SMP to schools like Umich med?

[nevergoing2quit]

Is it possible?
my aunt actually went to an SMP and got an MPH from dartmouth after graduating from UC-Berkeley with I guess a lower than average GPA (for medical school).
She made it into umich med after a 4-6 year gap from undergrad.
But I've never really seen other post about this.

I really screwed up my first few years in college and I'm trying to fix my study habits and grind it out over my last two years of college. I don't want to give up- a lot of my bad grades are due to my inability to cope with a medical condition I have (that I'm fixing up) and deciding to live on my own (which was a huge mistake). Not to mention, I was so depressed this past year, I didn't even go to a few of my classes.

I'm intelligent, but I didn't know how to study the best way for me, and I've recently figured it out, and i'm trying to finish up the year strong, but...I'm feeling so.....lost on all of it.

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[NorthernMav]

Depends on you GPA and MCAT. If you are one of those wackos that go to a SMP with a 3.7 and 33MCAT, then maybe. Otherwise, work hard and be happy with whatever acceptance(s) come your way. Then destroy med school and go to UMich for residency!

 

[Kochanie]

I have seen my friend go from an SMP to a very top ranked school. But I agree with @NorthernMav, no need to waste more money unless you need to. Kick ass the rest of your undergrad career and don't count on an SMP.

I say this because I am in the same position.

 

[Optimus-Prime]

http://smp.georgetown.edu/alumni

I skimmed and saw a Vandy, Emory,and UTSW

If you smashed the SMP, why not?

 

[bakedbeans18]

Depends on you GPA and MCAT. If you are one of those wackos that go to a SMP with a 3.7 and 33MCAT, then maybe. Otherwise, work hard and be happy with whatever acceptance(s) come your way. Then destroy med school and go to UMich for residency!

UMich is great for residency, in SO MANH fields.

 

[NorthernMav]

It just feels so good to say it too… UMisssshhhhh

 

[NorthernMav]

http://smp.georgetown.edu/alumni

I skimmed and saw a Vandy, Emory,and UTSW

If you smashed the SMP, why not?

Yeah, smash that b*tch up and go from there

 

[bakedbeans18]

OP, University of Michigan has an SMP. I would advise you to look into it. I didn't do an SMP - I did a 2 year MS. I actually was accepted to a program, then deferred for a year. I only found out about the program at UMichigan after I had comitted to my program - I sure wish I had dug a little deeper - it seems like they have a terrific program, and obviously the backing of having attended such a terrific university helps with anything, be it medical school admissions or a job hunt. Best of luck!

 

[alpinism]

http://smp.georgetown.edu/alumni

I skimmed and saw a Vandy, Emory,and UTSW

If you smashed the SMP, why not?

Also, Case and UNC.

Just remember that in addition to smashing the SMP (>3.7 GPA) these students generally come from top undergrads known for grade deflation
(Cal or Princeton for example) plus have a respectable undergrad GPA (>3.3), and a great MCAT (>33).

Most successful SMP students end up at low/mid tier schools.

 

[Kochanie]

Also, Case and UNC.

Just remember that in addition to smashing the SMP (>3.7 GPA) these students generally come from top undergrads known for grade deflation
(Cal or Princeton for example) plus have a respectable undergrad GPA (>3.3), and a great MCAT (>33).

Most successful SMP students end up at low/mid tier schools.

So you're saying, if I got my GPA up to 3.3, I should do the expensive program in order to go to a top tier school?

 

[bakedbeans18]

So you're saying, if I got my GPA up to 3.3, I should do the expensive program in order to go to a top tier school?

It will be insanely difficult with a 3.3 undergrad, even with a solid GPA in an SMP, to get into a 'top tier' school.
I had a similar undergrad GPA, rocked it in graduate school, but I don't think this alone was sufficient for a top tier school. That being said, I did get into a great medical school, for which at the onset of the application year, I thought I had absolutely no chance of getting in. You will find this process is very humbling, and underdogs that aim for top tier schools usually fall short on that goal, but still can get into an MD program and have a very fulfilling career.

Please don't give me the line 'academic medicine' - most of the people who tout that use it as a facade to evade being labelled as pretentious for being concerned with name-recognition of their medical school. You can become an academic physician if you attend any medical school - I'm pretty sure Texas Tech and Drexel have faculty that graduated from their MD program.

 

[Kochanie]

It will be insanely difficult with a 3.3 undergrad, even with a solid GPA in an SMP, to get into a 'top tier' school.
I had a similar undergrad GPA, rocked it in graduate school, and I did not get into a top tier school. That being said, I did get into a great medical school, for which at the onset of the application year, I thought I had absolutely no chance of getting in. You will find this process is very humbling, and underdogs that aim for top tier schools usually fall short on that goal, but still can get into an MD program and have a very fulfilling career.

Please don't give me the line 'academic medicine' - most of the people who tout that use it as a facade to evade being labelled as pretentious for being concerned with name-recognition of their medical school. You can become an academic physician if you attend any medical school - I'm pretty sure Texas Tech and Drexel have faculty that graduated from their MD program.

I completely agree, I was being a little sarcastic because I'm still confused as to "why SMP". If I got my GPA up to 3.3, wouldn't a cheap self-made postbacc be the way to go?

 

[bakedbeans18]

I completely agree, I was being a little sarcastic because I'm still confused as to "why SMP". If I got my GPA up to 3.3, wouldn't a cheap self-made postbacc be the way to go?

My frank advice is this: do a masters degree. It will come up on your AMCAS as a seperate GPA.

If you do a postbacc program, either official or self-made, the good grades will be diluted by your undergraduate GPA. If you do a MS or an SMP, this is considered graduate school and is calculated seperately. Some schools look at trends, others don't. For those who don't, noone will care if you got all A's in a DIY post-bacc, because it will maybe bring that GPA up to a 3.45ish or something as it got diluted by your college grades.

I had a poor undergraduate GPA (3.0 - 3.3), applied to medical school after ~3.9 in an MS program, and I received a moderate # of interviews and acceptances. I really feel like having a starkly contrasting GPA was helpful in demonstrating I had changed as a student, whereas dilution of postbacc into the college GPA may not have helped make as strong of a case.

 

[nevergoing2quit]

OP, University of Michigan has an SMP. I would advise you to look into it. I didn't do an SMP - I did a 2 year MS. I actually was accepted to a program, then deferred for a year. I only found out about the program at UMichigan after I had comitted to my program - I sure wish I had dug a little deeper - it seems like they have a terrific program, and obviously the backing of having attended such a terrific university helps with anything, be it medical school admissions or a job hunt. Best of luck!

baked beans, if you don't mind me asking, where are you going for medical school?