SMPs - Worth It?

[Tagg]

So far I've been accepted to two different tier SMPs. I'm trying to do my research before accepting either of them. From what I've gathered, SMPs may not actually be as helpful as programs make them out to be. I'm a pre-med with a uGPA of 2.98. The low GPA is accounted for in one semester during which a tragic event in my life occured. Otherwise my other semesters averaged about 3.3-3.7. While this alone isn't enough to apply to medical school, my MCAT score was a 508 and I'm planning on retaking it after the SMP if I decide to do it.

The programs in question are Barry University's "SMP". While researching it seems to me that this is less of a SMP and more of a GPA booster? I'm not exactly sure. I haven't been able to find many stats on the medical school acceptance rate of this program. In addition, as nice as it would be, I'm only expecting to get accepted to state schools, if any schools at all, I'm not shooting for top 10 medical schools.

I also got accepted to two programs at Boston University. Their MAMS program and their Dual Masters in Medical Science and Clinical research. While common sense tells me to accept the offer from the more prestigious and well recognized program, the price is somewhat outlandish and it doesn't look like the acceptance rate out of BU's program is very high.

I'm currently in the process of applying to Georgetown with reservations about getting in. In the mean time, what is the general consensus about these two programs? Thank you!

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[Troyzle]

So far I've been accepted to two different tier SMPs. I'm trying to do my research before accepting either of them. From what I've gathered, SMPs may not actually be as helpful as programs make them out to be. I'm a pre-med with a uGPA of 2.98. The low GPA is accounted for in one semester during which a tragic event in my life occured. Otherwise my other semesters averaged about 3.3-3.7. While this alone isn't enough to apply to medical school, my MCAT score was a 508 and I'm planning on retaking it after the SMP if I decide to do it.

The programs in question are Barry University's "SMP". While researching it seems to me that this is less of a SMP and more of a GPA booster? I'm not exactly sure. I haven't been able to find many stats on the medical school acceptance rate of this program. In addition, as nice as it would be, I'm only expecting to get accepted to state schools, if any schools at all, I'm not shooting for top 10 medical schools.

I also got accepted to two programs at Boston University. Their MAMS program and their Dual Masters in Medical Science and Clinical research. While common sense tells me to accept the offer from the more prestigious and well recognized program, the price is somewhat outlandish and it doesn't look like the acceptance rate out of BU's program is very high.

I'm currently in the process of applying to Georgetown with reservations about getting in. In the mean time, what is the general consensus about these two programs? Thank you!

Hey, I'm an unusual success story out of BU MAMS. If you have any questions about it, feel free to message me. Bottom line is that BU's program is one of the most respected because it is ridiculously challenging. They have an 85% rate of people going on to medical school after the program, which seems pretty high to me.

SMP's are not for everyone, but your stats make it seem like it's the right call for you. But you're going to be miserable in the SMP. Now is the time to decide if you want to be a doctor bad enough. And with a 3.0 gpa, unfortunately, even the SMP may not be enough. You would have to kill the MCAT, which is possible especially after MAMS. But still somewhat of a 100k gamble.

 

[Hi_I'mPaul]

Personal Anecdote:

I applied to MD schools before my SMP and received 0 II's. During my SMP (which I received a 4.0 GPA in), I also retook my MCAT to a 515. Have 5 II's and an acceptance this current cycle. I think SMPs are extremely useful as a way to test yourself and your commitment to medicine.

I will admit that I did do the SMP and study for MCAT at the same time and it was a living hell. I wouldn't recommend doing what I did. But, it did get me to where I am and going from 0 to 5 II's in one year is a huge feat in my opinion and I attribute that success to the time management, dedication, and success from my SMP.

Your GPA is a good candidate for an SMP but you have to buckle down and do well because your GPA there will make or break your app. Any questions, lmk. My SMP was in FL though

 

[Tagg]

Hey, I'm an unusual success story out of BU MAMS. If you have any questions about it, feel free to message me. Bottom line is that BU's program is one of the most respected because it is ridiculously challenging. They have an 85% rate of people going on to medical school after the program, which seems pretty high to me.

SMP's are not for everyone, but your stats make it seem like it's the right call for you. But you're going to be miserable in the SMP. Now is the time to decide if you want to be a doctor bad enough. And with a 3.0 gpa, unfortunately, even the SMP may not be enough. You would have to kill the MCAT, which is possible especially after MAMS. But still somewhat of a 100k gamble.

