Withdrawing from SMP and still trying to get into Medical School

[215353]

I'm in the Drexel IMS program and I am considering withdrawing from the program because my academic performance has been lackluster. The program is great, the teaching is great and the sources we have to work with are very nice. That fact is I'm just not doing well in school. For anyone who knows how the grading system works...whatever the med school avg is for a specific test, I have to match that grade to get a "B" for that exam. If I score below the med school mean then I received a grade below a B and if I scored above the med school mean then I received a grade above a B for that exam.

Right now I'm looking at C's for the semester with exception to the medical ethics course we have to take. It's not that I havent worked hard...in fact I have worked my ass off but I'm simply not getting the results. Maybe this is telling me medical school is not for me but I'm still throwing this scenario out there to get some feedback from others.

I've kissed the chance of getting into allopathic school goodbye and I am solely thinking about trying to still get into Osteopathic school. If I withdraw from the program and simply just apply with my 27 MCAT does anyone think I will have a problem getting into DO schools?

Obv the fact I withdrew from the program will raise a serious amount of red flags which I will somehow have to explain...but if I were to apply to DO schools with my stats do I still have a chance in hell?

- 3.4 undergrad gpa
- 3.3 grad gpa (Drexel MSP)
- C's in medical school courses (first semester IMS)
- 1st author pub
- clinical exp
- 27 MCAT

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[Perrotfish]

I don't think enough people who dropped out of SMPs have posted here for us to have enough data to access your chances were you to decide to go that route. Obviously a 3.4 and a 27 is just about the average maticulant to DO schools these days, if you had just skipped the SMP I doubt you would have had a problem. However the few posters on this board who had trouble with their SMPs reported it was a pretty big red flag. Just how badly are you doing here? You're definitely stuck with Cs? No chance that you can pull it up and beat the average?

I'm not saying that success is impossible for someone in your situation who decides to withdraw (if only because I'm not qualified to say anything like that), but have you completely given up on success in the IMS program?

Anyway, if you do withdraw (or if you stay in), I'd say apply to the DO schools. Worst that happens is that you're out about a grand.

 

[Squiggy]

Try applying to DO schools while you're still in the SMP so your grades are cloaked. Once you get out your performance on the SMP is transparent and if you withdraw you'll have to report it as well. I think withdrawing would be worse than sticking it out on the SMP and finishing because adcoms will think you couldn't handle med school if you withdrew.

Either way though you're in a pickle. You threw the Hail Mary Pass and missed the receiver and your SMP may disqualify you from MD and DO schools.

 

[215353]

Squiggy,

Do you know of someone who has been in the same situation or are you just speculating? Couldn't a good interview (if it gets that far) do the trick? Is it going to take another MCAT to raise my score to give myself more a shot to get into DO schools? Maybe I wont be able to get into the better DO schools (PCOM-philly, Midwestern, UMDNJ, etc) but I still think there is a shot for me to get in somewhere...or is there not?

Is my unfortunate experience the "kiss of death" because I was not able to perform the first time around? Couldn't some lesser known DO schools see that even though I didnt do well the first time around there is still potential for me to do well the second time going through the material? Isn't there that old saying..."C for degree" in medical school?

Doesn't a C go further in IMS, when I am comparing my performance with students who are in ALLOPATHIC school, then a C in a regular post-bacc that seem to be springing up everywhere????

I'm working against students who are ultimately stronger students already since they are in ALLOPATHIC school. Wouldn't lesser known DO schools take this into consideration since I am competing against students who probably won't be making up the majority of their own incoming classes?

I find it hard to believe that I should be punished for taking the higher and harder road...sure it doesn't look great but I am PASSING these courses.

 

[DrJD]

Squiggy,

Do you know of someone who has been in the same situation or are you just speculating? Couldn't a good interview (if it gets that far) do the trick? Is it going to take another MCAT to raise my score to give myself more a shot to get into DO schools? Maybe I wont be able to get into the better DO schools (PCOM-philly, Midwestern, UMDNJ, etc) but I still think there is a shot for me to get in somewhere...or is there not?

Is my unfortunate experience the "kiss of death" because I was not able to perform the first time around? Couldn't some lesser known DO schools see that even though I didnt do well the first time around there is still potential for me to do well the second time going through the material? Isn't there that old saying..."C for degree" in medical school?

Doesn't a C go further in IMS, when I am comparing my performance with students who are in ALLOPATHIC school, then a C in a regular post-bacc that seem to be springing up everywhere????

