Which SMP? Do I apply for MD now or wait?

[boopthesnoot]

Hey all. I've received admission to Tulane's HumGen Masters program, KGI's PPC program, and the Tufts MBS program. I am still waiting on Georgetown's SMP and UofM's physiology Masters program but am torn because they all offer something unique.

Tulane: adds to my lengthy history with genetics work, has a linkage to Tulane, and bolsters my clinical and volunteering experience.
KECK: smaller program that provides rigorous coursework but also time to pursue a multitude of co-curricular activities. Cons are it has a short history, no linkage, and only one graduate having gone to the east coast.
Tufts: Historically fantastic at getting students to MD institutions, MD courses. It also has a MBA at Brandeis that I could pursue during a glide year. Cons are that there doesn't seem to be much time to pursue co-curriculars like volunteer work and shadowing.

My science GPA is a 3.0, overall is 3.4, and MCAT is 31 (P: 9, V: 10, B: 12)

I would also like to apply this cycle so I can attend Med School as soon as I finish my SMP. Is it too much of a stretch to apply to schools like Tufts and similar ranked schools now? Is there a possibility of applying to schools like Emory, Hofstra, and Dartmouth after my SMPs?

thanks for your input

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[PatchAdams25]

Hey all. I've received admission to Tulane's HumGen Masters program, KGI's PPC program, and the Tufts MBS program. I am still waiting on Georgetown's SMP and UofM's physiology Masters program but am torn because they all offer something unique.

Tulane: adds to my lengthy history with genetics work, has a linkage to Tulane, and bolsters my clinical and volunteering experience.
KECK: smaller program that provides rigorous coursework but also time to pursue a multitude of co-curricular activities. Cons are it has a short history, no linkage, and only one graduate having gone to the east coast.
Tufts: Historically fantastic at getting students to MD institutions, MD courses. It also has a MBA at Brandeis that I could pursue during a glide year. Cons are that there doesn't seem to be much time to pursue co-curriculars like volunteer work and shadowing.

My science GPA is a 3.0, overall is 3.4, and MCAT is 31 (P: 9, V: 10, B: 12)

I would also like to apply this cycle so I can attend Med School as soon as I finish my SMP. Is it too much of a stretch to apply to schools like Tufts and similar ranked schools now? Is there a possibility of applying to schools like Emory, Hofstra, and Dartmouth after my SMPs?

thanks for your input

You can not apply this cycle if you are doing SMP... you need to wait until you successfully complete it next year. You will be wasting thousands of dollars applying this year with a 3.0 sGPA

 

[Catalystik]

Hey all. I've received admission to Tulane's HumGen Masters program, KGI's PPC program, and the Tufts MBS program. I am still waiting on Georgetown's SMP and UofM's physiology Masters program but am torn because they all offer something unique.

Tulane: adds to my lengthy history with genetics work, has a linkage to Tulane, and bolsters my clinical and volunteering experience.
KECK: smaller program that provides rigorous coursework but also time to pursue a multitude of co-curricular activities. Cons are it has a short history, no linkage, and only one graduate having gone to the east coast.
Tufts: Historically fantastic at getting students to MD institutions, MD courses. It also has a MBA at Brandeis that I could pursue during a glide year. Cons are that there doesn't seem to be much time to pursue co-curriculars like volunteer work and shadowing.

My science GPA is a 3.0, overall is 3.4, and MCAT is 31 (P: 9, V: 10, B: 12)

I would also like to apply this cycle so I can attend Med School as soon as I finish my SMP. Is it too much of a stretch to apply to schools like Tufts and similar ranked schools now? Is there a possibility of applying to schools like Emory, Hofstra, and Dartmouth after my SMPs?

thanks for your input

While a rare event, it has happened that an applicant was accepted in mid-cycle while engaged in an SMP. However, these folks are generally those who began their GPA redemption prior to starting the SMP and already have multiple terms of recent excellent academics on their submitted transcript. They also tended to have their EC ducks in a row and a strong MCAT score.

 

[GrapesofRath]

There are many people who do get into medical school the same year of doing an SMP program. You can see probably 40% of Georgetown's class did this year.
http://smp.georgetown.edu/alumni

However with a 3.0 sGPA you arent likely to be one of them. Applying this year and needlessly being a reapplicant for subsequent cycles wont help you either.

Out of the programs youve listed Tufts is probably the most reputable one. The majority of its grads from what I understand do end up at US MD schools. That would probably be my choice unless Cincinnati ends up accepting you.

An SMP is going to take up massive amounts of your time, you cant worry about enhancing your ECs the year you do an SMP. If your ECs arent up to par, take another year to bolster your app before applying after the SMP. There are many threads discussing getting an MBA if you are going into medicine on this site. Read them before really seriously considering it(youll find the consensus on here from attending's is by and large it's a waste of time).

 

[Catalystik]

There are many people who do get into an SMP the same year of doing the program. You can see probably 40% of Georgetown's class did this year.

Did you mean to say, "get accepted into med school the same year of doing the program."?

