Would the Georgetown SMP be worth it for me?

[blackbird11384]

Thanks for taking the time to read this post. Here is my story. I graduated this past May from Georgetown University with a bachelors of science in Biology and a minor in music. State of of residence is PA, and I a 22 year old White Male. My overal GPA is a 3.44 and my BCPM is a 3.4. I haven't taken the MCATs but diagnostics with no studying put me up at around a 26-27. I fare reasonably well on standarized tests when I practice for them, so I think with the time I have until the January 07 administration of the MCAT, I could get it to above a 30. Here is my experiece:

-Senior Thesis in Developmental Biology requiring 2 years of research, often 20-25 hours a week in the lab.
-Work Study for first 2 years of undergrad in the Biology Dept.
-Heavily involved in Theatre my soph and junior years (head carpenter for two productions, and head of sound design for another, not to mention countless hours of grunt work)
-Volunteered with a program that sent us out into DC to tutor Single Mothers that had experienced abuse and drug addiction. (Sophomore year, about 3 hours a week).
-Shadowed and volunteered about 10 hours a week the past two summers at a local hospital's ER.
-Paid Internship the summer after my freshmen year as a research assistant in the local hospitals Research Center.
-Licensed EMT-B in PA and DC.
-Currently applying for positions as Research Associate at Georgetown University Medical Center and other biotech companies in Maryland. I hope to work a research job for at least a year.

I also plan on volunteering as much as I can at either Georgetown Univ. Hospital or Children's National Medical Center. My LORs are all good, especially one from my thesis mentor who I saw day in and day out, and who really got to know and like me, and also one LOR from a well respected Music Professor who believes I could have done well in a full Music program. My other LOR is from a Virology professor who teaches Graduate Courses at the Georgetown Medical Center, and also works at the NIH.

Sorry that this is so long. I just wanted to know whether any of you think I would be better off working in a lab for 2 years and volunteering as much as I can, or applying for the Georgetown SMP (or similar program) next year. Either way I hope to matriculate into Medical School Fall 2008. Thanks so much for any replies. Good luck to you all.

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[braluk]

I say go for the SMP- it would defintely make you that much more competitive. If you went to GT's SMP, ud definitely be a surefire bet to have a much more competitive spot to get into their med school seeing that you also went to their UG as well. 3.44 gives you a chance, albeit a less competitive one (especially since AA works against you in a sense). It seems that the only weakness in your application is really just your grades (as it was for me). Go for the SMP route, make sure you apply to a couple, and study your ass off to get a good MCAT score. 26-27 is average in the country and just the bare minumum for GT's SMP- and even then, theyll probably tell you to retake it if its hovering at a 27. Good luck with everything!

 

[daeojkim]

I second braluk.

Your GPA is on border line for med school but high for SMP. If you can crack 30+ in MCAT and do well in SMP you will be quite competitive for med schools and even avoid glide year.

Your ECs are pretty good. Publication would have been nice, though.

It seemes like you will be able to get good LOR from faculties who have known you for a loong time so that is a big plus.

Good luck.

 

[MonkeyNuts!]

Did an SMP, got a 4.0 - any thing short of a 3.7 and it would have been worthless. Do it if you really think you can do well. And when you do it, don't treat it like your lifeline to med school, really treat it as a graduate program and LEARN.

From what I understand about Georgetown's SMP is that if you do well, you are guaranteed (like it is part of the program's benefits) an interview at the end of the year if you apply. Now it sounds like you really want to go to that medical school there, so I would say DO it. Do it well, and get to know your professors and advisors really well because ten phone calls from Georgetown professors that all say "blackbird is an awesome student take him NOW" will help alot.

In fact, someone from my SMP who got a 4.0 last year got into GTown Med. It was hard work but if you have fun and relax and don't panic thinking that your med school career is on the line, and above all LEARN something, then you will do just fine.

