How long will it take to finish pre-req's and get into medical school

[t510]

How long will it take to finish pre-req's and get into medical school?
I know you go slow and try to do well, but I am considering trying to work part time or take a leave of absence to finish my courses and was wondering how long I should anticipate it taking.
I really don't understand how formal post-bac's get everything done in a year. Do you think 2-3 years is what I should estimate? Here is the curriculum from a post-bac program I was looking at.
After you write the MCAT in the fall, then do you apply in the following spring for a fall med school start date?

Curriculum


First Summer
COM3000 Writing Proficiency Exam 0
MCS1414 Calculus 1 4
CHM1213 University Chemistry 1 3
CHM1221 Univ Chemistry 1 Laboratory 1

First Fall
CHM1223 University Chemistry 2 3
CHM1231 Chemistry 2 Laboratory 1
BIO1213 Biology 1 3
BIO1221 Biology 1 Lab 1
CHM2213 Organic Chemistry 1 3
(Second Math Course) 3

First Spring
CHM2213 Organic Chemistry 2 3
CHM2231 Basic Organic Chemistry Lab 1
PHY2213 College Physics 1 3
PHY2221 College Physics 1 Laboratory 1
BIO1223 Biology 2 3
BIO1231 Biology 2 Lab 1
(Quest Project)

Second Summer
PHY2223 College Physics 2 3
PHY2231 College Physics 2 Laboratory 1
(Quest Project) 0

Second Fall
MCAT (Sept) 0
Apply to Medical School 0
Optional Courses* 0
Additional Quest 0
*Biochemistry recommended
Total 44

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[DrMidlife]

You can't apply to med school in the fall and expect good results.

Refigure this so that you take the MCAT in the spring and apply in early summer. Your competition hits submit on a complete app on June 1. Order transcripts for AMCAS as early as is allowed.

 

[bbbaaa]

I did all of the science courses you list over the course of Fall, Spring, Summer 1, Summer 2, Fall, Spring. Taking around 8 credit hours per semester (less in summer sessions). My last spring semester I had less than 8 hours and used the remaining time to study for and take the MCAT, and apply in June. So yeah, two years sounds about right. Also gives you enough time to check all of the other boxes for your application. Your June application will be to start med school the FOLLOWING fall (apply in June 2015 for a August 2016 start).

 

[GreenDuck12]

How long will it take to finish pre-req's and get into medical school?
I know you go slow and try to do well, but I am considering trying to work part time or take a leave of absence to finish my courses and was wondering how long I should anticipate it taking.
I really don't understand how formal post-bac's get everything done in a year. Do you think 2-3 years is what I should estimate? Here is the curriculum from a post-bac program I was looking at.
After you write the MCAT in the fall, then do you apply in the following spring for a fall med school start date?

Curriculum


First Summer
COM3000 Writing Proficiency Exam 0
MCS1414 Calculus 1 4
CHM1213 University Chemistry 1 3
CHM1221 Univ Chemistry 1 Laboratory 1

First Fall
CHM1223 University Chemistry 2 3
CHM1231 Chemistry 2 Laboratory 1
BIO1213 Biology 1 3
BIO1221 Biology 1 Lab 1
CHM2213 Organic Chemistry 1 3
(Second Math Course) 3

First Spring
CHM2213 Organic Chemistry 2 3
CHM2231 Basic Organic Chemistry Lab 1
PHY2213 College Physics 1 3
PHY2221 College Physics 1 Laboratory 1
BIO1223 Biology 2 3
BIO1231 Biology 2 Lab 1
(Quest Project)

Second Summer
PHY2223 College Physics 2 3
PHY2231 College Physics 2 Laboratory 1
(Quest Project) 0

Second Fall
MCAT (Sept) 0
Apply to Medical School 0
Optional Courses* 0
Additional Quest 0
*Biochemistry recommended
Total 44

Which post-bacc program is this? Also, check to make sure your university holds the second semester of in the Fall (some universities only offer it in the Spring) and that you can take gen chem concurrently with organic chem.

 

[t510]

Wow,
so basically 3 years from the time I start post-bac (taking 3 classes a semester, less in the summer) until I start medical school. Wow.
If I continue to work full time that sounds crazy. Probably at least a 5 year process if I only take 1 course at a time.

 

[bbbaaa]

Yeah I'm not sure how you could possibly take three classes at a time and work full-time. Part-time sounds better, but if it comes down to it you have to make the classes your priority, otherwise what are you even doing it for. Some universities will allow folks in your situation to get financial aid, helping reduce the number of hours you need to work.

 

[ksyhe]

It depends on the postbac program. I started my program in May 2012, finished it in May 2013, and started med school in August 2013 (I was accepted through a linkage program). So it was about a 14 month process for me. However, it was pretty expensive. I had to take out loans, which are just adding to my overall med school debt.

I also quit my job to do this because I knew it would be really hard to do well with both classes and work, even if I did part-time for both (I'd seen several of my friends do this and fail). Although this may have been more of a possibility if I had a job that I didn't really care about. But again, this just added to the overall debt I took on for my postbac.

There's the old adage that you can do something fast, cheap, or good, but you can only pick two -- this kind of holds true with postbacs. Good luck!

 

[Goro]

I think that it's possible to do it in 2 years and work at the same time. Of course, this depends upon your work schedule and the willingness of schools to offer these classes that mesh with your work schedule.

Even stretching it out to one class/semester over a 3-5 year period will be fine. Taking 1 class/year will not convince us that you can handle medical school (and I've seen and rejected people for this).

