Columbia vs. UPenn

[CaptainKier]

Hi!

I'm a nontraditional student, beginning my journey into a formal premedical post-bacc program. I have fortunately been accepted to both UPenn's Pre-Health Core Studies program and Columbia's Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program. From my research, the programs seem to be quite comparable in all respects except that Columbia's is perhaps more well-established/respected. [Aside: I do realize that these are perhaps "second-tier" programs (after Goucher, JHU, Bryn Mawr), but, regardless of this fact, I have made a decided choice to select one of these two programs.]

If anyone who is enrolled or has graduated from one of these programs has any feedback regarding your experience, I would be eternally grateful for your input. Thank you!

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[CaptainKier]

(Deleted user)

I went to one of these programs and had friends that went to the other one. Note: my experience is a few years removed, but I doubt things have changed dramatically (and if it has, someone please correct me!) Overall you'll get very similar experiences at both places -- the creme rises and everything else sinks. Most people starting in these programs will not finish with competitive GPAs (e.g. sub-3.4's, etc.). Many of my friends required additional years of classes in order to get a competitive application. However, those who do exceptionally well in the program (GPA > 3.8) tend to enjoy a fair amount of success when applying. I personally am very thankful for the opportunities that my post-bacc provided, though I am among the minority who came out with an unscathed GPA. I would say that both Penn and Columbia's post baccs are equally as reputable -- i.e. many interviewers knew nothing about them and thought they were as competitive as the undergrad (which ends up benefiting us!). Both programs will offer the same research and volunteering opportunities, in addition to the same degree of somewhat-helpful-but-not-really advising . Regardless of which program you choose, prepare to study hard to ace the classes, don't burden yourself with too much extracurricular activities during the first semester, and brush up on your algebra -- most of my friends who struggled in physics or chemistry did so not because they couldn't understand the concepts, but rather their math backgrounds were weaker. Hope this helps and good luck!. If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask.

Incredibly helpful! As a native Philadelphian, looks like it's UPenn for me. Thank you for your input and advice! Gearing up to put my nose to the grindstone...

 

[Froggy25]

I am unsure what program (Deleted user) is referring to, but as a guy who just finished the Columbia program, I could have written that entire post about our program (except for the advising thing - I've had a good experience but recognize that there is more than one advisor in our program so I can't speak for the others). Completely agree on all other points.

Philly is 3x cheaper than NYC. You would have a leg-up in that respect being a Philly native! Best of luck.

 

[funnyengineer42]

Incredibly helpful! As a native Philadelphian, looks like it's UPenn for me. Thank you for your input and advice! Gearing up to put my nose to the grindstone...

Hi, I have recently been accepted to UPenn as well. Are you looking for a roommate?

 

[spicynuggetfiend]

I did Penn's postbac and it was great. Philly's a great city and the tuition was actually not that bad.

 

[funnyengineer42]

I did Penn's postbac and it was great. Philly's a great city and the tuition was actually not that bad.

Thanks for the advise. How was the city? Were the classes difficult to get good grade in? How did they help you prepare for the MCAT? Would you mind going into details about your experience with the program? Thank you so much!

 

[spicynuggetfiend]

Thanks for the advise. How was the city? Were the classes difficult to get good grade in? How did they help you prepare for the MCAT? Would you mind going into details about your experience with the program? Thank you so much!

Philly is actually a really great city, not too big, not too small, just the right size. There were some classes that were certainly harder than others, but overall it was manageable as long as you studied. LPS (post-bac) classes are also at night, btw. As for the MCAT, it did me pretty solid. I took Bio 101 and 102 along with Biochemistry there as far as biology goes, and I got >515 on the MCAT (130 on the bio section). The program doesn't do much in terms of preparing you specifically for the MCAT, it's mostly something you have to do on your own, but it's not too bad. I took the Kaplan course, studied for a couple months and I was fine.

The advisors are very nice, but they won't hold your hand throughout the way. Whether it is studying or exploring research/volunteering, you have to take the initiative in order to succeed. However, certain schools come specifically to the post-bac and present (such as PCOM, Temple, etc) and you have a chance to speak with some of the admissions counselors. They also held workshops for interviewing and writing personal statements.

The physicians at PennMed are incredibly nice and I have had an overwhelmingly positive response when it came to meeting them, talking to them about their disciplines, and shadowing.

The program isn't perfect, but overall I had a very positive experience.