SPM or Post bacc

[russon12]

I am a senior at UNC Chapel Hill, Bio BS major
cGPA 3.4 sGPA 3.0 MCAT 519, and a CV with competitive research experience but lacking clinical experience

I am looking to apply to an SPM or postbacc. I am considering: Johns Hopkins HSI, Wake Forest post bacc pre med, EVMS MMP 1 year, Cincinatti SMP, Duke MBS

What are my chances of getting into these programs, and which one provides me the highest opportunity to be accepted into med school immediately the following year?
How are the post bacc and SMP GPAs considered relative to Undergrad GPA?
What are the different merits of a post bacc compared to an SMP?

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[Cardboard101]

You could apply DO and save 2 years and a lot of money. That 90% MCAT should get a few looks even if its getting late in the app cycle.

SMPs are generally much more expensive and riskier than postbaccs. The upside to SMP is that SMP GPA is separated from your UG GPA which is great if the latter is especially poor. How many units are in your sGPA? Any math? What (if any) clinical experience/shadowing do you have?

 

[russon12]

Units, I guess 40? about 10 classes in all, more if you count AP bio credits from high school. No math in college, but again high school AP credit in calc and stats. Minimal clinical, I went on a week long medical mission trip to ecuador, and then also got about 10 hours of shadowing surgeries a couple summers ago.
I haven't really considered DO schools, and know very little about them. How do they compare to a traditional allopathic school?

So is the postbacc GPA then lumped in with UG GPA or is it also considered separately? I am definitely going to get some clinical hours. I know I should want to do clinical hours for the experience and not just for the resume, and I do, but given my situation- how many hours does it take to have a competetive amount of clinical experience? in addition, how does an EMT look relative to shadowing?

 

[Cardboard101]

If it's just 10 classes I'd say go for the Postbacc. If you manage to ace a year of science courses you can raise the sGPA to where you'd be competitive for DO schools and have a shot at MD. Definitely get in some clinical hours.
DO schools work just like allopathic schools, you spend 4 years, graduate and do your residency. You also end up spending a few hundred hours learning about OMM. You'll have a much harder time matching into some of the more competitive specialties as well as a DO.

Upside is you can do grade replacement for DO schools. You get a C and an A, your GPA is a 3.0, you retake the C and get an A, your GPA is now a 4.0.

A postbacc would average in with your UG, but admissions can still see the grade trend by year/semester. An EMT job would count as clinical experience, but you really should also volunteer and show your altruism. I'd try and shoot for at least 100 clinical or as many hours as you can fit in without it impacting your grades.

 

[russon12]

Thank you. What are your thoughts on the places I mentioned earlier that I am considering applying to? Copied here for convenience:

Johns Hopkins HSI,
Wake Forest post bacc pre med,
EVMS MMP 1 year,
Cincinatti SMP,
Duke MBS

Going the post bacc route, I would consider Johns hopkins and Wake forest the best options. But the Duke MBS offers EMT training during the program, which is definitely a plus. Additionally, Cincinatti SMP offers classes side by side with med school students. I feel like this woud be a good indicator to med schools of one's ability to succeed, but do they view postbacc grades simiarly?

 

[Cardboard101]

But the Duke MBS offers EMT training during the program, which is definitely a plus.

This isn't really much of a plus unless you want to be an EMT.

I don't really know much about SMP programs individually. There's a good thread about SMP vs Postbacc (albeit a bit dated) by Drmidlife.

 

[Goro]

For MD schools, neither average the PB grades into your cGPA, but they are looked at separately. DO schools will average them in (but also display them as a graduate GPA).

How are the post bacc and SMP GPAs considered relative to Undergrad GPA?

SMP = high risk, high payoff. Ace it and there are MD schools (and ALL DO) that reward reinvention. Another bonus is that these types of program have some type of linkage to the med school they're offered at, like a guaranteed interview, to a full accept if you perform at a certain level.

But if do poorly, then all you have is a piece of paper that says you took med school-like coursework.

Postbacs can be done more cheaply, even at a CC, and you do these at your own pace. But no formal linkage to a med school.

Look up posts by the wise DrMidlife on this subject.


What are the different merits of a post bacc compared to an SMP?[/QUOTE]

 

[lightblueelephant]

@Goro-- So when I finally apply, does this mean my sGPA from PB stands out on its own (3.7) and isn't factored into my 4 yar UG sGPA (2.7)? I thought they lumped them together for 1 all around sGPA that's considered