Anyone gone the Post-Bacc route?

Hi folks,

Wondering if I can get some expert advice from people who have gone the post-bacc route. I've currently got some apps out for this cycle but after being rejected outright at one school and placed on "hold" at another (bastards took my money and put me on hold the same day they got my secondary, thanks for reading my essays!) I'm beginning to worry about my chances.

Plan B for me was always to do a post-bacc but my problem is that I already have BS and MS degrees in Bioengineering with tons of advanced science courses. Obviously the traditional post-bacc isn't for me. There's also the tuition issue to worry about.

A quick capsule on me:

PA resident.
32S Mcat (12/09/11/S)
B.S. BioE 3.1 GPA, 3.0 science QPA
M.S. BioE 3.45 GPA, 3.35 scince QPA
Minor in Japanese and another in Asian Studies
Three publications, many presentations
5 years medical device experience, 3 years clinical experience in a high acuity medical center working with VAD and ECMO cases
Major life experience, including living in Asia, Japanese speaker

Anyway, my premed advisor hasn't really given me great advice, mainly because she's used to working with the pre-med kids at my alma mater, no mark against her. She did say she felt confident I'd get in this cycle but I can't trust anything anyone tells me these days. I won't start believing till I get an interview.

I've realized, probably too late for me, that medicine is my vocation. Anyway, I'm wondring if anyone has a strategy for going the post-bacc route if I don't make it in this cycle. The only thing I can do really to strengthen my app is GPA repair. I'm not in a position to restudy and retake the MCAT and pump my score. I did decide to leave my PhD program with an MS, mainly because of disillusionment and prefering my clinical position.

Anyway, wondering if anyone has any advice. So far I've got the Drexel Pathway to Med School Program and Temple's Early Assurance PostBacc in mind. I waited until all my med school apps were in to start the postbacc research in earnest, mainly because I'm working full time and don't have all day to research it all. Looks like a lot of programs started in October and are doing rolling admissions. I.E.: limited spots left for a guy like me.

What is the best way to proceed? Should I start calling schools and expressing interest in their programs? Anyone have suggestions for someone like me in looking for a program? Am I just dead in the water?

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks everyone, and good luck chasing your dreams!

J DUB said:

You look like an excellent candidate for SMP to me!!

You could call the schools and try and get them to see you in a better light but that GPA is low...

SMP looks like your only chance for MD.....or you could always try DO schools!

Click to expand...

My GPA is really whats going to work against me, but I would hope that my grad GPA counts for something.

Do you have personal experience with these programs? Consensus seems to be that Gtowns SMP is the best, but my God the standards are ridiculous and there's no linkage agreement. To earn an A you must be in the top 10% of the medical school class. I read that as "We don't think you're good enough to be in here, but we'll happily take all your money and if you score at the very top of the class, we might consider letting you in."