 

[GrapesofRath]

Did you mean to say, "get accepted into med school the same year of doing the program."?

Yes my mistake, that was the purpose of the link above.

 

[boopthesnoot]

Thanks for the quick replies. I just wanted to add some information about the gap year I've already taken to see if it changes opinions at all. I graduated from Michigan in 2015 then spent 2 months backpacking Vietnam and Thailand, 2 months scribing at a Urology clinic, 6 months as an assistant at a law firm while shadowing bi-monthly at an acupuncture clinic, and will be finishing up 6 months of genetic research in Buenos Aires this coming August.
Buenos Aires has mostly been learning Spanish, applications, and research.

There are many people who do get into medical school the same year of doing an SMP program. You can see probably 40% of Georgetown's class did this year.
http://smp.georgetown.edu/alumni

However with a 3.0 sGPA you arent likely to be one of them. Applying this year and needlessly being a reapplicant for subsequent cycles wont help you either.

Out of the programs youve listed Tufts is probably the most reputable one. The majority of its grads from what I understand do end up at US MD schools. That would probably be my choice unless Cincinnati ends up accepting you.

An SMP is going to take up massive amounts of your time, you cant worry about enhancing your ECs the year you do an SMP. If your ECs arent up to par, take another year to bolster your app before applying after the SMP. There are many threads discussing getting an MBA if you are going into medicine on this site. Read them before really seriously considering it(youll find the consensus on here from attending's is by and large it's a waste of time).

I know my experience is not the traditional 'shadowing' and 'working at a hospital' that many applicant's have. However I'm confident in being able to express how my activities down here have shaped a desire to be a doctor.

 

[P0ke]

Hey all. I've received admission to Tulane's HumGen Masters program, KGI's PPC program, and the Tufts MBS program. I am still waiting on Georgetown's SMP and UofM's physiology Masters program but am torn because they all offer something unique.

Tulane: adds to my lengthy history with genetics work, has a linkage to Tulane, and bolsters my clinical and volunteering experience.
KECK: smaller program that provides rigorous coursework but also time to pursue a multitude of co-curricular activities. Cons are it has a short history, no linkage, and only one graduate having gone to the east coast.
Tufts: Historically fantastic at getting students to MD institutions, MD courses. It also has a MBA at Brandeis that I could pursue during a glide year. Cons are that there doesn't seem to be much time to pursue co-curriculars like volunteer work and shadowing.

My science GPA is a 3.0, overall is 3.4, and MCAT is 31 (P: 9, V: 10, B: 12)

I would also like to apply this cycle so I can attend Med School as soon as I finish my SMP. Is it too much of a stretch to apply to schools like Tufts and similar ranked schools now? Is there a possibility of applying to schools like Emory, Hofstra, and Dartmouth after my SMPs?

thanks for your input

Of those programs, I only know about Tufts and Georgetown, and those 2 are fairly comparable. Tufts might have a slight advantage since it's a smaller program (at least it was back when I applied to SMPs). In general, the smaller the SMP program, the better, because you're competing with less people for admission to that med school. Definitely apply MD during the SMP year because most programs accept a good amount of their own SMP students during the SMP year.

 

[P0ke]

None of that will help the impact of a GPA that is likely screened out as some schools.

It's also very scattered. Why only 2 months scribing and 6 months at a law firm? And why shadow accupuncturists instead of physicians? Those ECs may actually weaken his/her application by causing adcoms to question their dedication to medicine. And I'm pretty sure shadowing/clinical experience only counts if it's with doctors in the U.S. Not sure if op's was in the U.S. from what they said.

 

[Catalystik]

It's also very scattered. Why only 2 months scribing and 6 months at a law firm? And why shadow accupuncturists instead of physicians? Those ECs may actually weaken his/her application by causing adcoms to question their dedication to medicine. And I'm pretty sure shadowing/clinical experience only counts if it's with doctors in the U.S. Not sure if op's was in the U.S. from what they said.

Since it was specified that these activities were over the last year, I assumed (or hoped) that the meatier, long-term activities were obtained before college graduation.

 

[heybubbaa]

If you get into an SMP that is associated with a medical school with a bias for its SMP students (for example, Gtown tends to interview if you get a 3.xx gpa in the SMP - regardless of your undergrad performance, and Cincinnati has historically done the same), or if you come from a soft state, then you could consider applying to only those schools this summer (or if you have some special connection to another medical school), as you could do exceptionally well the first semester, then land an interview or two, and maybe get in off the waitlist after a strong second semester. But realistically, you would probably be better off waiting for the 2018 application cycle.

 

[Crayola227]

You need to forget name schools like Emory or Dartsmouth with that GPA even if you do amazing in SMP and ECs.

I mean, you can apply, but I want you to assume you're throwing money away on apps to your "dream" schools just as a form of entertainment to help you sleep at night.

I suggest you look at any in state schools, any in your region that might give preference to you, anywhere you have significant ties, like family or living there prior. And that your list is a list of safeties in the middle of nowhere.

You will be lucky to get an MD anywhere.

Sorry, this is part of my campaign to beat the prestige seeking out of these kids.