SMP, research year, or regular masters

[anondukie]

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Details:

International applicant (undergrad: Duke; post-bacc: Penn)
Undergrad cGPA --> 3.3 (with a very poor final semester); science GPA --> around 3.1
Post-bacc (currently 7 courses, will be 15 at the time of application) --> 4.0 (with more A+s than As)
MCAT: 518 (129, 131, 129, 129);
SAT (I've heard that some SMPs ask for your SAT scores): 2330/2400
Research: a reasonable amount but no publications (working on rectifying this)
Volunteering: hospital volunteer, clinical research assistant (enrolling patients in studies)
GPA at the time of application: 3.5 (if things go according to plan); science GPA: a shade over 3.3

Should I do an SMP (BUSOM, Georgetown, Rosalind Franklin), a year of research at my current post-baccalaureate alma mater, or a full-fledged research masters program?

Story: Made mistakes in my early 20s. Emotionally fragile, directionless, a little cocky. Doing my best to make amends.

 

[768730]

I don't think a 3.5/518 who went to Duke with a very strong upward trend (postbacc) should be anywhere near considering a SMP.

The postbacc speaks for itself, and I don't think even acing a SMP will tell an adcom something they can't already glean from your recent grades and MCAT performance. I would more work on bolstering that resume and getting in clinical experience/shadowing. A publication probably wouldn't hurt either if you could pick one up.

Between the research masters or just working for a lab, that's up to you. But I think the benefits of both are very similar, though one pays you while the other presumably costs thousands of dollars.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[Goro]

I don't think a 3.5/518 who went to Duke with a very strong upward trend (postbacc) should be anywhere near considering a SMP.

The postbacc speaks for itself, and I don't think even acing a SMP will tell an adcom something they can't already glean from your recent grades and MCAT performance. I would more work on bolstering that resume and getting in clinical experience/shadowing. A publication probably wouldn't hurt either if you could pick one up.

Between the research masters or just working for a lab, that's up to you. But I think the benefits of both are very similar, though one pays you while the other presumably costs thousands of dollars.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

I agree.