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Many thanks for your response, DrMidLife.
Its getting pretty late on in the cycle for SMPs for this year. I'd try and find out who is even still accepting apps. Call some SMPs for places you'd wanna go and ask if its worth applying.
I wouldn't repeat the MCAT. You have a solid score, and a 35 isn't easy to get. About 7% of ppl get 35+, so don't bank on being one of them. Plus a 35, won't make that much diff vs a 32 in your app IMO. Your GPA will always be your weakness.
I'd retake any prereqs you got Cs (of any form) in; take a couple of science classes ASAP (summer might be an option still) and raise the sGPA, and hopefully get the cGPA above 3.0 or close; then apply to SMPs for starting next fall.
I am hoping that someone can clarify this for me. What is the difference between taking upper level undergrad classes and an SMP program in terms of helping my chances of acceptance into a Med School? Is it the extra prestige of having completed another degree? Like the above poster, I too think it is too late for me to apply to SMPs.
I graduated in 09 and am currently working in a hospital. Should I take some upper level undergrad courses at a college in the area this summer/fall/etc or just hold off completely and apply for SMP entrance in 2011? I have 3.3 and 34MCAT.
Thank you both for your input. Its highly appreciated. I definitely dont have a nest egg of any sort, so Im hoping to avoid the big debt until the real test of endurance (med school.) I just recently started looking into post bacs, so I dont know much about them. Is it possible to simply enroll for undergraduate classes at a local university without formally applying for a post bac program?
random question. i hear about how some schools have a gpa cut-off of around 3.0 before they even look at your application. does anyone know whether this refers to your cum gpa or your science gpa specifically?
med schools?
My two cents: unless you're sitting on a huge pile of cash, go to your state school of choice as a second bachelors student and re-take the pre-reqs you did poorly in, as well as some upper-division hard science courses (microbiology, physiology, biochemistry, etc). It will cost less than the ~$29k Midwestern tuition, boost your GPA to ~3.0 (assuming you get As in your retakes) and put you in a good stance to apply broadly to osteopathic schools a year from now. It would also allow you to do some more volunteering work, if your application is in need of it.
Good luck!
NoDoes amcas and aacomas count a second bachelor's in the "undergraduate GPA" once you have officially graduated with another bachelor's? I don't see why they would count it as "post-bacc", but I'm just curious because that is one of my options.
To my understanding your G.P.A. is viewed as undergrad cGPA and BCPM; postbacc GPA; and Postgraduate GPA. Is this correct?
random question. i hear about how some schools have a gpa cut-off of around 3.0 before they even look at your application. does anyone know whether this refers to your cum gpa or your science gpa specifically?
Does amcas and aacomas count a second bachelor's in the "undergraduate GPA" once you have officially graduated with another bachelor's? I don't see why they would count it as "post-bacc", but I'm just curious because that is one of my options.
To my understanding your G.P.A. is viewed as undergrad cGPA and BCPM; postbacc GPA; and Postgraduate GPA. Is this correct?
Not quite accurate: the cumulative undergrad GPAs are topline, but there's separation within undergrad as well. There's a GPA summary grid where the columns are science, cumulative, total, and the rows are fresh/soph/jr/sr/postbac. Grad work gets its own summary line. Each course you've ever taken is also categorized and reported. All this data is reported electronically to med schools, so they have the opportunity to pick out whatever they want to rank applicants by. And, generally, the MCAT and cumulative cGPA and sGPA are the first numbers they'll look at.No
All undergrad classes are counted into your cGPA and sGPA for undergrad whether its post-bac, 2nd bachelors, or 1st bachelors.
The only thing thats kept separate is graduate level classes taken while pursuing a masters or phd
No
All undergrad classes are counted into your cGPA and sGPA for undergrad whether its post-bac, 2nd bachelors, or 1st bachelors.
The only thing thats kept separate is graduate level classes taken while pursuing a masters or phd
Not quite accurate: the cumulative undergrad GPAs are topline, but there's separation within undergrad as well. There's a GPA summary grid where the columns are science, cumulative, total, and the rows are fresh/soph/jr/sr/postbac. Grad work gets its own summary line. Each course you've ever taken is also categorized and reported. All this data is reported electronically to med schools, so they have the opportunity to pick out whatever they want to rank applicants by. And, generally, the MCAT and cumulative cGPA and sGPA are the first numbers they'll look at.
So, a 2nd bachelors is averaged in with your cumulative undergrad numbers, and reported in the postbac line.
Best of luck to you.
