California Post-Bacc

[gravitysmiles]

Hello all,
I have been searching around here and on google for about a month now trying to find some good answers to my questions, but everything seems very outdated.
I am about to graduate from CSUN (cal state northridge) with a degree in Liberal Studies, I'll probably graduate with about a 3.7.
I REALLY want to attend the post bacc program at Scripps, but I have a feeling I don't have enough experience, etc. to be accepted. Does anyone have more information on the type of applicants that have been accepted? I've seen people on here have posted they were accepted, but I don't know what their resume looked like.

Besides that, I was considering just staying at CSUN and doing the 2nd bachelors pre-health plan they have, but I am not sure how this would look on my app for med school (plus, I'm ready to get out of here). They say it would take 2 years plus my glide year before med school. I REALLY want to do this in one year and not wait any longer for med school, which some places offer (csun doesn't seem to offer the classes I would need to take over summer).

Does anyone have any advice, or is a attending of either of these places? I'm open to other places in the area, I'm also considering Mills. However, I don't see the point of post baccs at Loyola or other places that cost $25,000 with no linkages.

Thanks, sorry for the long post, and I promise I searched.

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http://services.aamc.org/postbac/

There are more premed "programs" than are listed.

I know someone in Scripps right now who has the typical high undergrad GPA + research + health care experience.

How well do you know that you want to be a doctor? Volunteer or find work in health care, which might mean taking a semester to do an EMT or some other entry-level job program.

Linkages are really attractive to applicants, but they're especially attractive to applicants who are, for no other reason than impatience, in a big hurry. I completely understand the rush, but linkages, though great, are not my top criteria when choosing a post-bacc premed program. Here's why.

There are great programs without linkages. The glide year could be spent working towards a master's or doctoral degree, or volunteering, doing something personally and professionally gratifying. Sometimes the linkages aren't all that great. Many have linkages with GWU, which I've heard is very expensive -- a serious concern when your pick of a school might mean several more years paying off debt, possibly negating the benefit of skipping the glide year. Students who attend premed programs with linkages might actually not take advantage of them: if you look at the Mills premed website, you'll see that Mills has linkage agreements with 2 MD schools and 1 DO school. But where have Mills premed grads gone? http://www.mills.edu/academics/graduate/pmc_gr/medical_schools.php Many other places.

Starting a premed program right after graduating doesn't look good (in my book). I think you would benefit from doing something between graduating and starting a premed program. At Rutgers, they actually specify that they want applicants to have graduated at least a year ago (http://hpo.rutgers.edu/pbac.htm). It shows maturity.

Consider programs in other states, too.