a little help please

[toco]

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hello everyone,

i am kind of new to the pre-med process, so please forgive my ignorance. i have always had an interest in medicine and only now have thought i might actually be able to do it. i will need to take all of the pre-req courses however. here are my questions.


1. should i attend tufts or some other formal program? i know many people say that it is not necessary and too expensive, but if i am going to go through with this i want the BEST chance of getting into med school.


2. how heavily does post bac work count into ones gpa?


if anyone here has gone to tufts or bryn mawr please send me a private message and let me know. i am very interested in talking with somebody in depth about the school. i have contacted the administrator at tufts she seems to be too general. i am looking for specifics about getting into the program and also about the school itself. i appreciate everyone's help.


toco

 

[efex101]

Well there is always the pros and cons to anything. The bottom line is that you need to do well in your post-bacc classes so if you think that going the formal route will give you the best results then go for it. If OTOH you can do well through independant means than do that. Formal is much more expensive but some of these programs may be connected with X or Y med school and this could mean more exposure to research, or volunteering. It just depends....

 

[tBw]

If you have *everything* to do pre-req wise then programs like tufts can actually be as economic I believe as taking the courses individually. They also will set you up with clinical exposure, write your letters, give you a possible straight-admit to their own med program, and be both familiar with your needs, experienced with what you will face, and their letters will be familiar to med schools. In that instance I think they are a good bet.

However, I chose to work and do classes part time. This option keeps checks coming in while they are going out but requires a lot more research and ground work from you - organising your time, scheduling classes, selecting course work, finding letter writers, arranging a letter service, etc.

Both routes have their advantages and disadvantages, it's very much a personal choice whether you are someone who is highly independent (the latter route) or someone who would appreciate more assistance down the path.


If you are in Boston, also look into Harvards program. It's alot cheaper than you might think and is a very good program, although there are minimum GPA to keep up and no 'special' consideration for their med school.

 

[toco]

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[SonGoku]

Hey toco,
Have you spoken with a pre-med advisor or an advisor in the admissions office about your future plans? I had a very low UGPA and BCPM GPA, so the director of the admissions office told me to get a 2nd degree, not a non-degree seeking post-bacc. I'm going to a state school, so the it's definitely less the $ I would have had to shell out for a post-bacc at a private univ. You may want to get some "official" advisor's evaluation of your plans, especially if you are interested in that particular school. Good luck.

 

[toco]

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