Wow,
so basically 3 years from the time I start post-bac (taking 3 classes a semester, less in the summer) until I start medical school. Wow.
If I continue to work full time that sounds crazy. Probably at least a 5 year process if I only take 1 course at a time.

 

[Enginerd2016]

I think that it's possible to do it in 2 years and work at the same time. Of course, this depends upon your work schedule and the willingness of schools to offer these classes that mesh with your work schedule.

Even stretching it out to one class/semester over a 3-5 year period will be fine. Taking 1 class/year will not convince us that you can handle medical school (and I've seen and rejected people for this).

What do you think about someone who is working full time, taking classes for a masters in engineering, and a pre-req class at the same time? I am planning on taking it up a notch to 2 to possibly three BCPM classes a semester after I finish my masters, but I can only manage 1 pre-req a semester when taking 2-3 master's courses and working.

 

[Goro]

Do well in all those classes and it will bust any notion that you can't handle a med school curriculum!

What do you think about someone who is working full time, taking classes for a masters in engineering, and a pre-req class at the same time? I am planning on taking it up a notch to 2 to possibly three BCPM classes a semester after I finish my masters, but I can only manage 1 pre-req a semester when taking 2-3 master's courses and working.

 

[Enginerd2016]

Do well in all those classes and it will bust any notion that you can't handle a med school curriculum!

Thank you for the response! Happy to say I've got a 4.0 in grad school and my post-bacc so far!

 

[dorothyntoto]

I took 3-4 courses a semester and worked full-time. You have to have a flexible schedule at work, a boss who doesn't care or understands, and some in person courses mixed with some online courses helps. I am not sure of how much experience you have in Chemistry, but I sure as heck would NOT recommend trying to take Ochem with gen chem. I'm with Midlife, don't apply in the fall unless you have a 4.0 and get a 36+ on your MCAT. I would spread out this schedule a bit, and have some classes in the fall and spring, and apply after spring semester and taking the MCAT in the spring... just my 2₵

 

[NonTradJp]

If you have the option of night classes that would be great. Also try to schedule it so you have enough time in the spring of the application year to prepare everything so you can apply in the summer to get the best chance.

 

[arachnidette]

You can't apply to med school in the fall and expect good results.

Refigure this so that you take the MCAT in the spring and apply in early summer. Your competition hits submit on a complete app on June 1. Order transcripts for AMCAS as early as is allowed.

I'm just starting out a DIY post-bacc and it is really helpful to hear this.

My parents, who both work in health/medical fields, are pushing me to take the MCATs this fall and start my application then, but I don't think I will be ready and I don't know how positively med schools see someone taking the MCATs multiple times. I'm going to plan on doing MCATs next Spring and applying then. I'm not happy with the idea of a gap year, but it looks like I will have to take one. The mediocre state school I'm doing my post-bac at keeps telling me I'm not allowed to use any advising and the pre-med counselor I e-mailed didn't respond, so I feel like I'm really out here on my own. I went to the pre-med counselors from my grad school, but they said they actually weren't supposed to talk to me, either.

My schedule, as I plan it, is:
Spring 15:
General Chem I (enrolled)
Summer 15:
General Chem II
Physics I
Fall 15:
O Chem I
Physics II
Bio I
Spring 16:
O Chem II
Bio II
Summer 16:
Biochem

I planned it using the required courses from most the med schools I'm interested in. I just made an excel sheet and tallied up how many programs required 2 semesters of OChem, how many waned Biochem, how many required math, etc. Most programs I looked at either didn't require math or recommended either stats or calculus. A lot of them recommended or required biochem. I've started filling in other details about applications to those schools to figure out what else will make me a good candidate, columns for tuition, MCAT scores, GPA, sGPA, etc.
I felt like a lot of the structured post-bacc programs either had a lot of filler courses or were really expensive for what they covered. Of course, the structured post-baccs available near me are not well known and I was advised against using one of them if I wasn't strictly interested in the linkage they offered. I might have chosen one if I was close to a reliable one.
The major cons of using a DIY post-bacc have been (so far) not being able to use counselors and not having access to the pre-med advising group, getting last choice for classes (couldn't schedule bio this semester because I could only get into a lab that overlapped with chem lab) and not having any financial aid options. I do get to postpone student loans if I'm a half time student, which will be really helpful for me.

 

[gyngyn]

I can promise you that a single strong MCAT is the most important element of an application.

 

[DrMidlife]

My parents, who both work in health/medical fields, are pushing me to take the MCATs this fall and start my application then

Just in the last 10 years, the MCAT:
- moved from a paper exam to a computer exam
- started being offered 20+ times per year instead of April & August
- eliminated the written essay section
- slowly and cautiously produced the major format/content changes launched this year

When somebody gives you MCAT or med school admissions advice, ask two questions:
1. How often is the MCAT offered per year? Answer: more than 20. (If they answer less than 10, don't listen to any of their med school admissions advice.)
2. What percentage of applicants to US MD schools are rejected every year? Answer: about 55%. (If they answer less than 50%, don't listen to any of their med school admissions advice.)

Best of luck to you.

 

[arachnidette]

When somebody gives you MCAT or med school admissions advice, ask two questions:
1. How often is the MCAT offered per year? Answer: more than 20. (If they answer less than 10, don't listen to any of their med school admissions advice.)
2. What percentage of applicants to US MD schools are rejected every year? Answer: about 55%. (If they answer less than 50%, don't listen to any of their med school admissions advice.)

Best of luck to you.

That is a useful bit of perspective. Everybody has advice for how and when to get through the pre-reqs and the MCAT and admissions, but it is hard to pick out the good tips.