- Joined
- Mar 22, 2012
- Messages
- 6
- Reaction score
- 8
Hello all,
If you're reading this page, it means that you are either a.) beginning to consider applying to a post-bac program, b.) actively applying to post-bac programs or c.) deciding between schools. Hopefully this post can be of some assistance. I encourage other alums of Scripps to chime in with additional thoughts and comments.
Why you should consider Scripps
The pressure that you will put on yourself to get good grades can be intense. The MCAT is stressful. Are there things that will be negative about your Scripps experience? Undoubtedly. But you could also likely say the same thing for every school you have attended, every job you have had, etc. etc. Try to keep this in mind when you read negative comments about any postbac program.
The Application Process
Scripps admits students who have demonstrated maturity through their past academic, career and volunteer accomplishments. They admit students that they believe will be able to successfully complete the program with high marks and then gain admittance to medical school. There is a competitive admissions process to the program in part because it pre-screens students that it thinks will be most successful in the general med school admissions process.
I found Scripps to be a supportive, positive and balanced environment that allowed me to succeed. The program is only as good as the students who attend and I hope that this post can be of assistance to anyone who is currently going through the process of thinking about/applying to Scripps Postbac Program. You are the ones who will continue to make this program as good as it is.
If you're reading this page, it means that you are either a.) beginning to consider applying to a post-bac program, b.) actively applying to post-bac programs or c.) deciding between schools. Hopefully this post can be of some assistance. I encourage other alums of Scripps to chime in with additional thoughts and comments.
Why you should consider Scripps
- The cohort is intimate. You get to know all your classmates very well and you will help each other succeed. You will not be a face lost in a crowd of 50-200+ aspiring MDs, and that counts for a lot.
- The professors are by and large, excellent. They are available for office hours most days of the week and make themselves available if you need them at other times. They want you to succeed because they know you and they see when you put the effort in; like I said, you are not a face in the crowd
- It is a real benefit to mix in with the undergraduates. They are hardworking and motivated to succeed. They also make it so that you are not competing directly with the other postbaccs for grades most of the time, making for a more supportive and collegial atmosphere.
- The linkages available at Scripps are a great option and one of the biggest (if not the biggest) draw of Scripps vs. other postbac programs that do not have linkage agreements. A linkage allows students to apply to medical school at the beginning of their postbac year and potentially gain admittance contingent upon minimum MCAT scores, grades and interviews.
- There fewer linkages than Bryn Mawr, Goucher, JHU. But the percentage of students who successfully link out of Scripps is just as high if not higher than those other programs. This is a smaller program - 25% the size of Bryn Mawr and 50% as large as Goucher. In my class of 17 (the majority of whom did not attempt to link), 7 students successfully linked.
- You control your destiny; the grading is fair and scaled across the classes. Even if you get the "hardest" OChem professor, you will not be punished for that class having an average that is 20 points lower than another professor's
- MCAT preparation is directly integrated into the curriculum. All students have the option of taking an MCAT preparation course which is conveniently located on campus.
- Your fellow postbac students will push you to succeed. Your classmates are your biggest assets at Scripps. You are paying for the opportunity to be pushed by the students around you. They will make you work harder than you ever would on your own and you will do the same for them. This will make you a better candidate for med school.
- You will be well prepared to succeed in medical school. The pace of the postbac program can be challenging at times but it is a good early representation of what you will experience as a medical student. Once you have worked out the growing pains of post-bac studying at Scripps, you will be able to smoothly transition to studying as a med student.
- The support staff are excellent! DeEttra is very involved in guiding you along your journey at Scripps. When something goes well, she's there to cheerlead for you; when you have a setback, she's a great first contact to sort out how to address the problem. She keeps you on top of when to get each part of your application submitted, when to get your references and she helps coordinate your applications to medical school (in addition to many other things!). You already have enough things to worry about during your postbac year - it is incredibly helpful to have someone in the administration that is actively advocating for you.
- Location! Scripps is stunning. Claremont has sunshine 300 days out of the year, there are foothills to hike, mountains to ski, waves to surf, roads to run - don't discount that. You won't have to dig your car out every morning and battle a new cold every other week.
- Cost. Scripps' Postbac program costs approximately $43,000 with 13 months tuition and the MCAT course. This is comparable to other private postbac programs.
The pressure that you will put on yourself to get good grades can be intense. The MCAT is stressful. Are there things that will be negative about your Scripps experience? Undoubtedly. But you could also likely say the same thing for every school you have attended, every job you have had, etc. etc. Try to keep this in mind when you read negative comments about any postbac program.
The Application Process
Scripps admits students who have demonstrated maturity through their past academic, career and volunteer accomplishments. They admit students that they believe will be able to successfully complete the program with high marks and then gain admittance to medical school. There is a competitive admissions process to the program in part because it pre-screens students that it thinks will be most successful in the general med school admissions process.
I found Scripps to be a supportive, positive and balanced environment that allowed me to succeed. The program is only as good as the students who attend and I hope that this post can be of assistance to anyone who is currently going through the process of thinking about/applying to Scripps Postbac Program. You are the ones who will continue to make this program as good as it is.
Last edited:
