Advice for SMP/Postbacc/What to do

[cloudyhaze]

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[Mr.Smile12]

1) don't consider Caribbean programs for medical school, ever

2) don't take the MCAT if you are not confident you can do your best. Talk to SMP directors about when they suggest you take it.

3) find an SMP that works best for you regarding cost, linkage, and advising.

 

[Rapsidy]

Last year (2021), I applied to a few SMP’s without an MCAT score, I did not get accepted to the ones I wanted to go to so I did not go. I quit my job a few months ago to study for the MCAT (part-time wasn’t an option) and had plans to take the MCAT in April and apply to SMP’s for a second round, It’s July 10th and I am not where I want to be with the MCAT, those around me are just telling me to take it because I have been studying for months now (it’s been about 6, it has really been a struggle and has definnnitely affected my mental health) but I know this is not where I want to be, and I’d rather give myself more time to improve instead of having a bad score.

I think the SMP route would be a good option for you, but I would caution to get whatever mental health struggles you are having under control before starting it. SMP is high risk high reward, and also fairly expensive and you need to succeed in it if you want to pursue medicine. You’ll be studying for the MCAT (assuming you do a SMP that does not require a MCAT to apply) and taking a lot of fast paced science courses at the same time.

Good luck!

 

[cloudyhaze]

I think the SMP route would be a good option for you, but I would caution to get whatever mental health struggles you are having under control before starting it. SMP is high risk high reward, and also fairly expensive and you need to succeed in it if you want to pursue medicine. You’ll be studying for the MCAT (assuming you do a SMP that does not require a MCAT to apply) and taking a lot of fast paced science courses at the same time.

Good luck!

I think so too honestly, it's more bothering me that I am unsure if I will get an acceptance this year and I don't like the thought of pushing it off til next year. This is in part due to the fact that my parents think I'm wasting my years, and I usually fight this thought off, but the thought of waiting another year makes it feel like I'm losing time. My mental health, I believe, largely has to do with my home environment in the way and the pressure I feel under. When I was working fulltime I was preoccupied, out of the house, there was a separation. I think being at home all the time does not help me. Definitely trying to get a therapist to work through this though.

 

[Rapsidy]

Try to look at it differently if you can. Whatever pressure your parents are putting you under, it’s nothing in comparison to what medical school will put you under. Your parents may become a huge source of support for you in medical school because nobody goes through medical school alone. Try to use it as an opportunity to thrive under pressure, and I think you’ll find more peace in living with the situation rather than trying to escape the situation.

I don’t know your parents obviously, but it seems like they want you to succeed, even if they don’t know how to show it properly, so do your best to meet them halfway if you can, for your own success.

 

[cloudyhaze]

Try to look at it differently if you can. Whatever pressure your parents are putting you under, it’s nothing in comparison to what medical school will put you under. Your parents may become a huge source of support for you in medical school because nobody goes through medical school alone. Try to use it as an opportunity to thrive under pressure, and I think you’ll find more peace in living with the situation rather than trying to escape the situation.

I don’t know your parents obviously, but it seems like they want you to succeed, even if they don’t know how to show it properly, so do your best to meet them halfway if you can, for your own success.

I know they care a lot, and at the end of the day they are and will be my biggest supporters. They want to see me in school, and I understand that. I kind of just feel like **** because last year I put it off until now with the intentions of having the MCAT done, didn't get the score I wanted to on my practice MCATs in time to apply, so things aren't working out and I am not sure what I will do in this time. I was just hoping I'd be in an SMP this fall

 

[WashedUpPreMed]

I know they care a lot, and at the end of the day they are and will be my biggest supporters. They want to see me in school, and I understand that. I kind of just feel like **** because last year I put it off until now with the intentions of having the MCAT done, didn't get the score I wanted to on my practice MCATs in time to apply, so things aren't working out and I am not sure what I will do in this time. I was just hoping I'd be in an SMP this fall

Like Mr.Smile's said don't go the IMG route. Your undergrad GPA shows that there is a lack of study skills, time management, or other issue that got in the way of you being successful. Add on top of that the reality of knowledge gaps from those undergrad courses, it's not likely that you would overcome the odds of a Caribbean school.

Your undergraduate GPA (esp sGPA) tells a story, it maybe sad or hard but you need to create an upward trend moving forward that shows that whatever happened during that time won't happen again. You'll need least a 510 if not better on the MCAT, most SMPs require you to get at least a 3.5-3.7 in their program and a minimum score on the MCAT. Some have a minimum score of 500, some have it at 510-515, it all depends. If you have solid ECs congrats (if not work on them), some research wouldn't hurt, and a few thousand dollars so that you can apply broadly.

Here a list of SMPs that I would personally apply to and recommend to a friend. I'm pretty critical of them b/c I think they're a waste of money and there aren't many benefits if all you get is an interview and a master's degree that cant land you a job. With these schools you MUST meet both MCAT & SMP GPA for a guarantee acceptance: Touro-NY, Temple,Tulane ACP, Nova (Kind of, pretty much guaranteed. You'll get an interview at MD school if not good enough then they'll put you on DO waitlist from what a classmate of mine has said ), FSU, Creighton, Drexel (v expensive & hx shows the guarantee goes to URMs), LECOM ( I believe Erie, but its also LECOM so do your research before jumping in that lake), and VCOM.

 

[Osminog]

You don’t need an SMP. Take some easy community college courses that count as science according to the AACOMAS standards (e.g., public health) until your sGPA is 3.0+. This would enable you to be above the automatic cutoff that many schools use. Even online courses would do the trick.

Once you do the above, shift your focus entirely onto the MCAT. You will need to aim for 508+. That means reading a lot of review books, doing a lot of Anki cards, finishing 2-3 question banks, and taking many practice tests.

If you do poorly on the MCAT, you can just retake; DO schools generally only care about your highest score. But if you do poorly in an SMP, you will be out tens of thousands of dollars and will have little to no chance of ever redeeming yourself in the future. The risk of an SMP doesn’t seem worth it in your case.