University of Cincinnati SMP and med schools after

[Nafis64]

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So I am looking at the UC SMP and looking at their success rate of med schools admissions, but then I see in their surivial guide where people have gone to med schools. And, most schools are DO and a few MD, but no TOP schools except for UC itself. what does this mean, and am I looking at this correctly?

I feel I can get into a DO this year anyway and maybe a low tier med school, but not sure yet, but if I choose to do a SMP next year I would hope to get into a top 20 MD school.

 

[coat0023]

I really don't think SMP's are considered an avenue to get into places like Harvard or Stanford or whatever top 20 program you are looking to get into. I believe that they are more of a method to prove yourself and show that you should be allowed in whatever the hell school that you can slide into.

I think you should lower your expectations a little bit. Don't get me wrong, if you do well you will most likely get in some place but if you need an SMP in the first place, I think top 20 is PROBABLY out of reach.

 

[Nafis64]

well I dont know if I need an SMP, I am applying currently to med school and still waiting on interviews. GPA is 3.45, and science one is lower about 3.2, and MCAT of 31. Great ECs and getting publications currently. If I don't get into a US MD school, then i will probably reapply this coming summer, and was hoping the SMP would give my application a boost. I am not keen on just top 20, but schools like the UCs are my top preference.

 

[coat0023]

I would say you are probably a perfect candidate for an SMP. Your stats are good but not great. While I hope that you get in some place I would say that it is long shot territory (not impossible). With the addition of an SMP year where you do very well I think you would have a good shot getting in to a lower tier school/state school/etc.

 

[Nafis64]

are you in an SMP right now Coat?

 

[coat0023]

No I am not but I have been doing research and reading about them for about a year now through various means. I have lurked here for quite awhile too so I have ready many of the topics about them. And I am applying to this program this year and have a friend who was in the program previously!

 

[Nafis64]

do you know if they are rolling admissions or not?

 

[Nafis64]

Has anyone done this program and gone to a Top 20 university or any other SMP for that matter? I'm just asking because I have heard that sometimes these programs are made to make revenue.

 

[mic2377]

If you are hopeful about getting into a top-20 school with those stats, even AFTER an SMP, you should think again. Perhaps come back with an 35+ MCAT and we can talk. Also of note is that you would by no means be guaranteed a spot even in UC-SMP. The average MCAT for admitted students is 32-33+.

Many of the people who go the UC SMP tend to end up at UC-COM, mainly because it is an excellent school and they have the added advantage of already having been through the curriculum once. Also, the Cali schools don't really support same year apps for those students currently in an SMP program.

Lastly, if you do decide to do a SMP, do not underestimate the difficulty of making Honor's grades in med school classes and assume that success will come easily. While many people do succeed, there is a good proportion that does not. It is not an "easy" way to enhance the app - get ready to work the hardest you ever have for the year you are in.

 

[parafilm]

I would be pretty surprised if you could get into a top 20 with those statistics, even with an SMP. At the end of the day med admissions are still a numbers game, and your numbers just aren't high enough. An SMP doesn't change your ugrad GPA and it doesn't suddenly make you a super stellar applicant, it's just a second chance for those of us who made some mistakes in undergrad.

I guess no one can tell you that you can't do it because crazier things have happened, but I imagine with a low GPA like yours (and I feel you, I'm in the same boat), it would take an amazing MCAT and some extraordinary ECs to get into a top school.

And of course SMPs are designed to take in revenue. Genius idea: find a way to get desperate kids into medical school and charge them some 40k a year for it. It's a price a lot of people are willing to pay and it brings in some serious bank. But it still doesn't make the program less effective, ultimately people come out of SMPs and get into medical schools, even if those med schools aren't top tier.

 

[Nafis64]

Also, the Cali schools don't really support same year apps for those students currently in an SMP program.

What do you mean by that?

