????this is how I should apply right....????

[WWU_Viking]

I live in Washington state. There is only one medschool here, UWSOM. I want to go there. I have three years left of undergrad and will apply to med schools and SMP's my last year, doing the SMP during the year long gap and hopefully begin med school one year after undergrad.

Am I right? This is how I THINK i should apply:

1. Apply to my only state school.
2. Apply to private schools
3. Apply to public schools that admit "alot" of OOS and which have average states of matriculates that are lower than mine.

am I correct. I sure wish I was a Texas resident now.

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[WantsThisBad]

wow

 

[BozoSparky]

get good grades, do as well as you can on the mcat, and make sure this is what you want. worry about the rest later!!!

 

[Andre04]

Well yes that's how you'd apply but you're a bit behind the eight ball here. You really should have started thinking about this in high school.

 

[baylormed]

Texas Rocks!!!!!!!

 

[GinGinChicken]

I live in Washington state. There is only one medschool here, UWSOM. I want to go there. I have three years left of undergrad and will apply to med schools and SMP's my last year, doing the SMP during the year long gap and hopefully begin med school one year after undergrad.

Am I right? This is how I THINK i should apply:

1. Apply to my only state school.
2. Apply to private schools
3. Apply to public schools that admit "alot" of OOS and which have average states of matriculates that are lower than mine.

am I correct. I sure wish I was a Texas resident now.

Why would you do an SMP? I thought they were mostly intended to boost your credentials. You have 3 years left of undergrad. Just do well, and you won't need an SMP. It's a heck of a lot of money to spend getting a master's you'll never use if you don't even need it anyway.

 

[WWU_Viking]

Why would you do an SMP? I thought they were mostly intended to boost your credentials. You have 3 years left of undergrad. Just do well, and you won't need an SMP. It's a heck of a lot of money to spend getting a master's you'll never use if you don't even need it anyway.

Well. Yes. I do have three years of undergrad left. I am planning on an SMP during the (hpefully just one year) gap between undergrad and med school. I just completed studies at a community college with a not so good 2.9 overall GPA (i know, "you should get 4.0's at a community college). I had very poor study habits (i think living on campus will make me concentrate on academics more) and was not even "pre med." Even though I got 2.8-3.0 grades in ochem there I am taking it again at the university because I have enough room.

 

[GinGinChicken]

Well. Yes. I do have three years of undergrad left. I am planning on an SMP during the (hpefully just one year) gap between undergrad and med school. I just completed studies at a community college with a not so good 2.9 overall GPA (i know, "you should get 4.0's at a community college). I had very poor study habits (i think living on campus will make me concentrate on academics more) and was not even "pre med." Even though I bot 2.8-3.0 grades in ochem there I am taking it again at the university because I have enough room.

I feel like you should just work your butt off for the next three years instead of throwing in the towel and assuming you'll have to do an SMP. If adcoms see a serious trend upwards in your GPA, they will be more willing to overlook past mistakes. Also, you can totally pull up a 2.9 in 3 years. You just have to stay motivated.

 

[WWU_Viking]

I feel like you should just work your butt off for the next three years instead of throwing in the towel and assuming you'll have to do an SMP. If adcoms see a serious trend upwards in your GPA, they will be more willing to overlook past mistakes. Also, you can totally pull up a 2.9 in 3 years. You just have to stay motivated.

True. I will work my butt off the next three years, and even take excess summer classes to pick up maybe a cool minor and bring up the GPA and put more grades on my transcript.

Since I'll apply my last undergrad year, there will be a gap. I was just thinking an SMP is a really good thing to do.

 

[ND2005]

True. I will work my butt off the next three years, and even take excess summer classes to pick up maybe a cool minor and bring up the GPA and put more grades on my transcript.

Since I'll apply my last undergrad year, there will be a gap. I was just thinking an SMP is a really good thing to do.

I don't follow your logic.

If you apply in your last undergrad year, you don't have a gap year. If you apply AFTER your last undergrad year, you have a gap year. But if you do that and want to take an SMP, you would have to have applied for that program 1 application season earlier. You would never be in a circumstance where you apply to both simultaneously (unless you were applying to the SMPs as a back-up plan in case you don't get in)

 

[GinGinChicken]

True. I will work my butt off the next three years, and even take excess summer classes to pick up maybe a cool minor and bring up the GPA and put more grades on my transcript.

