Recommend some post-baccs for me

[Raigon]

I'm a US citizen with a foreign degree, which is the opposite of an international student - a foreigner with a US degree. And because most US med schools require at least 2 years of former course work in the United States, I have no shot right now, so let's go for the post-bacc.

I have mistakenly already taken the MCAT with a 30Q because I thought I had a shot, but I found out I don't because of the 2 years-US coursework thing. My GPA at National Taiwan University, the current school I'm attending, is 4.0, but it can't count as a pre-requisite because it's foreign.

And I saw some post-baccs and I freaked. Columbia won't consider you if you've already taken the MCAT. Uh oh...

So er... any post-baccs left for me? What schools can you recommend for me with my stats and current situation?

And what's the average acceptance rate into any post-baccs? (Not to be confused with post-bacc acceptance rate into medical schools).

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Cheers.

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[NewmansOwn]

So you don't really mean career changer postbacs, as Columbia is. You don't need the prereqs; you just want to take some upper level courses to establish an academic toehold in the US?

Your MCAT is passable, so why not apply to some SMPs? Others on the board know a lot more than me, but I think Georgetown and Penn have highly regarded programs.

 

[Raigon]

So you don't really mean career changer postbacs, as Columbia is. You don't need the prereqs; you just want to take some upper level courses to establish an academic toehold in the US?

Your MCAT is passable, so why not apply to some SMPs? Others on the board know a lot more than me, but I think Georgetown and Penn have highly regarded programs.

Hey thanks!

SMP, you're referring to special masters programs, right? Hmm...well, but I do need to take a post-bacc because even though I do have the pre-reqs, I need the pre-reqs in a US undergraduate or they won't accept. No medical school I've heard of so far, with the exception of a very limited few, accept foreign coursework, so I have to take the pre-med post bacc.

I don't know a lot, so I'm not sure if I said it right... or should I go ahead and take the SMP? Eh... application starts in January right? Do you need to fill out a whole new AMCAS form or could you use the same one? If I have to redo the whole AMCAS, then I'll freak.

 

[NewmansOwn]

Sorry if I'm confusing you. I'm not an expert on the foreign degree thing, I'm afraid. Now, is your undergraduate degree honored in this country IF you take these two years of additional US coursework? If your prereqs don't count in this country, it sounds like you need an entirely new undergraduate degree -- could that be true? As a matter of academic tradition (it's a throwback to the days when medical training was done as an apprenticeship), you don't TECHNICALLY need an undergraduate degree to get into medical school in the US -- but I can tell you I don't think it ever happens, with admission being as competitive as it is.

If you do need a US degree, postbac/SMP programs of any kind won't help you -- you'll need to get a new degree, which could be done in 2.5 - 3 years, if you take summer term classes and maximum courseloads.

 

[Raigon]

Well - I wrote to some admissions office a while ago and they say they can accept foreign degrees IF it's supplemented with at least 2 years of formal undergraduate coursework. I just need those pre-reqs for eligibility for application. So organic chemistry, chemistry, biology, math, english - I need to take it all over. But just those. The degree they can accept. They just need the pre-reqs to be in the United States. I have no idea why.

 

[NewmansOwn]

Well hey, that's good news for you.

I attended a formal postbac program and just checked their website for any info on US citizens with foreign degrees -- no dice. However, I would suggest contacting the program (you'll get either Leslie or Marian on the phone -- they're both extremely friendly), explaining your situation and inquiring as to whether you'd be a viable applicant at formal postbac programs. They'll be happy to give you some advice.

http://www.brynmawr.edu/postbac/contact.shtml

Good luck.

Well - I wrote to some admissions office a while ago and they say they can accept foreign degrees IF it's supplemented with at least 2 years of formal undergraduate coursework. I just need those pre-reqs for eligibility for application. So organic chemistry, chemistry, biology, math, english - I need to take it all over. But just those. The degree they can accept. They just need the pre-reqs to be in the United States. I have no idea why.

 

[Raigon]

Well hey, that's good news for you.

I attended a formal postbac program and just checked their website for any info on US citizens with foreign degrees -- no dice. However, I would suggest contacting the program (you'll get either Leslie or Marian on the phone -- they're both extremely friendly), explaining your situation and inquiring as to whether you'd be a viable applicant at formal postbac programs. They'll be happy to give you some advice.

http://www.brynmawr.edu/postbac/contact.shtml

Good luck.

Cool, thanks! I'll give it a shot.