Would I need to do an SMP after a DIY post-bacc?

[Member2223]

I started my freshman year in 2015 with a rough start as a pre-med landing an abysmal 1.4 semester GPA which I attribute to a lack of maturity at the time. After that semester, I quickly dropped the pre-med track and switched to a humanities major. Although I did pull up my grades and maintained an overall upward trend, I had a lack of a clear goal and adopted a mindset of "just getting by", resulting in an 3.06 overall GPA upon graduation in 2019 and a non-stellar transcript (1 F, 2 D+, and 1W during my first semester and 1 more W & 3 P/F (passed) throughout the remainder of undergrad).

Long story short, occurrences happened a few years into the workforce that reignited my desire to pursue medicine, albeit from a more mature mindset this time around.

I started a DIY post-bacc last Summer of 2022. My final semester is this Spring, and I would have completed a total of 50 BCPM credits across 5 sessions (Summer'22, Fall'22, Spring'23, Summer '23, Spring'24) at around 10 credits each session. This encompasses all science pre-reqs plus molecular bio, genetics, and statistics.

At a projected 4.0 post-bacc GPA upon completion:
cGPA would have gone from a 3.06 → 3.37
sGPA of 3.68 (AMCAS)/3.79 (AACOMAS).

I plan to take a gap year after my post-bacc for strengthening my app via clinical research this summer (symposium poster), MCAT studies, and more clinical/non-clinical hours. I have a lot (~1000hrs) of community volunteering experiences across populations such as houseless individuals, disadvantaged students, and hospice patients which I have a lot of good experiences to talk about. A majority of my clinical hours will be through CNA work.

Questions:
1. The biggest differentiator I'm sure is the MCAT, but I'm hoping for some critical feedback on what score would place me in a safe zone to dispel doubt about academic capability.

2. Assuming an excellent score (say 515), would it be likely for me to need to complete an SMP afterwards in-order to rectify my undergraduate performance? I was hoping that the post-bacc GPA of 4.0 across 50 credits would be enough, but I am hearing that it still may not be enough to ensure confidence.

Thank you for your feedback!

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[Faha]

Concentrate on doing well on the MCAT. If you score at least 500, you could receive several interviews at DO schools if you apply broadly and include all the newer schools. MD is possible with a score of 510+. State of residence also matters.

 

[Vibrium]

I just want to encourage you that even with a not-so-stellar academic record, it can be done without an SMP.

I had a very similar academic story. I struggled in undergrad due to poor study skills, being unfocused, and not knowing what I wanted to do after I graduated. I initially started college as pre-med but then bounced around a bit after performing poorly in my science courses. I ultimately graduated in 2015 with a 2.9 cGPA and 2.5 sGPA, with no significant trends in my GPA.

Fast forward a few years, and I still couldn't stop thinking about medicine, so I started a DIY post-bac (mostly at community college) to raise my GPA while I worked full-time as a research assistant. I had a lot of undergrad credits and knew I would only be able to raise my GPA so much, so I decided to go as hard as possible in other areas of my application and get a lot of great real-life experience (working, clinical experience, research, and volunteering). After 90 credits of almost straight As in BCPM courses, I raised my cGPA to 3.3 and my sGPA to 3.0 (still not great, but enough not to get auto-screened by most schools). I got a 509 on the MCAT, which was lower than I was aiming for but not an awful score.

I started writing my personal statement and other essays early and gave myself plenty of time to make sure my writing was polished. I used Dr. Gray's method for writing my personal statement and essays (showing vs. telling and storytelling), which I know not everyone is a fan of, but I had a lot of success with it and got lots of compliments from my interviewers about how much they enjoyed reading my essays. I applied early and broadly to both MD and DO schools, to schools I was a good mission fit for, and to schools that consider post-bac work or the last 20-60 credits for students with lower GPAs. I made sure I had people who knew me well write my LORs, and I was confident they would be strong advocates for me and could speak to my character.

So far this cycle, I've been invited to interview at 15 schools. I attended 10 of those interviews, which have led to 9 acceptances (2 MD and 7 DO) and 1 waitlist, including being accepted to my top choice T30 MD program.

Long story short, focus hard on excelling in other areas of your application, get the highest score you can on the MCAT, apply early, and apply wisely. You've got this, friend!

 

[Goro]

Questions:
1. The biggest differentiator I'm sure is the MCAT, but I'm hoping for some critical feedback on what score would place me in a safe zone to dispel doubt about academic capability.

For MCAT scores, target accordingly:
MD: 513+
Your state MD: 510+
DO schools: 505+

2. Assuming an excellent score (say 515), would it be likely for me to need to complete an SMP afterwards in-order to rectify my undergraduate performance? I was hoping that the post-bacc GPA of 4.0 across 50 credits would be enough, but I am hearing that it still may not be enough to ensure confidence.

You've shown reinvention from the post-bac work, so no SMP is needed.

 

[Member2223]

@Vibrium Thank you so much for the reassurance and elaborate advice. Your story is incredibly inspiring. Huge congratulations on your successful reinvention!

 

[AW125]

My advice is don't assume anything about how you will perform going forward.

I came into my SMP program thinking I would ace everything but I struggled to pass several courses and even working at 100%, I managed to get a B+ and A- in a few others. Despite that, that's actually competitive performance; it's just not what I was planning for.

I have a lot to say on the SMP route because I have seen a lot of scenarios get accepted to my school but I would just say don't think you can predict how you will perform on each step ahead. You might do better or worse than you are thinking so whatever decision you make, choose the path where your odds of getting into a program are greater.

For me, my odds went up by choosing the SMP.

 

[Member2223]

My advice is don't assume anything about how you will perform going forward.

I came into my SMP program thinking I would ace everything but I struggled to pass several courses and even working at 100%, I managed to get a B+ and A- in a few others. Despite that, that's actually competitive performance; it's just not what I was planning for.

I have a lot to say on the SMP route because I have seen a lot of scenarios get accepted to my school but I would just say don't think you can predict how you will perform on each step ahead. You might do better or worse than you are thinking so whatever decision you make, choose the path where your odds of getting into a program are greater.

For me, my odds went up by choosing the SMP.

I've maintained a 4.0 over the first 4 sessions, and this semester is my final session. Like you said, don't assume; However, I'm working very hard for a 4.0 this session to finish off strong.

Ultimately I'm hoping that my post-bacc journey will increase my odds and suffice without me having to do an SMP on top of it.