To MSMP or not to MSMP, that is the question.

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Hey guys so the situation is that I have been accepted into Loyola's MSMP for this coming fall. I have already applied once to medical school last summer and it didn't turn out so hot. Skipping this cycle to build up my application as this past school year I was finishing up senior year. I believe my main drawback in my first application was volunteering/observing the patient/physician relationship. My MCAT is a 515 and my overall GPA is 3.75 with a 3.65 Science, however very strong upward trend these past two years.

I was planning on doing part time scribe America and filling the rest of my time with volunteering (both clinical and non clinical), potentially another part time job at a physical rehab laboratory and as many unique medical opportunities as I can. However, the MSMP has a guaranteed Loyola interview if you obtain above a 3.6, naturally this does not mean acceptance. This is holding me back, I do not want the program to inhibit my ability to volunteer and build my application with unique experiences. Getting a high GPA in the program would be fixing a non-existent problem in my original app with the added scare of not having time to volunteer. However, it would be a cool opportunity? What do you guys think.

For volunteering/patient-physician observation I currently have about 50 hours of clinical volunteering at 8 hours of doctor shadowing. Spent most of my undergrad working a cell and developmental biology research lab. Thank you very much!

Original school list:

Baylor
Boston University
Case Western
Drexel
Duke
Emory
Georgetown
Icahn at Mt. Sinai
Indiana
Temple
New York University
Northwestern
Penn State
Rush
Saint Louis
Jefferson
Tufts
U of Chicago
Illinois at Chicago
University of Iowa
Michigan
Pitt
Virginia
Wisco
Vanderbilt

 

[sss1219]

You do NOT need an SMP. SMPs are for people with irredeemable undergraduate GPAs, usually less than a 3.3, where doing a postbacc would take way too long to get to an acceptable GPA. Your GPA is in fact more than okay for low/mid tier MD, and your MCAT will certainly pull some weight.

If you applied with these stats and got >3 IIs but did not get in, then the issue is with your interviewing skills. If you applied with these stats and got <3 IIs, the issue is either one of or a combination of: 1) your identified gaps (volunteering/observing the patient/physician relationship), 2) a poor school list (the list you have posted is way too top heavy and shows me <10 schools were you have a decent shot because a number of your 'safeties' were low yield and thus can't really be counted as safeties), 3) poorly written PS and secondaries (if you got IIs this will not be the acse), and/or 4) bad LOR (very rare).

Figure out what your problem(s) is, fix them, then reapply when you have your strongest possible application. For reference, 100-150 total hours of clinical and nonclinical volunteering hours each are considered 'safe' for MD.

PS - as an SMP grad, SMPs are NOT cool opportunities. They are EXPENSIVE and STRESSFUL as all hell. Stay away at all costs if you do not need one.