Totally lost when it comes to post bacc programs, could use advice

[ASSAS1]

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Hi all,

I applied to medical school this cycle, and I'm currently on 2 waitlists for american MD programs. I'm starting to work on a plan B because I'm assuming that I won't get admitted this time around. My question is what type of programs (SMP, DIY Post bacc, traditional masters program, something else?) should I look at in order to improve my chances for next cycle?

Major: English Lit
Minor: Chemistry

Stats:

cGPA: 3.8
sGPA: 3.56
MCAT: 512

ECs are a ton of community service, shadowing, and clinical volunteering, no research

Thanks in advance!

 

[PTPuser]

Hi all,

I applied to medical school this cycle, and I'm currently on 2 waitlists for american MD programs. I'm starting to work on a plan B because I'm assuming that I won't get admitted this time around. My question is what type of programs (SMP, DIY Post bacc, traditional masters program, something else?) should I look at in order to improve my chances for next cycle?

Major: English Lit
Minor: Chemistry

Stats:

cGPA: 3.8
sGPA: 3.56
MCAT: 512

ECs are a ton of community service, shadowing, and clinical volunteering, no research

Thanks in advance!

Why not DO?

 

[deleted289061]

Well your ECs, GPA, and MCAT are good. And you were waitlisted, too. So, I would check out Tulane’s ACLP. I think that would be your best bet if you are looking for a feeder program with a high likelihood of matriculating into a med school albeit TUSOM. You don’t need an SMP, your stats are good. Maybe your interview skills need improving? Who knows.

 

[multivariabird]

There are a few PB/SMPs that link directly with a medical school (Temple, Tulane ACLP, etc. I believe there is a recent thread discussing which programs have a guarantee or near guarantee with its linked school that you should check out), since you were waitlisted at MD schools, your application is probably strong enough to get you into one of these programs. I also recommend you check out DO schools as previously mentioned. There's a lot of bad press for some schools (especially on SDN), but there are a number of very well-respected DO schools that would give you a good education, especially if you are not set on an extremely competitive residency (Michigan State, PCOM, Oklahoma State, Rowan, Chicago Midwestern are a few that come to mind as being excellent programs).

Also! Take a look at your application and get some feedback from your waitlist schools if they offer it. PB/SMPs are expensive and if you were waitlisted on your first cycle, there are likely a lot of things you can do to improve your application without attending one of these programs, ESPECIALLY since your MCAT and GPA are pretty good. Whether this is clinical experience, research, a new personal statement, seeking out new letters, etc. it may be very possible for you to improve your application significantly without attending a PB. I am currently a Tulane ACLP student (a program that has a requirement of having been waitlisted in a previous cycle), and a couple of my peers got in this cycle having been waitlisted last cycle with changing very little about their application/applying earlier/having a better and more accurate school list/etc.

 

[ASSAS1]

Why not DO?

I made the mistake of not applying to DO this time around. If things don’t work out I will certainly apply to DO next time around.

 

[ASSAS1]

There are a few PB/SMPs that link directly with a medical school (Temple, Tulane ACLP, etc. I believe there is a recent thread discussing which programs have a guarantee or near guarantee with its linked school that you should check out), since you were waitlisted at MD schools, your application is probably strong enough to get you into one of these programs. I also recommend you check out DO schools as previously mentioned. There's a lot of bad press for some schools (especially on SDN), but there are a number of very well-respected DO schools that would give you a good education, especially if you are not set on an extremely competitive residency (Michigan State, PCOM, Oklahoma State, Rowan, Chicago Midwestern are a few that come to mind as being excellent programs).

Also! Take a look at your application and get some feedback from your waitlist schools if they offer it. PB/SMPs are expensive and if you were waitlisted on your first cycle, there are likely a lot of things you can do to improve your application without attending one of these programs, ESPECIALLY since your MCAT and GPA are pretty good. Whether this is clinical experience, research, a new personal statement, seeking out new letters, etc. it may be very possible for you to improve your application significantly without attending a PB. I am currently a Tulane ACLP student (a program that has a requirement of having been waitlisted in a previous cycle), and a couple of my peers got in this cycle having been waitlisted last cycle with changing very little about their application/applying earlier/having a better and more accurate school list/etc.

Thanks for the in-depth reply! I’ll definitely take a look into those programs. Do you think that doing an SMP is a bit too risky? What do you think of getting a research gig and doing some more volunteering?

 

[multivariabird]

Thanks for the in-depth reply! I’ll definitely take a look into those programs. Do you think that doing an SMP is a bit too risky? What do you think of getting a research gig and doing some more volunteering?

It's ultimately up to you. I don't think a SMP would be risky with your stats/resume since it's already seemingly pretty good and would add to your application. I think an SMP can be riskier if someone is trying to use it to make up for a lacking application, but you don't seem to be in that position. I was also personally weighing with doing a SMP/PB or taking another year off, and I ultimately decided to do ACLP because I would matriculate into Tulane the following year if I completed it successfully, so it saved me a year and gave me a better chance at getting into a good MD school that I believed I would have otherwise (I didn't feel like I could immediately apply again after being waitlisted, since there wasn't much change in my application from the year before), and most programs recommend you complete the program before applying to school, so that's why I wasn't keen on many of the other SMPs out there.

I think if there is someone you can talk to in-person and in-depth about your application, maybe an advisor at your undergrad, etc, that would give you the most insight. If you think that school list or application may have contributed to you not getting in (i.e. you applied to 10 schools, all of them top programs, sent in your application in late August, had a subpar personal statement), then I would lean towards saving your money and just going for another cycle. However, if you can't pinpoint why you weren't fully considered this time around, or want to really up your guarantee that you'll get in next time and add something big and tangible to your application, then I would look at some SMPs and weigh your options. (I will also say that if you're a California resident, the odds may be stacked against you and it might be a good idea to look into SMP/PBs, as a lot of ACLP's most qualified students this year had pretty much no fault on their application except that they were from California.)

Good Luck!