WAMC - PA / URM / 3.3 cGPA ~3.1sGPA / 506 MCAT ... Honest school List for SMP or PostBacc??

[BlueDreams9k]

Hello friends - back again. Thank you for all the coverage on the last post. I have very poor academic recognition so I'm just posting this as an open discussion to help me reach my goals! Although an uphill battle I do want an MD school; I find surgery and oncology very interesting and by some off chance I end up falling in love with some super competitive specialty I'd like that extra security. I also have studied Spanish for 8 years and, once again, by some off chance I end up living outside the U.S. would like that security to practice globally.

I'm very flexible just really want some advice in a confusing period right now. Have weak ECs:

• BIPOC Male ; Not 1st generation college student; PA Resident ; University of Pittsburgh Neuroscience BS - expected Spring 2025 graduation
• about 55 hours of research lab benchwork (microscope imaging, lab shut down a few weeks ago unfortunately) although the owner of the lab is highly respected in University of Pittsburgh's med school - possible pub and upcoming poster presentation as well but I highly doubt I would be top 3 authors
• 3 ug TA positions. 1 for Organic Chem Lab - commitment of 4 hours a week for a semester. Others 2 were super basic TA positions in other intro classes (chem, intro to neuro)
• ~3.3 cGPA / ~3.1 sGPA
• 506 MCAT, last post was based on my AAMC practice average I scored much lower on the actual test 🙁 ... open to retaking if needed
• Special Olympics Club I attended (not leadership) mostly consistently for about a year for 2 hours throughout 2 semesters (~25 hours)
• 8 years of cumulative formal Spanish learning and 4 different classes for Latin American politics/history (planned on a Spanish cert but final step was a study abroad this summer in Colombia which would delay my graduation since I'm a senior - possible mistake?)

Currently have various service opportunities lined up for next couple of weeks for tutoring ESL kids for 2 hours a week and I'm looking into EMT training as well as narcan delivery for addicts in inner city Philadelphia for the near future. Really just want advice for what my reasonable options are.

My GPA trend is much higher and overall upwards from my first 2 years but has been slightly fluctuating in the last 1.5 years. I'm more than blessed to have supportive parents and the money to consider the options of a SMP or Postbacc. I have access to the AAMC postbacc list but there's like 200+ graduate schools of my choosing and not all of them are obviously created equal for my situation. What do you folks recommend in my situation? My family is based in Philadelphia but could possibily stay out in Pittsburgh if the opportunites are significantly better...?

Additionally, how reasonable would it be to apply for a postbacc program (notably Drexel's Pathway to Medical Program) and get in right now? Applications close in exactly a month, so I want to work fast. Assuming acceptance of that scenario is damned impossible right now, what would you recommend working on in the next year and what list of schools should I focus on while I work at improving my ECs. I've heard that postbaccs are better suited for career changers or those missing prereqs and SMPs are better for (more costly) GPA repair? There's also the option of a DIY Postbacc.

Lots of different routes and my head is spinning not sure if I should bother with ECs at the current moment and just put all my eggs in trying to get a conditional linkage postbacc/smp program or if I should instead bump my GPA a bit by retaking classes at a CC, retake the MCAT, and then try to build an EC portfolio over the next year or possibly two and ALSO then do SMP/Postbacc in addition to that to get into a slightly better school like Case Western? Or should I just forego the SMP/Postbacc if I'm also doing a gap year due to excessiveness? Price is less of a concern rather than ensuring entry into a medium-tier program. Assuming the postbacc program is leniant enough, for long term MS success, is it worth going to any postbacc that would accept my application right now and then just grinding like hell for the next few years or am I severely underestimating the requirements of postbacc schools? My main concern is my personal statement will be very generic as I haven't accomplished much of notable value in my undergrad so whatever I write about right now would be pretty stale.

Sorry for the super cluttered message. Trying to put all my swimming thoughts in one comprehensive bowl but it's difficult. Thank you! I have notifications on this time so I promise your messages won't go ignored, thank you so much for taking your time to answer.

