What should this reinvention applicant do this year?

[Zygomatic1]

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Hi SDN!


I’m a career changer/reinvention applicant. Lurking this forum way back in 2012 made it clear I needed to invest significant time and effort to follow this path. I’m at a point where I believe I’ve done this and would love some feedback particularly from @Goro @LizzyM since that’s where I took the great advice from originally 🙂


At the final step of my reinvention journey, I thought it would be the obvious choice to do an SMP.

However, I have 6 faculty/adcom/former adcom mentors (3 at current institution) who know the full situation have advised me NOT to go the SMP route, apply this cycle and to continue paid research + publishing this year as they believe I’ve already proven I have the intellect. A few are even encouraging me to include apps to research powerhouses like the one I’m at (which honestly seems like I’d just be making a $ donation given my stats). I appreciate their confidence but I’m not so certain. Is my pessimism warranted, or imposter syndrome?


I’ve been admitted to SMP, and I need to make a decision pretty soon, so thought I’d come here for extra input! Obviously, I’d prefer to avoid the extra year of loans (particularly since s/o just graduated here with six-figure debt, too). But I’m more than happy to do whatever it takes, and would be truly pretty ecstatic to start my M1 courses this August at this SMP. Here’s the full picture:


Old version Zygomatic, 2008-2012:

• Totally different career (service oriented)
• No plans/thoughts of grad school
• Academic suspension for literally not doing school
• Readmitted, graduated GPA approx 2.3 after 1 final semester of A’s

New version Zygomatic, post-2012:

Academics:

• 2.5 years FT post-bacc: year 1 = 3.5, year 2+ = 3.8
• Continued taking 1 class at a time while working: all A-‘s and A’s
• Most recent 45units = 3.8
• MCAT: 127/124/128/129 (508)

Research:

• Paid research almost 3 years at a top 5 med school (obvi want to keep these connections)
• First author pub submitted pending publication, very good journal
• 2 mid author pubs (one in Nature)
• 5 first author poster presentations
• 13 mid author posters
• 1 hour talk on my work to faculty + postdocs/postgrad researchers
• Research award at massive conference

Clinical + Leadership:

• Director position at free clinic (after volunteering 2yrs): 1000h
• 300h non-clinical volunteering
• Over 1500h shadowing (once/wk over 3yrs)
• Started a support group for our patients
• TA’d multiple courses

SMP would start this fall at my top choice. Thesis could be continued work in my current research area of interest with current PI, resulting in publication.


PI has countered this with an offer of a higher paid research position with more leadership + autonomy.


Wise SDNers: what would you do? Have I invested enough time? Should I invest more?

Thanks, friends!

 

[Goro]

I agree that you don't need SMP. But if you're boning for the MD, suggest a retake. Most successful SDNers in this regard have 513+. Your best luck might be with your state school.

You're fine for any DO school, including mine. So start applying

To occupy yourself during this cycle, your ECs are fantastic, so just do whatever it is you're passionate about.