I'm working against students who are ultimately stronger students already since they are in ALLOPATHIC school. Wouldn't lesser known DO schools take this into consideration since I am competing against students who probably won't be making up the majority of their own incoming classes?

I find it hard to believe that I should be punished for taking the higher and harder road...sure it doesn't look great but I am PASSING these courses.

I really feel for you... I know that you are in a tough spot but you need to listen to yourself. SMP programs are "last shot" programs, you go in knowing you are taking a HUGE risk. You either do well and prove that you get in or ruin your application to everywhere. Medical schools don't want someone that they think will get C's at their school. STOP convincing yourself that somehow it is okay that you let yourself get C's in the IMS program.

Okay, that was the dose of reality. The truth is if you are willing to settle for some rejection and work really really hard you might stand a chance at DO schools or Allopathic schools. You have to combat more than just getting C's but also with not finishing. You need to have a really good reason to tell schools for why you got C's and why you couldn't finish, be thinking about these. "I just didn't try" won't cut it, and "I decided I'd rather just start medical school" wont' cut it either.

Give it some real serious though, figure out why you got C's when other people in the program are scoring higher and figure out why you are stopping the program early. From there you will have to fight your way up.

Seriously your best bet? It is only November, I don't care what you have to do, you work your butt off and get the best possible grades you can and finish strong. Get a 4.0 in the second semester and then explain to medical schools that it just took you a while to get adjusted, anything other than this you are going to have a really hard time.

 

[Yoyomama88]

hey man,

im in an smp too, and im having trouble, im looking at Bs, and B+s, right now, but its not done yet. I think you should send in your DO apps now before they see your grades. Good luck, I think we both need it.

 

[starrynight85]

I'm in the Drexel IMS program and I am considering withdrawing from the program because my academic performance has been lackluster. The program is great, the teaching is great and the sources we have to work with are very nice. That fact is I'm just not doing well in school. For anyone who knows how the grading system works...whatever the med school avg is for a specific test, I have to match that grade to get a "B" for that exam. If I score below the med school mean then I received a grade below a B and if I scored above the med school mean then I received a grade above a B for that exam.

Right now I'm looking at C's for the semester with exception to the medical ethics course we have to take. It's not that I havent worked hard...in fact I have worked my ass off but I'm simply not getting the results. Maybe this is telling me medical school is not for me but I'm still throwing this scenario out there to get some feedback from others.

I've kissed the chance of getting into allopathic school goodbye and I am solely thinking about trying to still get into Osteopathic school. If I withdraw from the program and simply just apply with my 27 MCAT does anyone think I will have a problem getting into DO schools?

Obv the fact I withdrew from the program will raise a serious amount of red flags which I will somehow have to explain...but if I were to apply to DO schools with my stats do I still have a chance in hell?

- 3.4 undergrad gpa
- 3.3 grad gpa (Drexel MSP)
- C's in medical school courses (first semester IMS)
- 1st author pub
- clinical exp
- 27 MCAT

I was in the IMS program last year, so here's my take:

The semester is not over yet. You still have grades coming for physio, biochem, nutrition, immuno, histo. Buck up and study your butt off for those exams. If you're feeling pressured, see if you can drop immuno and still get your degree. Immuno is awful and will suck out your soul. Microanatomy gets way easier next semester, and neuro is not too hard to do well in (written exams, at least). So there's the potential to do better next semester, too.

I'm going to be blunt: indeed, you are not going to get into an allopathic school. Your MCAT is too low for a good shot anyways, plus some crappy grades in a grad program, say bye-bye to an MD degree. You're still in the running for a DO degree, though, if you're lucky. Apply to as many DO schools as you can and cross your fingers. Dropping out now will probably not look good for you, but you can still get in with some C's.

FWIW, I got some so-so grades (read: C+'s, B-'s) in the IMS program and still got into some DO programs. But my MCAT was (is?) way higher than yours, which I'm sure helped out. Doing the IMS program was perhaps the biggest mistake of my life, and welcome to what was my own personal nightmare from last year! The grading system exists solely to screw over the students. God, I hate Drexel.

 

[fireflygirl]

I don't have much experience with SMPs but I think you've gotten some good advice here. My only concern as a 3rd party is wouldn't dropping out of the program look really bad regardless of where you apply? What would med schools think about that in terms of committment and work ethic or would you even have to tell them? I'm just not sure what the implications would be of dropping out which is why until you talk to someone else who may have been in your situation or even your advisor? Good luck!