some courses in social graces along the way.

best,
jon

 

[deleted248403]

Try reading the website rules before you post johnny...

 

[sxs635]

Does anyone know which SMP program gives the greatest probability of being accepted to THEIR medical school?

And could someone who got into USF's SMP program,georgetown,EVMS, RFU, and UCinn let me know the statistics needed to get in, or what they had and if they got into that schools med school?

Thanks

 

[MNmed]

Since SMP programs consist of the same courses as medical school, do you then receive credit for those courses if you are accepted into medical school?

 

[Isoprop]

Does anyone know which SMP program gives the greatest probability of being accepted to THEIR medical school?

And could someone who got into USF's SMP program,georgetown,EVMS, RFU, and UCinn let me know the statistics needed to get in, or what they had and if they got into that schools med school?

Thanks

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=640302

Since SMP programs consist of the same courses as medical school, do you then receive credit for those courses if you are accepted into medical school?

If you get accepted to the same med school where you do your SMP, you might get credit. This is school specific, so I would not count on it.

If you go to another school, then the answer is no.