I appreciate this feedback, but now I am either more confused. So far, I am applying this cycle and have gotten all the secondaries and turned them in with my "awful stats." Just waiting on interviews. I know my grades are not competitive, but still okay. I wish I can do better on MCAT and if i were to apply next year i would retake before, but I've managed to get all the secondaries from the UCs which is a positive thing with these bad grades this cycle. I was hoping that my great ECs, experiences, and PS will make up. Some of you stated that even with an SMP i might just get in to a DO, which I thought i could get into this year without an SMP. The thing is I would only do the SMP to boost my performance so that I can get into a top20/30 ranked MD school, but I would not do an SMP to get into a DO since I can without this year. I am not particular about rankings and if I get into any MD school i would just go there, but if I were to take on another year off, then it better be worht my time and effort, thats what im wodnering.

 

[coat0023]

You 100% WILL NOT get into a top 20 program even with an SMP. Sorry.

If you don't mind going to another allopathic program then you you have a shot if you do really well in your SMP year. If you would rather go osteopathic then just take the year off and work and then go next year like you said.

Period. End of story!

 

[dikoerastenie]

What do you mean by that?

I appreciate this feedback, but now I am either more confused. So far, I am applying this cycle and have gotten all the secondaries and turned them in with my "awful stats." Just waiting on interviews. I know my grades are not competitive, but still okay. I wish I can do better on MCAT and if i were to apply next year i would retake before, but I've managed to get all the secondaries from the UCs which is a positive thing with these bad grades this cycle. I was hoping that my great ECs, experiences, and PS will make up. Some of you stated that even with an SMP i might just get in to a DO, which I thought i could get into this year without an SMP. The thing is I would only do the SMP to boost my performance so that I can get into a top20/30 ranked MD school, but I would not do an SMP to get into a DO since I can without this year. I am not particular about rankings and if I get into any MD school i would just go there, but if I were to take on another year off, then it better be worht my time and effort, thats what im wodnering.

I have higher stats than you and got rejected last cycle at every m.d. school. Right now in smp and applying to both m.d. and d.o. If I end up at a DO school it may feel like a waste to have done smp, but I had not applied to D.O. last year so it's a moot point. I am kind of worried that I might get rejected by DO schools also. I can tell you that sometimes EC's/LORs/PS do matter in the application, so you never know where you'll get accepted/rejected until you apply.

There is very little chance that you will get into a top20-30 m.d. school out of smp next year if you get rejected everywhere right now. Just look up the alumni list of smp programs, they usually have about 1 student per class getting into top20-30. And that student likely did not apply to med schools before enrolling into smps. But some of the m.d. schools outside of top30 still have very good education & residency placements...

 

[mic2377]

What I meant when I talked about Cali schools is that they don't really wait or care about update letters. The SMP director @ UC will send out grade update letters detailing exam performance after each block, which has been helpful for getting some applicants interviews, particularly if their grades are stellar.

I also wouldn't stand on great EC's/PS either. I am in the process of applying for the second time with higher stats than you AND outstanding grades at the SMP I am attending and I have yet to receive a single MD school interview. This includes lots of EC's like tons of volunteering, sports, teaching, and research. Needless to say it is quite frustrating to hugely outperform med students in actual med school classes and then realize that I haven't even gotten a single interview yet...... there is no magic bullet to this process.

 

[motomed]

I have a feeling this issue will be clarified for you over the next few months as the rejection letters roll in. a 3.2 science gpa is basically a nail in the coffin without an SMP. 31 MCAT doesn't do much either, acceptable with a solid application but will never stand out otherwise. As has already been said, if you think you can get into DO with what you've got, which I'm not convinced of, then go for it. if you'd rather go MD, start applying for some SMP's now and hope you can hang IF you get into one of those. not trying to be a debbie downer here, but this is the reality of the situation. everyone acts like SMP's are just this thing you do and all the sudden you're set. not so much, you're taking classes against people who have done better than you up to that point, and you have to do considerably better than them now or its a giant waste of time and money. the difficulty of med school with the added pressure of trying to get into med school.