why do an SMP?

[Genie133]

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I've seen people on here giving advice to go and take postbacc undergrad courses, and then apply to an SMP.

Why would someone do the postbacc and then do the SMP, rather than just doing the postbacc or the SMP alone?

I'm just curious as to why bringing up your undergrad GPA wouldn't be sufficient improvement to show med schools (and if I should be considering doing an SMP)

 

[Instatewaiter]

I've seen people on here giving advice to go and take postbacc undergrad courses, and then apply to an SMP.

Why would someone do the postbacc and then do the SMP, rather than just doing the postbacc or the SMP alone?

I'm just curious as to why bringing up your undergrad GPA wouldn't be sufficient improvement to show med schools (and if I should be considering doing an SMP)

For many people, they need to bring up their Ugrad GPA to a 3.0- so they do a post-bac. After college, if your GPA is below a 3.2 it is nearly impossible to bring it up to a 3.5 in a year or 2. So often people apply to an SMP after that to further improve their standing. Remember the law of diminishing returns: as your GPA increases, each class you take will have a smaller and smaller impact.

Some dont just do an SMP b/c w/ their current GPA they will be screened out even after a stellar SMP performance. So they improve the GPA first and then do the SMP.

For others they havent improved their GPA enough in the post-bac and have to do an SMP.

 

[Perrotfish]

I've seen people on here giving advice to go and take postbacc undergrad courses, and then apply to an SMP.

Why would someone do the postbacc and then do the SMP, rather than just doing the postbacc or the SMP alone?

I'm just curious as to why bringing up your undergrad GPA wouldn't be sufficient improvement to show med schools (and if I should be considering doing an SMP)

Because SMPs are compeditive too. Generally if people are getting that advice its because their GPA and MCAT are too low to get into a decent SMP as is. If a poster just barely missed the mark for medical school, then they should absolutely go straight into an SMP. As for just doing post-bac work, just calculate how much you can actually improve your GPA in a year. I was at the point where every semester at a 4.0 GPA would basically raise my GPA by 0.1, so I went with the SMP.

 

[DH1286]

Hi I have a 2.9 Gpa and a 35 on the MCAT. Im not applying to medical school because of my gpa so im looking at the SMP program at Georgetown. However, it says on the website that you need at least a 3.0. Will I be able to get in with a 2.9 because of my high mcat scores? I still have this fall semester to boost up my gpa so this might not be an issue but I would have to get all As which is not easy. Also are there any other SMP programs close to Washington DC?

 

[Perrotfish]

A 3.0 is not required for Georgetown, only recommended. The only hard and fast GPA requirements are a 2.75 for EVMS's program and a 3.0 for Loyola's program. That being said Georgetown didn't accept (or ever respond to) me with similar scores and grades. Consider applying more broadly, for example: Drexel, EVMS, LLU, and Rosalind Franklin, with maybe VCU's certificate program as a safety. As for other programs: besides VCU's certificate program the only other program within driving distance of DC is EVMS, and that's 4 hours away. Why do you need to stay in DC?