Since I'll apply my last undergrad year, there will be a gap. I was just thinking an SMP is a really good thing to do.

Well it's definitely good that you are thinking about the future and anticipating what you might have to do to reach your ultimate goal, but keep your options open. See where you are. If you have a gap year, and you've really worked your butt off so that your grades are great, consider getting a cool job in the medical field for a year. Maybe something international. It would look great on your AMCAS, and probably would cost way less! If you have above a 3.4ish, and your grades show a definite upward trend, it's likely that an SMP would be unnecessary.

 

[WWU_Viking]

Well it's definitely good that you are thinking about the future and anticipating what you might have to do to reach your ultimate goal, but keep your options open. See where you are. If you have a gap year, and you've really worked your butt off so that your grades are great, consider getting a cool job in the medical field for a year. Maybe something international. It would look great on your AMCAS, and probably would cost way less! If you have above a 3.4ish, and your grades show a definite upward trend, it's likely that an SMP would be unnecessary.

That has also come to my mind before. I just don't know. I have three years more.

 

[GinGinChicken]

That has also come to my mind before. I just don't know. I have three years more.

Well you certainly don't have to make a decision tonight! Just see how it goes, and figure things out after you have a better idea of where you're going to be academically in 3 years. Good luck!

 

[DoctorPardi]

If you apply the summer after your junior year, which most people do, then you will get into medical school the fall following your senior year. So there will be no glide year for you to be doing an SMP.

You have 3 years to plan this, so there is no reason you should be behind to require a glide year. Although, a glide year is often a good thing and you might want to consider it.

 

[WWU_Viking]

I don't follow your logic.

If you apply in your last undergrad year, you don't have a gap year. If you apply AFTER your last undergrad year, you have a gap year. But if you do that and want to take an SMP, you would have to have applied for that program 1 application season earlier. You would never be in a circumstance where you apply to both simultaneously (unless you were applying to the SMPs as a back-up plan in case you don't get in)

What I mean is I plan on applying when the AMCAS comes summer after my senior year. I want to finish undergrad then apply, I have reasons for this.

 

[DoctorPardi]

What I mean is I plan on applying when the AMCAS comes summer after my senior year. I want to finish undergrad then apply, I have reasons for this.

What reasons!

 

[WWU_Viking]

What reasons!

i wrote this earlier:


Well. Yes. I do have three years of undergrad left. I am planning on an SMP during the (hpefully just one year) gap between undergrad and med school. I just completed studies at a community college with a not so good 2.9 overall GPA (i know, "you should get 4.0's at a community college). I had very poor study habits (i think living on campus will make me concentrate on academics more) and was not even "pre med." Even though I got 2.8-3.0 grades in ochem there I am taking it again at the university because I have enough room."

I think its best I wait till the last year so that MORE grades will be on AMCAS.

 

[DoctorPardi]

i wrote this earlier:


Well. Yes. I do have three years of undergrad left. I am planning on an SMP during the (hpefully just one year) gap between undergrad and med school. I just completed studies at a community college with a not so good 2.9 overall GPA (i know, "you should get 4.0's at a community college). I had very poor study habits (i think living on campus will make me concentrate on academics more) and was not even "pre med." Even though I got 2.8-3.0 grades in ochem there I am taking it again at the university because I have enough room."

I think its best I wait till the last year so that MORE grades will be on AMCAS.

Well, I don't know if living on campus will help your grades lol. I have heard of that it often negatively impacts grades. Study hard, and become motivated, I would just take most of my classes over if I were you, you will need to get in the 3.5 range and you will need good grades in those core sciences as well. Not to mention an understanding of science fundamentals will be required for doing well on the mcat.

 

[WWU_Viking]

Well, I don't know if living on campus will help your grades lol. I have heard of that it often negatively impacts grades. Study hard, and become motivated, I would just take most of my classes over if I were you, you will need to get in the 3.5 range and you will need good grades in those core sciences as well. Not to mention an understanding of science fundamentals will be required for doing well on the mcat.

Yes. I've decided to take ochem all over again. I did good (3.5+ in gchem sequence) I dont plan to take the MCAT until another ~2 yrs or so. But, I obtained an old EK Chemistry edition from 2001 (cheaper, bought on line) and am just starting to do problems/study this summer.