Is it time for an SMP/GPA Repair? Poor undergrad performance

[RandomChance]

Hey all, thanks for taking the time to read this post! I need some advice

Background: I didn’t have the best undergrad performance, cGPA 3.14, sGPA 3.09, MCAT 501 (PSB 124, BB 128, CP 122, CARS 127), and was wondering if you think an SMP would be right for me? My last two semesters show an upward trend as I started to get more serious and realize proper study techniques (3.68 and then a 3.80), and I also joined a lab for undergrad research senior year. I graduated in 2016 and in the two years since my undergrad I decided to work on some EC’s before addressing GPA repair:

Since Graduating: -I’ve been working for a Harvard Medical School/Mass General Hospital lab for one and a half years, during which I’ve had five publications (none of them first author, my highest authorship is third – but they are all in respectable journals like Nature Neuroscience etc. – I will most likely leave the lab with six or seven total if I leave in August), I have a LoR from my PI, he is very well-known in his field (Chaired Harvard Medical School professor, Chief of a division at mgh, vice chair of research, director of a center, etc) – but I don’t know how much/if this is that important.

-Good LoR’s from 3 science professors at my undergrad (one of them also my advisor and the other I conducted undergrad research for of which I presented at our university conference) and one non-science professor (upper level English)

-Worked at a private pharmaceutical company for 6 months before joining my current lab as a quality consultant on clinical trials, but realized that the life of desk work and FDA conferences wasn’t for me (I have the CEO as one of my references though – we got along extremely well).

-Was awarded my NREMT EMT-Basic just to gain some insight into emergency medicine, I haven’t used it though except for the clinical hours that were required to obtain it

-40 hours of shadowing a physician in surgery and clinic (MD)

-My aunt died of ALS in 2004, and since then my Grandmother and I have established a foundation that together we have raised over $250,000 in her name that goes towards ALS research– it consisted of auctions in the past, but now it is a letter-campaign every fall.

Is it time to move on to GPA repair? Is it already too late to realize a medical school dream? I have been accepted to BU’s MAMS program – if you were in my situation, do you think that’s the route you would go down? I have also applied to RFU, Tufts, Georgetown, Temple, and Loyolla – but have yet to hear back from them yet. If you think it’s time for an SMP, would you choose one of these instead? I have also been accepted to Tulane's one-year CMB masters, but i think it's fairly obvious that BU > Tulane's CMB

Thanks for reading and any feedback!

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[ciestar]

If you’re boning for MD, an SMP is probably in the cards plus an MCAT retake.

You’d probably have a chance at DO as it stands.

 

[Goro]

If you’re boning for MD, an SMP is probably in the cards plus an MCAT retake.

You’d probably have a chance at DO as it stands.

Agree, but stats are weak for a number of DO schools, including mine. If going that route, apply broadly, especially targeting the newest schools, but skip the coastal; Touros, AZCOM, CCOM, PCOM, BCOM, CUSOM

 

[RandomChance]

Thanks for the feedback guys! Would you think about applying DO and MD both this cycle whilst completing an SMP - or just DO and wait until finished to apply next app cycle for MD?

 

[candbgirl]

Do you have any clinical work-direct patient contact? How about nonclinical service to the unserved or underserved?

If you apply to a DO school and are accepted this cycle will you attend the school? If you won’t why would you apply? It seems you’d apply to DO this cycle and then apply to MD next year. I’m not sure why you’d develop this plan.

 

[RandomChance]

I only have the direct patient contact that was required by my EMT cert (~30 hours). I would go to a DO if accepted, but if I didn’t get any acceptances I would reapply the following year both MD and DO - but it seems like MD would be way too out of my current reach even if I was attending an SMP during the cycle (which is the reason for that plan, sorry I didn’t explain myself well enough!).

 

[futureDocDD]

Does any of your SMP list have linkage to their own med schools? Take advantage of linkage and shoot for top 20-25% of SMP class.

 

[candbgirl]

I only have the direct patient contact that was required by my EMT cert (~30 hours). I would go to a DO if accepted, but if I didn’t get any acceptances I would reapply the following year both MD and DO - but it seems like MD would be way too out of my current reach even if I was attending an SMP during the cycle (which is the reason for that plan, sorry I didn’t explain myself well enough!).

Yes you should wait to finish the SMP before applying to MD. Schools won’t have your grades etc. from the SMP so they won’t be able to evaluate your progress. .. You really need to do something about your low number of clinical hours. Schools expect at least 150 hours. ADCOMS want to know that you know what you are getting yourself into. I know your aunt died a horrible death but you have to show ADCOMS that you really want to spend the next 30+ years dealing with sick, injured and dying. Take your time and do it right. You really don’t want to apply more than once. So get your best application possible and go for it.