Advice Please: CUNY-Hunter vs. Harvard Extension

[weaselb]

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Hello All -

In researching many post bacc programs on the East cost, I have finally narrowed down my choices to Hunter or Harvard Extension. Can anyone please suggest which program would be a better fit for me? I received my bachelors media technology in 1999 and have been working in broadcasting & communications for the last six years. Here are my stats and the BCPM classes that I have taken:

Calculus I - taken fall 1995
Calculus II - taken spring 1996
Gen. Chemistry I + lab - taken fall 1996
Gen. Chemistry II + lab - taken spring 1997
Physics I + lab - taken fall 1996
Physics II + lab - taken spring 1997
Organic Chemistry I + lab - taken fall 1997

Cumulative GPA: 3.37
BCPM GPA: 3.13

As you can see, I've been away from science and math for quite a bit of time and have been told that I'd basically have to start from scratch because medical schools to not take credits that are over 10 years old at the time of matriculation.

I know that there are several good programs out there and have looked into other schools in the NY/NJ/PA (where I currently reside), but price is bit of a factor at this point in time.

Please let me know what you think. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Sundarban1]

Hello All -

In researching many post bacc programs on the East cost, I have finally narrowed down my choices to Hunter or Harvard Extension. Can anyone please suggest which program would be a better fit for me? I received my bachelors media technology in 1999 and have been working in broadcasting & communications for the last six years. Here are my stats and the BCPM classes that I have taken:

Calculus I - taken fall 1995
Calculus II - taken spring 1996
Gen. Chemistry I + lab - taken fall 1996
Gen. Chemistry II + lab - taken spring 1997
Physics I + lab - taken fall 1996
Physics II + lab - taken spring 1997
Organic Chemistry I + lab - taken fall 1997

Cumulative GPA: 3.37
BCPM GPA: 3.13

As you can see, I've been away from science and math for quite a bit of time and have been told that I'd basically have to start from scratch because medical schools to not take credits that are over 10 years old at the time of matriculation.

I know that there are several good programs out there and have looked into other schools in the NY/NJ/PA (where I currently reside), but price is bit of a factor at this point in time.

Please let me know what you think. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Contrary to what you've been told, your pre-reqs do not expire. I only know of one school (UMass) that requires your pre-req classes to be completed within a certain time frame. Basically the rule of thumb is that if you've completed these courses with a grade of B or better there is no need to repeat them. What schools do want to see if you've been out of school for awhile is recent coursework, which does not necessarily mean taking everything over again providing you did well the first time. What you could do is take upper level bio classes (along with orgo II first of course). To do this you don't need to do an official program, but at any local 4 year college. There is no problem with coming to a place like harvard to do those upper level classes if that is what you want, but you've already done all the required classes.

 

[HunterGatherer]

Hunter has an excellent bio professor: Dr. Alaie
and an excellent orgo professor: Dr. Karen Phillips
If you want upper division science classes you can go with Prof. Brazil

You will be well prepared for the BS portion of the MCAT if you go to Hunter.

we have an excellent premed office and the new premed advisor gets high praise from the current students.

I think Hunter has a linkage program with 1-2 schools in NY with one of them being Cornell.

There are a number of professors here open to taking students to do research.

 

[HunterGatherer]

I'm not a post-bacc student.

There is a Hunter postbacc yahoo group. Do a search on yahoo groups and you should find it. I've heard it is a great resources for those in the program or interested in it.

 

[suckermc]

i just wanted to pass along that you should ask the schools you are applying to. my prereqs (some ) have no letter grade (a b etc). suny buffalo, pcom, nycom and a bunch of others told me that i didnt have to retake them. most told me to take biochem, which i dont have. so ask before you think of taking any classes, it will save you some money. you can always take them after the mcat during the summer, which is what im thinking of doing.

 

[HunterGatherer]

I took gen chem 1&2 and physics 1&2 in 1992 and was able to use those grades to apply this cycle. finished my other prereqs in the last 2 years and graduate in June. So consider what this poster is stating.

Contrary to what you've been told, your pre-reqs do not expire. I only know of one school (UMass) that requires your pre-req classes to be completed within a certain time frame. Basically the rule of thumb is that if you've completed these courses with a grade of B or better there is no need to repeat them. What schools do want to see if you've been out of school for awhile is recent coursework, which does not necessarily mean taking everything over again providing you did well the first time.

 

[weaselb]

Thanks for your feedback. I spoke to Dr. Fixsen at HES this week to explain my situation and background. He did confirm that credits do not expire and that med schools really look more for your recent work, but his recommendation was to retake everything except for Calculus. Although you took chem & physics in 1992, what did you do to review?

I'm very nervous about trying to pick up from where I left off seeing that it's been so many years since I've even touched any of these subjects, but at the same time I don't want to do worse if I were to consider retaking them either.

Any thoughts?

I took gen chem 1&2 and physics 1&2 in 1992 and was able to use those grades to apply this cycle. finished my other prereqs in the last 2 years and graduate in June. So consider what this poster is stating.

 

[Lindyhopper]

You will need to know these basics for the MCAT. I often think the best MCAT prep is really learning the stuff in those basic sciences courses.

 

[2010MD]

I took several basic pre-med requirements as a post-bacc at Hunter, and I can tell you that I was extremely well-prepared for the MCAT. I honestly don't think it's worth paying private tuition for post-bacc courses -- it gets really expensive really fast. One other thing to consider, however, that that you have to take a certain number of credits in order to be eligible to get a pre-med committee letter from Hunter and/or Hunter's great linkage programs (it has several, including Hunter and one of the SUNYs, but I forget which). If you are really going to retake all those courses it shouldn't be a problem, but if you are only going to take a few courses I would check with the post-bacc program advisor to see what your status will be.

 

[HunterGatherer]

review for the MCAT?

I used EK complete 5th Ed. at home. i purchased old physics and gen chem text books. I only needed then for a few topics in either subject. Bio and Orgo I reviewed relevant chapters in EK as I went along in the course at Hunter. The gen chem in orgo is very basic and covered in the the first chapter of bio and orgo. I studied for 10-12 weeks I think and pretty much mastered the BS portion rather early. This allowwed me to really concentrate on PS especially in the finally 3 weeks where I mostly reviewed weak PS topics with the help of a kaplan complete MCAT from the library.

With such a long break from school it is intimidating at first but others have done it. I scored 10P 10v 12B with only completing the basic premed prereqs. I made some posts on this in the MCAT forum.

Even if you do not plan to repeat courses you have to spend at least 2 semesters at Hunter College to complete bio. You can retake that Orgo to lock in the BS or retake one of the PS subjects. If shooting for the committee letter than you'll need more classes.

Give local universities a calls and ask what they think of Hunter post bacc.

Although you took chem & physics in 1992, what did you do to review?

I'm very nervous about trying to pick up from where I left off seeing that it's been so many years since I've even touched any of these subjects, but at the same time I don't want to do worse if I were to consider retaking them either.

Any thoughts?