 

[daeojkim]

I am not sure if anything short of 3.7 is not worthwhile. There were few people who had less than 3.7, but very close to it, and got into Georgetown on first round of admissions and from what I know, so far over 60% got into med school from my class without glide year, which means many did not have GPA greater than 3.7.

About getting t know the professors. It does not mean to go and suck up to them. They will know if you are and you will not be liked. In fact if you suck up too much you will get an award at the end of the year. You have to show that you are genuinely interested in medicine for the right reasons. That you are 100% commited to make it happen. Also behave yourself during the year. You will go through what is called, year long interview. Although professors may not be officially in the ADCOM, they will have some sort of influence unofficially.

 

[blackbird11384]

Thanks for the advice. For anyone who has enrolled in and performed well in an SMP (especially the Georgetown SMP), how intense was the program? I plan on working for a year, and then devoting my whole year to the SMP if I get in, money won't be an issue, and my gf who will most likely be at georgetown law will be a study buddy every night. But when I interviewed at a job a few weeks ago, and met a MD/PhD student at georgetown who went through the SMP, she gave me some not so inspiring words. She essentially said that you have to be "Perfect" to do really well and get one of the coveted Georgetown Medical School admissions, and that it is very compeitive. But after all of her negative comments, she still said it was a good experience.

I'm not too afraid that I wouldn't be able to handle the work. At georgetown I barely worked, and managed to pull an OK GPA. But medical school classes, and competition with medical school students is new territory. (I'm glad i'm not in the SMP this year....some of the smartest people I have ever met and took classes with as a Bio major, are at Georgetown Med.) Good luck SMPers!

 

[stiffany]

Hmm, I feel like, unless you want to attend a medical school where the average matriculated student comes in with a 3.8 and a 34 MCAT, you have a decent shot at getting in without completing an SMP (and gaining the 30k+ dollars in debt those entail). Sure, you'd have to do well on the MCAT, but already scoring in the 27-28 range of diagnostics without any studying is a really good sign! I think if you could bring that up to a 35 or higher you'd be golden for some of the schools that aren't at the top of the heap given the fact that your GPA isn't dismal and you have good ec's. Higher and anything goes.

 

[daeojkim]

Thanks for the advice. For anyone who has enrolled in and performed well in an SMP (especially the Georgetown SMP), how intense was the program? I plan on working for a year, and then devoting my whole year to the SMP if I get in, money won't be an issue, and my gf who will most likely be at georgetown law will be a study buddy every night. But when I interviewed at a job a few weeks ago, and met a MD/PhD student at georgetown who went through the SMP, she gave me some not so inspiring words. She essentially said that you have to be "Perfect" to do really well and get one of the coveted Georgetown Medical School admissions, and that it is very compeitive. But after all of her negative comments, she still said it was a good experience.

I'm not too afraid that I wouldn't be able to handle the work. At georgetown I barely worked, and managed to pull an OK GPA. But medical school classes, and competition with medical school students is new territory. (I'm glad i'm not in the SMP this year....some of the smartest people I have ever met and took classes with as a Bio major, are at Georgetown Med.) Good luck SMPers!

It is intense in the sense of how you perceive it and it really depends on your personality. I am kind of a person who does not mind working hard to get things done. So pulling long hours of studying was not a big deal. What is more of big deal is who you will be surrounded by. They can either stress you more or help you. Avoid people who are pessimistic and complain a lot, they will drain you and put unwanted thought in your head. Pessimism is like a poison that will slowly consume you.

I was very anti-social during the program. I just went to class, go to library study with another student who studied harder than I did. He had a great sense of humor and we got along well so that helped. Both of us were very focused so that was a good support system.

Also, I was really enjoying the stuff that I had to study. It was interesting. I was more focused on learning the material than worrying about what the curve for honor was and such.

I don't think I studied any harder in my life, which is not a bad thing at all. I learned a lot from it, about myself, what I can do.

 

[BoBaE]

daeojkim,
you seem like a very determined individual and i really respect you for that....i want to be you. well not YOU, you, but you know what i mean....

btw, whatever happened to your study buddy? is he at georgetown med too?