Acceptance into Postbac: Start Now or Delay? ADVICE PLEASE!

[AnotherJD]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Hi,

I just found out that I have been accepted into Hunter's Postbac Program starting this fall. I am really excited and want to start but am not sure if I am completely ready for it yet. I haven't taken any science courses since high school and have basically forgotten everything I've ever known about science. I was wondering if someone can give me advice: start now or delay for another semester/year while I brush up on my basic (high school level) science so that I can understand what the professor is talking about? In your experiences did any of you find that in taking bio/chem/phys/orgo 101 you needed a basic knowledge of science or do college level science classes really start from the ground up? Thanks so much for your help.

 

[familyaerospace]

In my experience, they've been mostly from the ground up for Bio and Chem. Physics requires some math but nothing they will not teach you.

 

[Nuggles]

They'll teach you everything you need to know. Anything you've learned in the high school science classes won't be that useful anyways, since college-level courses go so much more indepth. If you aren't too familiar with precalculus you might want to spend some time brushing it up. I'm unfamiliar with the Hunter post-bacc; but at Penn, being able to do well in chemistry or physics often means having a solid grasp on precalc (they're both very mathy courses).

 

[TriagePreMed]

What's this new fad of lawyers wanting to be doctors? Is law that horrible?

 

[Reggie V]

Nuggles is right. The courses will basically start from scratch. About the only thing that would be helpful to be familiar with before you take gen chem and physics is algebra (and a little trig).

I'm also a lawyer and will be starting med school this fall. I entered my post bac having taken some bio courses, but no chem or physics since high school (which was over ten years earlier). You don't need to brush up on science before you begin. If you feel your math is a little rusty, buy a used alegabra and/or precalc book and teach yourself the basics over the summer (before you begin in the fall). You certainly don't need to delay a semester.

 

[brdmadgrl82]

Talk to an advisor and see if you can start with at least one class. You don't even have to take lab yet (at least at my school). I started with 2 and dropped 1 because I felt overwhelmed (especially because we need to do VERY well). I decided to take things slow and do 1 class and 1 lab per semester...my new motto from a fortune cookie: "those who hurry cannot walk with dignity" lol. Also, if you are taking one class you can always go in for free tutoring (again, this depends on how your University does it). Good luck! 👍

 

[DrJD]

Start now! The basic classes you'll be starting with are designed for people with no science. Don't delay an already epic long road any more than you have to!

 

[AnotherJD]

Thank you so much for your replies. I'm thinking of maybe taking 1 lab class with an algebra class to brush up on my math skills. On the same line of reasoning does anyone think that I should delay a semester because I lack extracirricular activities? (Hunter accepted me into their program with me having minimal medical or other volunteer work). I'm really worried about courseload and taking science classes after all these years and want to make sure I have everything I need under my belt before I begin. Thanks again for your advice.

brdmadgrl82: If I start out with 1 lab class my first semester will this be a problem in terms of interviewing at med school (ie will they ask you why only one class)? Did the adcom committee mention anything to you?

Reggie V: How hard did you find it in terms of transitioning between "law school study" and "postbac/science study"? I know med school requires a lot of volunteer experience but when you interviewed, did you find that the adcom committee looked especially hard at your extracirriculars because you transitioned from jd to md?

 

[TriagePreMed]

AnotherJD, you're a non-trad student. The schools will expect you to have EC outside of medicine. Don't overdo it either now. Join your local Pre-med club and see what type of events or things they have to help your application process. Volunteering a few hours a day consistently through time is better than rushing it all in the short-term.

 

[brdmadgrl82]

Well, you probably wouldn't be able to start with lab (probably lecture first), and you can wait on lab if you need to.

If you are working, have a family, or any other responsibilities (like work full or part-time), you shouldn't worry about why med schools might ask why you took only started with one...you have a life and can explain this at your interview. From reading posts, and getting wonderful advice on here myself, I decided to take things slow but get the high gpa.

I am only working part-time and doing volunteer (you can start that later) for example I am not doing summer classes next year and will try to find a research internship or something (summer classes are too much for me- as I am currently learning in summer chem). So yes, start slow and you can always add mroe classes next semester.

 

[Reggie V]

I didn't find the transition very difficult. As I'm sure you realize the type of studying is totally different. Law is all about reading, whereas chem and physics will be more similar to math courses - you need to practice problems pretty much every day. That being said, however, my law school experience actually helped me a lot. By the time you finish a graduate program, you generally have a good sense of what study habits work best for you. On the other hand, most of the undergraduates at these universities are not as comfortable in their study habits. I often found many struggling to prepare for exams, or to adjust if they did poorly.

Regarding your other questions, the ECs are important no matter what your background. However, I do not believe I did any more than the average applicant. I had already been involved in other non-medical volunteering groups, but in terms of hospital/shadowing stuff, I did less than 200 hours. This is getting a little ahead of the game, but if the interviewers grill you because of your transition, it will not be on the amount of ECs. Rather, it will be on why you are making this transition in the first place, which (again a little premature) is something you will definitely want to address in your personal statement.

 

[dxr]

As someone who did their "unofficial" post-bac at hunter (but obviously don't know your entire situation/background) I would say to definitely go for it now. Its perfectly normal to feel anxious about studying in a new field, but keep in mind that if you start out with the basic, intro classes, the other students will have wildly different science backgrounds as well. You should be able to just drop the class without it showing up on your transcript if you feel like you are totally in over your head. Depending on the class, you don't really have the option of not taking the lab at the same time as the class, but they are mostly just incredibly time consuming and not difficult. The only class basic premed course i took that required any math at all was physics, and the level of math required was very basic and easy to pick up along the way. The faculty are also VERY receptive to helping you out. Feel free to PM if you have any questions about the specifics of Hunter.

 

[AnotherJD]

Thank you everyone for your replies. I guess I am just nervous about the whole thing and after hearing all your comments I have decided to accept and start the postbac program at Hunter this fall. Wish me luck!