(SMP) TouroCOM vs ATSU vs EVMS

[Doc_adoodledoo]

Hey all, thinking of doing an SMP after graduating to help boost my GPA and gain acceptance into medical school. Right now, I am accepted to all SMPs listed in the title and I need help weighing the Pros/Cons of each program (even open to other recommendations as application cycle is still open for MS programs [or even DIY postbacc? I don't know much about them tho and success rate as I feel taking classes at a medical school would look better]). Now considering my age and situation, I would prefer to get into med school asap.. but I'll wait an extra year if I have to.

TouroCOM (DO)
PROS:

• 1 year program
• GPA 3.5> is guaranteed acceptance (2023 matriculation)

CONS:

• Graded on a curve, with only about 35 seats available at TouroCOM and about 60-65 students in the masters program, it will be *highly* competitive
• Expensive and high COL

EVMS (MD)
PROS:

• 1 year program (+ 1 year for AAMC application process)... total 2 years
• no guaranteed acceptance / interviews, but 80%+ of graduates from the SMP gain admission into medical schools across the country within 1-2 years of graduating. (~2024 matriculation)
• Normal grading system
• Nice city

CONS:

• No linkage program
• MD school, and I'm not sure that even with a good GPA in a masters if that will be good enough for an MD school acceptance (so I think I should stick with DO?)

ATSU (DO)
PROS:

• "More reputable" (aka older) DO school
• Normal grading system and cheaper program
• guaranteed interview with graduation from program, with 90% of students being accepted to medical school after graduating (2024 matriculation)
• only about 10-12 students in the program

CONS:

• 2 year program
• Thesis based
• Not much to do in Kirksville Missouri, even if I will have miniscule free time

*Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!*

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[drillteam]

Hey all, thinking of doing an SMP after graduating to help boost my GPA and gain acceptance into medical school. Right now, I am accepted to all SMPs listed in the title and I need help weighing the Pros/Cons of each program (even open to other recommendations as application cycle is stiprograms [or even DIY postbacc? I don't know much about them tho and success rate as I feel taking classes at a medical school would look better]). Now considering my age and situation, I would prefer to get into med school asap.. but I'll wait an extra year if I have to.

ME:
- 26 years old, 507 MCAT, 3.04 sGPA, 2.90 cGPA
- research 2.5 years (co-author on a few pubs), lots of clinical and nonclinical volunteering over the years, plenty of shadowing experience
- Went to a state college and got terrible grades, transferred to a different school for my last 2 years and averaged about a 3.3/3.4 there

TouroCOM (DO)
PROS:

• 1 year program
• GPA 3.5> is guaranteed acceptance (2023 matriculation)

CONS:

• Graded on a curve, with only about 35 seats available at TouroCOM and about 60-65 students in the masters program, it will be *highly* competitive
• Expensive and high COL

EVMS (MD)
PROS:

• 1 year program (+ 1 year for AAMC application process)... total 2 years
• no guaranteed acceptance / interviews, but 80%+ of graduates from the SMP gain admission into medical schools across the country within 1-2 years of graduating. (~2024 matriculation)
• Normal grading system
• Nice city

CONS:

• No linkage program
• MD school, and I'm not sure that even with a good GPA in a masters if that will be good enough for an MD school acceptance (so I think I should stick with DO?)

ATSU (DO)
PROS:

• "More reputable" (aka older) DO school
• Normal grading system and cheaper program
• guaranteed interview with graduation from program, with 90% of students being accepted to medical school after graduating (2024 matriculation)
• only about 10-12 students in the program

CONS:

• 2 year program
• Thesis based
• Not much to do in Kirksville Missouri, even if I will have miniscule free time

*Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!*

If

Hey all, thinking of doing an SMP after graduating to help boost my GPA and gain acceptance into medical school. Right now, I am accepted to all SMPs listed in the title and I need help weighing the Pros/Cons of each program (even open to other recommendations as application cycle is still open for MS programs [or even DIY postbacc? I don't know much about them tho and success rate as I feel taking classes at a medical school would look better]). Now considering my age and situation, I would prefer to get into med school asap.. but I'll wait an extra year if I have to.

