SMP vs. Post-Bacc?

[icm]

Hey guys,

I've recently (as in two days ago) started to actually sort out a path towards medical school. I have a 3.47 GPA for my Biology major (3.31 BCPM). I've always known it was at the lower end of the general range but remained confident (or delusional) about getting into medical school with a decent MCAT and nice extracurriculars. I did research for close to 3 years in a developmental biology lab and got my name on a paper. And I've done a lot of inner-city community service.

I still haven't taken the MCAT so that could turn out low. And now that it has been almost three years since graduating I'm starting to get a bit worried about my GPA. So I browsed through other threads and am considering boosting my academic record through an SMP or Post-Bacc. The problem is I don't know which would help my situation more, I mean, I didn't actually bomb my undergrad. Would I benefit much from raising the undergrad GPA or would it help me more to go to an SMP?

Also, I had a C+ and B- in Orgo but did really well for the majority of the upper level bio electives. Does it matter which courses you botched?

But mostly, my main question is whether I should drop by Hunter and do the post-bacc for good money, or go for an SMP and blow a wad of cash.

Thanks you guys, just your being here has helped me tremendously in terms of hope and motivation. Late.

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[thoffen]

I'm sorry...what is an SMP?

 

[Gooble]

SMP = Special Masters Program.

Essentially a Masters designed strictly to help boost up stats for medical or professional school admission. From what I can find, if you don't matriculate, this so-called "Masters" is pretty useless.

 

[Beau Geste]

I pondered this same question when beginning my pre-med studies. I already have well over a hundred grad school hours at about a 3.9999999 GPA, but my UG Gpa was around 3.4 (BCPM 3.3). So I opted to take undergrad courses on my own outside a specific program to boost my UG GPA (since I've gotten mostly A's and only a couple B's). I really didn't need a whole new B.S. so I just took and am finishing the pre-reqs along with a few other courses that will help with the MCAT (e.g. genetics, micro).

Everyone's situation is different, though. I don't have the benefit of having a formal advisor for my "program" and don't have the comraderie of fellow "pre-meds" in a specific program (although some might think that's a bonus!).

Anyway, it will all come out in the wash with my MCAT score and (hopefully) interviews.

 

[thoffen]

In that case, a successful post-bacc will help your application much more than any master's degree.

 

[Lindyhopper]

In that case, a successful post-bacc will help your application much more than any master's degree.

WTF? First you ask a very basic question & then you turn around and advise on it?
To the OP. Some people may offer reasonable information on this forum, but you should also contact the meds schools you are interested in & see what they think.

 

[thoffen]

OK. Unless the SMP differs from a master's program in GPA calculation, then I will stick with my statement as per hundreds of threads on this forum. Otherwise I apologize for ignorance on SMP. Either way, Lindyhopper's idea is the only way to be sure what an individual school wants. Sorry for stirring the pot.

 

[silkworm]

OK. Unless the SMP differs from a master's program in GPA calculation, then I will stick with my statement as per hundreds of threads on this forum. Otherwise I apologize for ignorance on SMP. Either way, Lindyhopper's idea is the only way to be sure what an individual school wants. Sorry for stirring the pot.

SMP are a little different from standard master's program. The classes you take in SMP don't contribute to undergrad GPA, but since they are medical school classes, the SMP's are well-regarded by many med schools. So for people with marginal GPA, it could be a very good (albeit very expensive) option.

 

[viostorm]

You sound pretty competitive as an applicant right now. If you could pull off a super MCAT ... maybe low to mid 30's you might not even have to do the post-bac thing. That would probably save you at least $20k or $30k.

 

[Law2Doc]

OK. Unless the SMP differs from a master's program in GPA calculation, then I will stick with my statement as per hundreds of threads on this forum. Otherwise I apologize for ignorance on SMP. Either way, Lindyhopper's idea is the only way to be sure what an individual school wants. Sorry for stirring the pot.

SMP's tend to be viewed differently than a masters per se in that you take med school type classes, and thus give schools a semblance of a track record to look at as to how you will perform in med school. Plus some SMP's have brand names that are positively regarded by med school admissions. I actually think this wouldn't be a bad idea for the OP, although with a decent MCAT showing and some interesting non-academic ECs, s/he might have a shot with some schools with the current GPA, especially if s/he lived in the right state.
However I would also note that the OP didn't seem to indicate any clinical experience -- without some decent clinical exposure, I'd say this would be a huge hurdle.

 

[icm]

Thank you so much for the replies thus far, especially viostorm's, you're breathing some life into my weakening confidence/delusion . Also Law2Doc, thanks for pointing out something I forgot to write in the first post. I've yet to get patient exposure, and I'm ready for that. However, from reading through these forums it becomes obvious that there is a range in degree-of-involvement when it comes to clinical experience.

Can anyone share any knowledge/wisdom regarding less common types of clinical experience? As in outside of the standard "volunteering".

As well, for thoffen and anyone else who isn't too familiar with SMP's. They ARE cool opportunities to "get some", as they would say in the Marines, and prove yourself. But tuition can equal that of one year of med school .

Thanks again for replies and if anyone's got more, do pitch in, questions,answers,advice- I'd appreciate it all. I'm in NYC by the way, hence the convenience of Hunter, so I'll be scouting out the post-bacc community/opportunity there. Maybe I'll have some things to share soon, hopefully some relatively helpful things. Best.

 

[Lindyhopper]

. . . I'm in NYC by the way, hence the convenience of Hunter, so I'll be scouting out the post-bacc community/opportunity there. . ..

A good Hunter resource is the online post-bacc discussion board. [email protected]
It's kind of like a mini-local SDN. Sometimes people will post clinical research or similiar opportunities in the nearby world class research institutes (Sloan, Cornell, Rockefellor U.)
I'll assume you don't need help finding undergrad classes. But Hunter's grad classes in Bio, Chem, & Biochem are open to non-matrics.
There are two nearby SMPs. MT Sinai. (Full time only & big $$$s.) & UMDNJ Newark

 

[njbmd]

Moving to Post-Baccaulaureate Programs Forum for well-informed replies and discussions.

 

[Instatewaiter]

I have to echo what L2D said: your stats are not terrible by any means and you have a fighting chance at getting in with a 30+ MCAT.

In terms of post-bac vs SMP, it seems like you have done the pre-recs thus many post-bacs will not let you do their program. So if you don't get in, you should lean toward an SMP especially since you have taken upper level science courses.

In terms of clinical experience there are a bunch of common avenues you can pursue.

Volunteering at a hospital- generally boring and they wont (can't) let you do much. Patient exposure here is pretty much being in the same room as them

Volunteering at a free clinic- here they are much more open to letting you do stuff. Taking BP, vitals and other stuff based on the level of comfort the docs have w/ you

Shadowing Docs- call up the local hospital and see if you can shadow some docs. Shadow a bunch in different fields

EMT- shows dedication and you actually learn stuff. Looks great but you have to train and work long and inconvenient hours

Doctors without borders or something similar- i am not sure if they will take pre-med students but worth a try. You will get tons of clinical exposure here, you will be helping people who have little access to health care and you will be in a foreign country.

To the OP: get lots and lots of clinical exposure. The more you get the more it seems like you made an informed decision to become a doctor. Already I have had 2 people drop out of my class (after 2 months) because med school wasn't what they thought it would be.