Thank you! I've heard a lot of mixed things about BU MAMS, mostly how their approval rate is inflated due to them including DO acceptances and acceptances after the first attempt. My uGPA is my biggest concern, but I'm not super worried about the MCAT. I took it 2 years after I completed my undergrad and it shows. My science scores were subpar but my critical thinking score was in the 95 percentile. I'm hoping after completing an SMP and really getting the science down to a T, I'll be able to push the 80-90 percentile in the MCAT, if not higher.

 

[Tagg]

Personal Anecdote:

I applied to MD schools before my SMP and received 0 II's. During my SMP (which I received a 4.0 GPA in), I also retook my MCAT to a 515. Have 5 II's and an acceptance this current cycle. I think SMPs are extremely useful as a way to test yourself and your commitment to medicine.

I will admit that I did do the SMP and study for MCAT at the same time and it was a living hell. I wouldn't recommend doing what I did. But, it did get me to where I am and going from 0 to 5 II's in one year is a huge feat in my opinion and I attribute that success to the time management, dedication, and success from my SMP.

Your GPA is a good candidate for an SMP but you have to buckle down and do well because your GPA there will make or break your app. Any questions, lmk. My SMP was in FL though

Thank you so much! Which SMP program did you attend? I live in Florida so that would be really nice to stay here. I'm willing to sell my soul to school if it means getting into a medical program. Thank you!

 

[Hi_I'mPaul]

Thank you so much! Which SMP program did you attend? I live in Florida so that would be really nice to stay here. I'm willing to sell my soul to school if it means getting into a medical program. Thank you!

I did USF's Master of Science in Medical Sciences (MSMS) program, also called MSP3. Really enjoyed it, glad I did it. Just an FYI, they do not have a pipeline or anything to their medical school though.

 

[Tagg]

I did USF's Master of Science in Medical Sciences (MSMS) program, also called MSP3. Really enjoyed it, glad I did it. Just an FYI, they do not have a pipeline or anything to their medical school though.

Wow I didn't realize USF had a program! I'll be applying there I guess. I did my undergrad at UF and always wondered if another state school had a SPM. The only one that came up in my initial search was Barry's.

 

[Hi_I'mPaul]

Wow I didn't realize USF had a program! I'll be applying there I guess. I did my undergrad at UF and always wondered if another state school had a SPM. The only one that came up in my initial search was Barry's.

I also went to UF for undergrad then went to USF's SMP lol. Yeah, do some research on it! I thought it was more than adequate of a program.

 

[Goro]

So far I've been accepted to two different tier SMPs. I'm trying to do my research before accepting either of them. From what I've gathered, SMPs may not actually be as helpful as programs make them out to be. I'm a pre-med with a uGPA of 2.98. The low GPA is accounted for in one semester during which a tragic event in my life occured. Otherwise my other semesters averaged about 3.3-3.7. While this alone isn't enough to apply to medical school, my MCAT score was a 508 and I'm planning on retaking it after the SMP if I decide to do it.

The programs in question are Barry University's "SMP". While researching it seems to me that this is less of a SMP and more of a GPA booster? I'm not exactly sure. I haven't been able to find many stats on the medical school acceptance rate of this program. In addition, as nice as it would be, I'm only expecting to get accepted to state schools, if any schools at all, I'm not shooting for top 10 medical schools.

I also got accepted to two programs at Boston University. Their MAMS program and their Dual Masters in Medical Science and Clinical research. While common sense tells me to accept the offer from the more prestigious and well recognized program, the price is somewhat outlandish and it doesn't look like the acceptance rate out of BU's program is very high.

I'm currently in the process of applying to Georgetown with reservations about getting in. In the mean time, what is the general consensus about these two programs? Thank you!

Stop thinking about the GPAs. Those don't matter anymore.

What matters is proving that the you of now is not the you of then.

Only your doing well in the SMP can prove that.

 

[Walter Raleigh]

Also: SMPs are a do-or-die, double-or-nothing audition for medical school. Do poorly in an SMP, and it is a heavy albatross around your neck. Do well, however, and it's a stamp of academic ability. They're more expensive than DIY postbaccs, but more beneficial if you do well - especially the ones with linkages.

 

[acciobutterbeer]

Some words from @Arsartium

I can really only speak to my program (BU MAMS), but like medical school (from what students have told me), the material isn't particularly difficult. It's just alot of material. I think you really just need to be disciplined to do well. Treat it like medical school, like what you learn will potentially affect your patient's lives. I found that often (not always mind you) students who struggled in my program treated the SMP like it was still college. It's not. You need a different mindset. Invest as much time in the learning how to learn as you do learning the material so you can be as efficient as possible. Treat it like it's your last chance. It could be.