ME:
- 26 years old, 507 MCAT, 3.04 sGPA, 2.90 cGPA
- research 2.5 years (co-author on a few pubs), lots of clinical and nonclinical volunteering over the years, plenty of shadowing experience
- Went to a state college and got terrible grades, transferred to a different school for my last 2 years and averaged about a 3.3/3.4 there

TouroCOM (DO)
PROS:

• 1 year program
• GPA 3.5> is guaranteed acceptance (2023 matriculation)

CONS:

• Graded on a curve, with only about 35 seats available at TouroCOM and about 60-65 students in the masters program, it will be *highly* competitive
• Expensive and high COL

EVMS (MD)
PROS:

• 1 year program (+ 1 year for AAMC application process)... total 2 years
• no guaranteed acceptance / interviews, but 80%+ of graduates from the SMP gain admission into medical schools across the country within 1-2 years of graduating. (~2024 matriculation)
• Normal grading system
• Nice city

CONS:

• No linkage program
• MD school, and I'm not sure that even with a good GPA in a masters if that will be good enough for an MD school acceptance (so I think I should stick with DO?)

ATSU (DO)
PROS:

• "More reputable" (aka older) DO school
• Normal grading system and cheaper program
• guaranteed interview with graduation from program, with 90% of students being accepted to medical school after graduating (2024 matriculation)
• only about 10-12 students in the program

CONS:

• 2 year program
• Thesis based
• Not much to do in Kirksville Missouri, even if I will have miniscule free time

*Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Hey all, thinking of doing an SMP after graduating to help boost my GPA and gain acceptance into medical school. Right now, I am accepted to all SMPs listed in the title and I need help weighing the Pros/Cons of each program (even open to other recommendations as application cycle is still open for MS programs [or even DIY postbacc? I don't know much about them tho and success rate as I feel taking classes at a medical school would look better]). Now considering my age and situation, I would prefer to get into med school asap.. but I'll wait an extra year if I have to.

ME:
- 26 years old, 507 MCAT, 3.04 sGPA, 2.90 cGPA
- research 2.5 years (co-author on a few pubs), lots of clinical and nonclinical volunteering over the years, plenty of shadowing experience
- Went to a state college and got terrible grades, transferred to a different school for my last 2 years and averaged about a 3.3/3.4 there

TouroCOM (DO)
PROS:

• 1 year program
• GPA 3.5> is guaranteed acceptance (2023 matriculation)

CONS:

• Graded on a curve, with only about 35 seats available at TouroCOM and about 60-65 students in the masters program, it will be *highly* competitive
• Expensive and high COL

EVMS (MD)
PROS:

• 1 year program (+ 1 year for AAMC application process)... total 2 years
• no guaranteed acceptance / interviews, but 80%+ of graduates from the SMP gain admission into medical schools across the country within 1-2 years of graduating. (~2024 matriculation)
• Normal grading system
• Nice city

CONS:

• No linkage program
• MD school, and I'm not sure that even with a good GPA in a masters if that will be good enough for an MD school acceptance (so I think I should stick with DO?)

ATSU (DO)
PROS:

• "More reputable" (aka older) DO school
• Normal grading system and cheaper program
• guaranteed interview with graduation from program, with 90% of students being accepted to medical school after graduating (2024 matriculation)
• only about 10-12 students in the program

CONS:

• 2 year program
• Thesis based
• Not much to do in Kirksville Missouri, even if I will have miniscule free time

*Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!*

if you are happy with DO then ATSU makes sense. This is not a lifestyle choice but a calculation of what is better for achieving career goals

 

[M3_SixSpeed]

Hey all, thinking of doing an SMP after graduating to help boost my GPA and gain acceptance into medical school. Right now, I am accepted to all SMPs listed in the title and I need help weighing the Pros/Cons of each program (even open to other recommendations as application cycle is still open for MS programs [or even DIY postbacc? I don't know much about them tho and success rate as I feel taking classes at a medical school would look better]). Now considering my age and situation, I would prefer to get into med school asap.. but I'll wait an extra year if I have to.

ME:
- 26 years old, 507 MCAT, 3.04 sGPA, 2.90 cGPA
- research 2.5 years (co-author on a few pubs), lots of clinical and nonclinical volunteering over the years, plenty of shadowing experience
- Went to a state college and got terrible grades, transferred to a different school for my last 2 years and averaged about a 3.3/3.4 there

TouroCOM (DO)
PROS:

• 1 year program
• GPA 3.5> is guaranteed acceptance (2023 matriculation)

CONS:

• Graded on a curve, with only about 35 seats available at TouroCOM and about 60-65 students in the masters program, it will be *highly* competitive
• Expensive and high COL

EVMS (MD)
PROS:

• 1 year program (+ 1 year for AAMC application process)... total 2 years
• no guaranteed acceptance / interviews, but 80%+ of graduates from the SMP gain admission into medical schools across the country within 1-2 years of graduating. (~2024 matriculation)
• Normal grading system
• Nice city

CONS:

• No linkage program
• MD school, and I'm not sure that even with a good GPA in a masters if that will be good enough for an MD school acceptance (so I think I should stick with DO?)

ATSU (DO)
PROS:

• "More reputable" (aka older) DO school
• Normal grading system and cheaper program
• guaranteed interview with graduation from program, with 90% of students being accepted to medical school after graduating (2024 matriculation)
• only about 10-12 students in the program

CONS:

• 2 year program
• Thesis based
• Not much to do in Kirksville Missouri, even if I will have miniscule free time

*Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!*

Hey bud I was in your boat too. I didn't do Touro cause I personally knew people who went through it and I heard enviornment is toxic. Toxic as in If you're not sure what assignment is due on a certain day or whatever people would sabotage to thin the competition.

I ended up doing the EVMS MM program. It's 1 yr not 2. You submit your primary apps the summer when you start classes. So I submitted my primary apps like mid to late August. And worked on secondaries throughout my first semester. Received interviews from December through May and ultimately got accepted to the MD program here at EVMS. Hit me up if you have any questions.

I will say one pro of evms is if you do decide to go that route hit me up. I have all my notes saved on one note and I have all ppts so I'm happy to help you out and let you knownwhat worked vs what didn't. I'm currently helping a buddy out and as of now he's got a 4.0. I'm sure he will matriculate. Hope that helps!

 

[M3_SixSpeed]

Oh forgot to mention, I did the evms SMP program just last yr so it's all very fresh to me. Currently M1

 

[Doc_adoodledoo]

Hey bud I was in your boat too. I didn't do Touro cause I personally knew people who went through it and I heard enviornment is toxic. Toxic as in If you're not sure what assignment is due on a certain day or whatever people would sabotage to thin the competition.

I ended up doing the EVMS MM program. It's 1 yr not 2. You submit your primary apps the summer when you start classes. So I submitted my primary apps like mid to late August. And worked on secondaries throughout my first semester. Received interviews from December through May and ultimately got accepted to the MD program here at EVMS. Hit me up if you have any questions.

I will say one pro of evms is if you do decide to go that route hit me up. I have all my notes saved on one note and I have all ppts so I'm happy to help you out and let you knownwhat worked vs what didn't. I'm currently helping a buddy out and as of now he's got a 4.0. I'm sure he will matriculate. Hope that helps!

That is great to know, thank you for the helpful response. I know it is a 1 year program, but I figured that it would be pointless to apply this upcoming cycle when my app would be the exact same as last cycle.. The only difference would come in december when 1st semester grades come out. But by that time, people are already receiving interviews and stuff. Wouldn't it be too late by that point? Is 1 semester enough to persuade admissions considering my stats? That's why i said 2 years, that way they see my full year under the belt. (I'm trying to avoid 2 years if I can). Doing an MD MMS, would that lock me in to only applying MD? IF i do the EVMS I will definitely hyu. Thanks!

 

[Doc_adoodledoo]

@Goro I know you do not advise on specific SMP programs, but would you be able to advise me on my chances after an SMP (assuming I get a 3.6 or higher). Would I have a chance at applying to MD programs? If not, will doing an SMP at a MD school hurt my chances at applying to DO programs? And final question, if I do an SMP that does not offer direct admission, and I decide to apply for this upcoming cycle, will only one semester of grades (when they come out in december) be enough to persuade admissions that I have improved enough (considering my stats)? Ideally, I would like to matriculate in 2023. Thank you.

 

[Goro]

@Goro I know you do not advise on specific SMP programs, but would you be able to advise me on my chances after an SMP (assuming I get a 3.6 or higher). Would I have a chance at applying to MD programs?

Yes, there are MD that reward reinvention

If not, will doing an SMP at a MD school hurt my chances at applying to DO programs?

Not at all.

And final question, if I do an SMP that does not offer direct admission, and I decide to apply for this upcoming cycle, will only one semester of grades (when they come out in december) be enough to persuade admissions that I have improved enough (considering my stats)?

Usually no.

 

[Doc_adoodledoo]

Yes, there are MD that reward reinvention

Not at all.

Usually no.

Thank you for your responses!