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[Mr.Smile12]

You want recommendations for postbac/SMP? Read and watch video in

How to Choose a Postbaccalaureate or Special Masters Program (SMP) - SDN

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"Significantly better" is up to you and your cost, curriculum, and community priorities. Any guaranteed interview linkages? MCAT
prep? You can apply for any SMP now; spots will open up in April through the medical school orientation season in August. Are you willing to go all in and risk at least 50K on yourself?

You could apply for DO next cycle, likely without having to do a postbac or SMP. Reach out to programs like LECOM, PCOM, DuqCOM which are closest to you. VCOM too. MD is not impossible, but I would like more information about your academic history and your community service; the lack of service orientation activities could work against you, even if you joined an SMP to get into an MD program.

 

[BlueDreams9k]

"Significantly better" is up to you and your cost, curriculum, and community priorities. Any guaranteed interview linkages? MCAT
prep? You can apply for any SMP now; spots will open up in April through the medical school orientation season in August. Are you willing to go all in and risk at least 50K on yourself?

You could apply for DO next cycle, likely without having to do a postbac or SMP. Reach out to programs like LECOM, PCOM, DuqCOM which are closest to you. VCOM too. MD is not impossible, but I would like more information about your academic history and your community service; the lack of service orientation activities could work against you.

Yes, honest answer is fairly boring. I was premed throughout my entirety of UG but never really wanted to do medicine. I enjoyed STEM and did comp bio for my first 2 years but realized coding was not for me and switched over to neuroscience. I never took the premed grind seriously as I never felt a true calling to it -- so when done studying for my major classes I'd typically just go play sports or games or go to work; nearly nothing of note specific to premeds. I suppose it wasn't until halfway through fall of this, senior, year did I realize life was going to pass me by unless I made a concrete plan for something. I think I need more novel experiences to be able to confidently answer why medicine -- it is a field that's very familiar to my family but I also deeply feel something about service that is more specific to medicine that I need to be able to get hours for to be able to simply put in words (fairly difficult to do with no personal experience to call back on haha). Was near dropping out my first 2 years - obviously not going to put this on apps but wasn't enjoying life and had little motivation to go anywhere or do anything -- wised up though I guess and I've been bouncing between a 3.3 and 3.4 over the last 3 semesters. All my classes were B or higher last semester, 1 C though. So I suppose it's not a downward trend but also not a super strong upward trend likely due to inefficient study habits.

All notable community service I have yet is above I've done some Habitat for Humanity projects but it was sporadic and don't think it's worth putting if I can't demonstrate genuine dedication to the program. Believe I answered everything? Thank you for checking DO schools near me; I will research them now. Still, as pipe dream-y as it may be do want to chase MD. I do genuiniely believe I can count on myself turning it around in SMP -- very, very expensive risk but ever since I've reassessed my life trajectory my grades have been a lot better - obvious room for improvement but I do feel confident. My main thing is though, I don't really have any 'life' experiences, that are unique to write about. Do you think I'd be able to write for an SMP based on my current situation. Possibly was going to write about a chronic skin condition I had growing up and how I lived and adjusted in spite of it but I genuinely don't know where to start nor if the topic is even appropriate.

Still not sure what to do if I should diy postbac and work on ECs for the next year or bother with a SMP or SMP next year and build ECs now...? Most of the programs I found on AAMC directory for postbacc programs have some sort of linkage assuming you meet the GPA/MCAT. My chances of getting in the program in the first place is my main concern wouldn't like to spend the next month(s) drafting up personal statements and researching schools just to get rejected from every single one because I lack common EC categories but I'm also not sure how I can assess myself in terms of competition among other applicants :/

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Before you graduate, have you talked with the prehealth advising office at Pitt?

My own opinion is to get your experience hours in order first. Maybe you haven't described your clinical experiences yet (shadowing, volunteering, paid), but I'd make sure I was invested in and committed to the career before throwing down more money on classes and MCAT prep. It's not about your grades, but about why you want to be a physician. And not because you have family members who are in healthcare... you have to want it.

Though you have a low overall GPA, your focus should be how you do in prerequisites and biomedical science courses. Understanding that DOs practice in an equivalent rank to MDs is the other; you can't be picky.