Hi,
I would like to go to med school and am looking at a few
in the Caribbean, including SMU. I hold a Bachelors of
Arts in anthropology from a university in Florida(GPA 2.9, graduated 05/01) and a Master of Public Administration degree from a university
(GPA 3.9, graduated 06/03) in Alabama.

I did take the GRE's to get into my master's program and scored a 990. I know this has no impact on med school admission, but thought it wouldn't hurt to list it. I do not have any of the chemistry or physics pre-reqs, although I did take 2 semesters of general biology with lab during my undergraduate years. I have not taken the MCAT's, but plan to do so this year. I have awesome letters of recommendations from former professors and from physicians I know. I worked in a hospital for a year during my undergrad years in medical records, so I have "hospital experience" even though it is not clinical. I have also worked in my dad's medical practice as admin staff for 2 years.

Would my lack of science pre-reqs affect my
chances of getting accepted into SMU? I have read of other caribbean med schools accepting people without certain science pre reqs or MCAT and I would like an honest opinion on my chances of getting in right now.

Thanks!

Thanks for your interest in SMU!

Most of your application sounds great, but you've got to have those missing pre-requisite classes. IT affects your success at medical school, our accreditation, and your licensing possibilities.

You might want to think about taking those missing courses at a regional university or college, and then apply.

I look forward to hearing from you again!

__________________
JP Yates
St. Matthew's University
jyates@smucayman.com
Visit www.stmatthews.edu, home of the official SMU Forums.

Mr. Yates,
Thank you for your quick response! I will start taking classes for the missing science pre-reqs(chems,physics) during the summer then. Is it acceptable to take the classes at a community college( such as Valencia in Orlando,Fl)?
I look forward to hearing back from you!

Absolutely! Just don't forget to schedule them WITH the labs. Also, don't forget our U.S. office is in Oviedo, so if you need any help, we are right next door (if you go to Valencia or SCC).

Also, I received your email, but for some reason, I am not able to email non-SMU accounts from the island, but I will be back in the States Thursday if you prefer to communicate that way.

Good Luck!

__________________
JP Yates
St. Matthew's University
jyates@smucayman.com
Visit www.stmatthews.edu, home of the official SMU Forums.