Plan B...

mbernard · May 17, 2011

I currently hold a BA in Psychology and have applied to several post-bacc programs intended for career changers. Unfortunately, this process has gotten off to a slow start for me. My first 3 responses have been denials from Washington University, Tufts University and USC. I'm still awaiting replies from the University of Vermont, Drexel University, Bennington College and the San Francisco State University but I'm feeling a bit discouraged and even pessimistic. Rejection is a new thing for me and the possibility of being rejected from all 7 has only just become conscionable. If I'm rejected from these remaining schools what should my Plan B be?

I have every intention of pursuing a MD and I'm young enough (23 years old) to keep up the fight. At the same time, I need something to pursue that offers a source of income and the opportunity to work toward my aforementioned goal. I was hoping that you guys could offer a few pearls of wisdom on the matter.

P.S., does it matter as much what PBPM program I get into? I was considering Manhattenville College in Purchase, NY- which I'm confident I could get into- but it seems like a sub-par program. It does offer a few advantages including cheaper tuition, living expenses and transportation since I'm a NY resident but that wouldn't matter if I couldn't get into a middling medical program.

DrMidlife · May 17, 2011

Working backwards...

The first two years of med school are a very large load of hard science. People don't get into med school, usually, without having established that they won't be crushed under this load. And then everybody, pretty much, gets crushed anyway. Point being, this is why the prereqs are not easy, and until you've taken the prereqs, you have no idea what you're in for, academically, for the first half of med school, and thus you have no idea if you can handle it.

OK so postbac programs. Good ones have good reputations of getting people into med school. Which happens, mostly, because the postbac students get good grades in the prereqs and good MCAT scores. To choose postbac students, the programs look primarily at previous GPA and SAT/GRE. But they also look at intent. They look for students who have been exposed to medical practice and have demonstrated some level of humanitarianism and can get professional recommendations. Same thing as med school apps, just earlier and slightly easier.

Meanwhile, about 55% of med school applicants get rejected. About 45,000 people apply, and about 19,000 get seats, per year. About 10,000 applicants, per year, are reapplicants. And get this: about 70,000 people take the MCAT per year. Point being, you've got competition.

So: if your cumulative undergrad GPA is not above maybe 3.5, and/or if you haven't done clinical volunteering etc., and/or if you don't have great faculty recommendations, then your postbac seat goes to somebody else. If you are above the bar in these aspects, then you did something on your application that made you look like trouble.

Plan B, if you don't get into a good postbac, is to take some steps to demonstrate that you'll be successful in the prereqs. Such as taking some math or science anywhere you can. And then using the A's you get in those classes to get into a good postbac. And if you haven't already, go start clinical volunteering. Today would be good.

Best of luck to you.

Plan B...

mbernard

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DrMidlife

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