But before you go down the SMP rabbit hole, I invite you to consult advisors to see if you really need an SMP (if you haven't already). These are expensive and poor performance can be lethal to your chances for medical school. It really is high risk, high reward.

From what I hear, the Georgetown SMP is a strong program. However, it might be worth reaching out to other program directors to learn about other SMPs. Ideally, you should look for those at a medical school with linkage (i.e. this GPA + MCAT = automatic interview/acceptance). For BU MAMS specifically, 25-30 students are accepted to BUSM every year from a class of ~170. You are evaluated in a separate pool entirely. Also, you should ensure that there is strong advising at the SMP for applications. I can say that BU MAMS is one such SMP. In fact, 3 of my rec letters came from my SMP, all from medical school faculty. It helps.

And yes, I too have been told that 3.5+ SMP GPA is a must for med school acceptance (MD or DO). I don't know the GPA of my classmates who got into med school this cycle but our program usually states that 80-90% of graduates with a 3.7+ GPA ultimately get into med school. For me, BU MAMS worked wonders. Came out of undergrad with a 2.XX GPA. Now I'm sitting on over a dozen acceptances, including BU and four T20s. But I had to work hard.

Feel free to PM with any specific questions about BU MAMS. And good luck!

 

[Walter Raleigh]

@Arsatium: it is received wisdom that one is not exactly competitive for top-20 medical schools with a low GPA, even after a stellar SMP performance. Do you care to share what you think contributed to your awesome application cycle?

 

[Arsartium]

@Arsatium: it is received wisdom that one is not exactly competitive for top-20 medical schools with a low GPA, even after a stellar SMP performance. Do you care to share what you think contributed to your awesome application cycle?

1. Good prep. Started writing my application in Dec of 2017. 3 versions of my PS. Half a dozen drafts each. Pre-wrote a secondary everyday of June. Got lots of eyes on every one. Good writing is good editing.

2. >10,000 clinical hours. Yielded strong anecdotes for MMI, interview, PS, and secondaries.

3. Strong MCAT (98th percentile)

 

[Walter Raleigh]

Ten thousand clinical hours was a lot! What did you do to get that many hours?

 

[Arsartium]

Ten thousand clinical hours was a lot! What did you do to get that many hours?

I worked in EMS for a few years before and during BU MAMS. 70-80 hours/week is kind of the standard for that line of work in my region.

 

[anonymousporpoise]

Hey, I'm an unusual success story out of BU MAMS. If you have any questions about it, feel free to message me. Bottom line is that BU's program is one of the most respected because it is ridiculously challenging. They have an 85% rate of people going on to medical school after the program, which seems pretty high to me.

SMP's are not for everyone, but your stats make it seem like it's the right call for you. But you're going to be miserable in the SMP. Now is the time to decide if you want to be a doctor bad enough. And with a 3.0 gpa, unfortunately, even the SMP may not be enough. You would have to kill the MCAT, which is possible especially after MAMS. But still somewhat of a 100k gamble.

Hi there! I’d like to PM you a question but it’s not letting me message you for some reason (I’m new here lol please help)

 

[Troyzle]

Hi there! I’d like to PM you a question but it’s not letting me message you for some reason (I’m new here lol please help)

Messaged you!

 

[aorta22]

Would also like to PM you @Troyzle 🙂

 

[Troyzle]

Would also like to PM you @Troyzle 🙂

Go ahead! I can't message you.

 

[aorta22]

Go ahead! I can't message you.

Sorry, still figuring out how to use sdn!! I think I fixed my own messages, but it still won't let me message you @Troyzle

 

[Hi_I'mPaul]

i am looking at USF SMP I am from Tampa, and really want to go to USF for med school, were there people in your class that did? Did you apply for med school during the SMP or after

USF SMP (MSP3 as it's called) and USF MCOM have no linkage (aka no guaranteed interview even if you get a 4.0 in their SMP). I applied during the SMP and got accepted DO but I turned them down for personal reasons and reapplied the year after the SMP and got accepted to a few MDs.

A few people from my class got into USF med the year after the SMP. 3 I think (one was a URM, one had a 520+ MCAT, and the other was a TA for MSP3 after the program). Only one ultimately decided to matriculate there