Which SMP to choose?

[soybean28]

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I have recently been accepted to the following:
East Virginia Medical School, Loyola University of Chicago, Boston U, and New York Medical College.

I am unsure of where to choose. I am more concerned over linkage (straight in the following year) opposed to any prestige. I know that EVMS has the highest linkage into their school, while as Loyola only guarantees an interview. However, my family lives in Chicago, which would be nice. Also, I am unsure if the interview guarantee is for the following year or during the gap year.

Any suggestions?

MCAT:30 O
cGPA: 3.6
sGPA: 3.4
Tons of clinical, tons of research, some extracurricular

 

[DrMidlife]

Your stats are really high for doing an SMP. Nobody's going to stop you from doing one, but an SMP adds more than $50k to the already astronomical cost of medical school. In your shoes I'd be looking for a diversifying experience, such as a job instead of more schooling, for your app year.

That said, any of the programs you list will enhance a same-year MD app and give you better prep for med school, assuming you do very well in the coursework.

The best thing you could do to ensure a successful 2012-2013 MD app year is to get a better MCAT score before you apply. Can you prep for an April retake?

Best of luck to you.

 

[superdoctorman]

I was going to say the same. I actually had a friend get straight into the evms without the smp with slightly lower numerical stats and less ecs. Anyway from what I have gathered EVMS has the highest linkage but with stats like yours I would go with then least expensive one. you may also benefit more from Boston's program since it could Improve your chances at several schools instead of just the one and it seems to help people who already have high stats.

 

[DrMidlife]

you may also benefit more from Boston's program since it could Improve your chances at several schools instead of just the one and it seems to help people who already have high stats.

I'd say the same about Loyola. It has a wide, good reputation in the midwest and on the west coast.

 

[johnnyscans]

I think a late April retake of the MCAT (follow a full time 3 month study guide) should be your first priority.

 

[JSReed]

gunna agree with scans. retake mcat in april or may. reapply in june. find something productive to do. If i'm not mistaken, your gpa's are both with 1 SD of the average. SMPs aren't a fun experience, so you don't want to go into it unless you have to.

 

[johnnyscans]

gunna agree with scans. retake mcat in april or may. reapply in june. find something productive to do. If i'm not mistaken, your gpa's are both with 1 SD of the average. SMPs aren't a fun experience, so you don't want to go into it unless you have to.

Exactly. An SMP is a last ditch effort that you choose to participate in when you have exhausted all other avenues. Dr. Midlife will stress the inherent risk in such a program - if you bomb it or do poorly, that's it. Game over, thanks for playing.

It's clear given your stats that your MCAT probably held you back. If you can get that up to a 32, or maybe a point or two higher (which I know is extremely difficult) you stand a very good shot at US MD, especially if you apply early and broadly, and your ECs are as good as you make them seem.

I would first focus on MCAT. Do whatever it takes to improve your score. Once that's down, start really cranking up your research, maybe add one more meaningful activity (that will hopefully provide a killer LOR) and enroll in 1 science course per session (1 summer, 1 fall, 1 spring) throughout the next year. Aim for upper level classes (neurobiology, immunology, maybe an anatomy/phys class - something that will both look good to ad coms and help you come medical school).

I truly think that if you can improve that MCAT you stand a good shot at earning an MD acceptance, granted you're a good interviewer and don't come off as a complete introvert and/or psychopath.

 

[DrMidlife]

Exactly. An SMP is a last ditch effort that you choose to participate in when you have exhausted all other avenues. Dr. Midlife will stress the inherent risk in such a program - if you bomb it or do poorly, that's it. Game over, thanks for playing.

Well, let me split some hairs on that.

Holding onto a med school ambition despite a poor undergraduate record is out on the ridiculous end of the practicality continuum. A GPA comeback requires burning a lot of time and money in a direction that is not likely to pay off. Risky investment, if you look at it from the perspective of a successful, stern grandparent. Regardless, lots of us have med school ambitions that are not deterred by risk or ridiculousness. For every med student that comes out of a GPA comeback, there are 10-100 who don't end up in med school. (Made up number.)

Not giving up after doing poorly in GPA comeback activities, such as an SMP, MCAT retakes, more undergrad, etc, is so ridiculous you can't even see the practicality continuum from there. As far as I can tell, you have to be privately funded and tolerated by an indulgent family, as is Rebecca Black in trying to be a singer, to keep trying to get into med school after collecting post-undergrad red flags. One in a million, and not in a good way. But it happens: you can do SMP after SMP, you can do MCAT retake after MCAT retake, you can apply again and again, you can go to Ireland or Australia. On this plan you double the financial cost of med school, and you have nothing on your resume that can make you employable when your family cuts you off.

The hair splitting is that it does happen. You can keep going after blowing an SMP or an SMP-like program. I wish people wouldn't, but they do.

Now, somebody like the OP who does an SMP, and does poorly, has bought themselves a very, very expensive red flag. You were in the fine middle of the practicality continuum, and you demoted yourself to the ridiculous end of the continuum. You lose money and time and emotional investment and moving costs. If you do fine in the first semester of an SMP, and you get an MD acceptance in maybe January, you have to finish the SMP as a condition of that acceptance. You're not getting a refund of spring tuition, and you've lost the gritty determination to prove yourself by doing well in the no-longer-necessary SMP. Bleah.

By comparison: 3 months of MCAT prep, 32+ in April, apply early and broadly (June 1, 25 researched schools), work for a year, go to med school. That looks like common sense.

Best of luck to you.

 

[JSReed]

Well, let me split some hairs on that.

Holding onto a med school ambition despite a poor undergraduate record is out on the ridiculous end of the practicality continuum. A GPA comeback requires burning a lot of time and money in a direction that is not likely to pay off. Risky investment, if you look at it from the perspective of a successful, stern grandparent. Regardless, lots of us have med school ambitions that are not deterred by risk or ridiculousness. For every med student that comes out of a GPA comeback, there are 10-100 who don't end up in med school. (Made up number.)

Not giving up after doing poorly in GPA comeback activities, such as an SMP, MCAT retakes, more undergrad, etc, is so ridiculous you can't even see the practicality continuum from there. As far as I can tell, you have to be privately funded and tolerated by an indulgent family, as is Rebecca Black in trying to be a singer, to keep trying to get into med school after collecting post-undergrad red flags. One in a million, and not in a good way. But it happens: you can do SMP after SMP, you can do MCAT retake after MCAT retake, you can apply again and again, you can go to Ireland or Australia. On this plan you double the financial cost of med school, and you have nothing on your resume that can make you employable when your family cuts you off.

The hair splitting is that it does happen. You can keep going after blowing an SMP or an SMP-like program. I wish people wouldn't, but they do.

Now, somebody like the OP who does an SMP, and does poorly, has bought themselves a very, very expensive red flag. You were in the fine middle of the practicality continuum, and you demoted yourself to the ridiculous end of the continuum. You lose money and time and emotional investment and moving costs. If you do fine in the first semester of an SMP, and you get an MD acceptance in maybe January, you have to finish the SMP as a condition of that acceptance. You're not getting a refund of spring tuition, and you've lost the gritty determination to prove yourself by doing well in the no-longer-necessary SMP. Bleah.

By comparison: 3 months of MCAT prep, 32+ in April, apply early and broadly (June 1, 25 researched schools), work for a year, go to med school. That looks like common sense.

Best of luck to you.

Well, I tried to say that...just didnt come out as eloquent...