This is actually great information for all of you deciding between a second bachelor's or master's school. A bachelor's is also a much cheaper option, unless you have some type of assistantship for graduate school. My .02 👍
When you get your AMCAS summary report, you can confirm that 2nd bachelors work is *both* calculated in undergrad GPA *and* summarized in a postbac line. I stand by my answer.These are inaccurate answers.
This is not a DO-specific forum.(yes, yes I know this is a D.O. forum)
you get paid a stipend to do a research masters, plus second bachelors takes longer
Everyone doesn't get a stipend for a Master's and the length of time required to complete a 2nd bachelor's is dependent on the degree requirements that you have and have not met.
Not taking it personally. Not debating an opinion. Don't care about victory. I care about the dissemination of factual info and perspectives based on experience not speculation. I've done AMCAS, AACOMAS and TMDSAS apps, and I have a 2nd bachelors, and I can look at the actual data reported by each app service. Any further questions?It'd be nice if some users of this forum didn't take everything personally and attempted to turn discussions into some type of debate with an absolute victor. An opinion is an opinion. Nuff said.
Tons of programs for you. See category 5 in this post: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=8329886&postcount=1cGPA: 3.2
sGPA: 2.8
URM
I have extensive extracurricular activities, research, and in the process of publishing a manuscript. I was a non-science major in college. I am in the process of studying for the MCAT and my goal is to take it in Sept. I struggled in my science courses but never received a grade lower than a C. I know I need to show adcoms that I can handle the rigor of medical school and I can. During my undergrad years I was working to support myself and my family ( single mom and younger siblings) which resulted in my poor grades ( poor time management). I want to apply to post-bacc programs but am financially handicapped ( decent credit score) to do so, since I received a full ride scholarship at my ugrad. Does anyone have any suggestions or advice? Thanks in advance!
3.44 cGPA
3.40 sGPA
3.52 non-sci
Options? What should I do? Apply MD/DO schools with that GPA or do SMP?
I used to look at this board once in a while during grad school as a lurker..
Was applicant during 2008 so this is old:
Cumulative GPA: 3.0
SciGPA: 2.7
Postbacc sciGPA during my days as full time worker: 2.69
Graduate GPA: 3.9
MCAT: 31O
I had 5 allopathic interviews, and accepted at 2 of them, waitlisted at 1 and turned down interview for 1.
I'm a second year in an allopathic school in the South.
Just want to give some hope to somebody. It was very uphill battle, however.
I'm nontraditional, with 4 years of full time work experience in medical research, so that might have also helped.
Applied early (submitted in June), and submitted with broad choices (good mixture of schools from everywhere and 40 primary and secondary apps with the help of FAP).
Through my app, I highlighted my perseverance and life experience.
Good luck to you guys applying this year. I understand how you feel... Keep working hard! 👍
This just points to Dr. Midlife living in a fantasy land. I would recommend reading only the first 20 pages of this thread. All the "good" people have left and went to medical school while people like Dr. Midlife spams the current thread.
How is she living in a fantasy land? It's possible to get into med school with below average stats, that's why they're an average, but this process is all about maximizing your chances. It's like those half-court shot contests at halftime during a bball game, sure people make them sometimes, but would you rather shoot from half court or from the free throw line?
I feel her advice could/probably have caused people to spend longer than they should have doing enither postbac/SMP.
A lot of the stats are acceptable for US Medical Schools. She gives a one dimentional outlook that might be harmful to a lot of applicants. A lot of people have gotten in with less than average due to uptrend GPA or high MCAT.
Idk, I think her advice has been sound and I've done it all, postbac, med school, and adcom interviewer <shrug>
I think her advice is too cautious and not aggressive enough. It fails to underline the purpose behind the process, what each school expects, etc. Her view of the numbers are too one dimensional. As the previous posers indicated above, if they followed her advice, they could have been in a lot of trouble and lost time instead of going to Med School.
I'm pretty sure I have more perspective than you do. If I saw an app like the last poster mentioned I'd toss it in the trash and I cant imagine that's unusual. Mediocre ug, mediocre gpa? Unless you're a urm that's an auto-reject.
w/e A lot of people have gotten in despite what you are saying. Facts are facts. Denying it doesn't make it go away. The individuals reading it will have to decide. The first few posers and the last two got in are living proof. Denying it won't a difference. Also, my pediatrican was the adimission officer of a medical school.
Let's talk about facts then. Obviously it's not impossible but if you look at the acceptance percentages from the aamc for 3.0/31 it's about 25%, and a lot of the people getting in with those stats are URM. My guess is the chances for a non-URM student with those #s is < 10%. The chances of getting in with those #s and a solid SMP performance are about 80%. Any other questions?
Source: http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/applicantmatriculant/table24-mcatgpagridall2007-09.pdf