Any admitted non-trads who opted not to do a postbac?

[zippitydoodoc]

I'm a non-trad who will have to do my pre-reqs (studied English and music) over the coming year.

I'm considering either completing the courses in a postbac premed program, U or Maryland's science in the evening program, or my community college.

I have a 3.8 from a very good school so I shouldn't have a whole lot to prove interms of my ability to get good grades. The question is how important those science classes are and how a med-school would compare UMD science in the evening, a postbac premed program, or Montgomery College (our local community college which is a great place).

The postbac premed programs have great acceptance rates, but the catch-22 is that those acceptance rates have everything to do with the students they accept and not the programs themselves. They accept students who will do well on the MCAT and get good GPAs. So if you're going to get into med-school anyways, why do the postbac program? Why not save your money, continue working, do the courses in the evening, and then get the good MCAT score you will get either way and get into med-school with a smaller tab? It's cheaper and more flexible right?

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[njbmd]

The best post-bacc programs offer extensive counseling and assistance with preparation for the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT), AMCAS submission and getting your extracurriculars in place. That's why the Hopkins Post Bacc program is a "ringer" as is the UVa Post Bacc program.

These programs are very selective as to the students that they admit but once admitted, provided you do well in the coursework, these programs place you into a very strong position for admission into medical school.

Are these programs necessary? Certainly not but they are worth their weight in gold in terms of the services that they provide in terms of advising.

 

[zeff]

I'm a non-trad who will have to do my pre-reqs (studied English and music) over the coming year.

I'm considering either completing the courses in a postbac premed program, U or Maryland's science in the evening program, or my community college.

I have a 3.8 from a very good school so I shouldn't have a whole lot to prove interms of my ability to get good grades. The question is how important those science classes are and how a med-school would compare UMD science in the evening, a postbac premed program, or Montgomery College (our local community college which is a great place).

The postbac premed programs have great acceptance rates, but the catch-22 is that those acceptance rates have everything to do with the students they accept and not the programs themselves. They accept students who will do well on the MCAT and get good GPAs. So if you're going to get into med-school anyways, why do the postbac program? Why not save your money, continue working, do the courses in the evening, and then get the good MCAT score you will get either way and get into med-school with a smaller tab? It's cheaper and more flexible right?

I also had a decent record with no science classes, and did my post-bacc classes at Georgetown, which is a lot less structured than the other programs in our area (Hopkins and Goucher are the two I know well)--Gtown doesn't have the advising, handholding, etc. that other post-bacc programs do, so you need to stay on top of your stuff if you want to go there. But, I will say, living in Potomac for much of my post-bacc year, getting in and out of Georgetown was easy, and kept me on a good schedule--sounds like you live in MoCo, too.

Random MoCo advice: take the MCAT at that UMD campus just north of Potomac (drawing a blank on the name now). A lot of my friends took it at bigger test sites elsewhere in the area and in DC, and some ended up with aggravating circumstances/horror stories from test day. For the MCAT, Keep It Simple Stupid was my mantra, and it worked out well for me.

Also, this is just my opinion, others may have had a different experience, but I also took an anatomy class at Montgomery College-Germantown, which was a waste of time--the science classes there are too easy, and intended for a different audience than someone applying to medical school. Yes it was cheaper, but I don't think I got anything out of it that I wouldn't have studying the material on my own. I'm not knocking community college, just saying it was not a good fit. I don't know anything about the UMD evening program.

Good luck

 

[Bearferret]

I'm sort of in the same situation - I have a strong academic record from a very good school, and feel confident in my ability to do very well on the MCAT. However, I didn't do any of the prereqs in undergrad.

I was deciding between the formal Scripps postbacc program and UCLA extension (which is pretty much comparable to UMD Science at Night, I imagine). I went with UCLA, primarily for logistical and financial reasons, as you mentioned, but there's a lot to be said for a formal program: you get a committee LoR at the end, which I won't get from UCLA extension (and probably not at UMD, but I don't know); you get fantastic and comprehensive advising, which you won't get elsewhere; you get highly structured class schedules, designed to get you out and ready to apply on time, whereas everything through UCLA (and again, probably UMD) is kind of piecemeal; you get a relatively small and supportive community; and most of them offer free MCAT prep.

That said, the difference in price is pretty enormous - which is why I went with UCLA, and I imagine what might make UMD the best choice for you. I would probably steer away from community college, not because CC's aren't of high quality, but I have read that adcoms sometimes look at CC's as less difficult, and if you went to a highly regarded undergraduate institution, they may view it as a bit of a copout to ensure higher grades.

Just my .02.

 

[montessori2md]

I think UMD's program sounded great, especially for someone with a good GPA. It was too much of a commute for me, but if I were in MD, I'd do it.

I also thought most of the DC metro post-bacc programs sounded like a way to strip more $$$ away from premeds. JHU's post bacc offers hope of skipping the "glide" year, I think, and it has linkages with med schools. The downside is, you take your classes with the undergrads, and from what I gathered, at Hopkins, that means lecture has like 300 students and that could make getting LORs a pain in the rear.

If you had a 3.8 and you took "real" courses the first time around, you don't necessarily require the MCAT hand-holding and counseling available via postbacc programs. You could just go to Joe Schmoe U and do fine, but I would make sure that it's a "real" university, with research, grad programs, etc, to make sure that the coursework is challenging.

I did my classes at GMU, not as an official certificate/postbacc, just did it as an undergrad "transfer" student (even though I had a BA). That technically made me elgible for finaid. Thought I had all the help I needed as far as advising went, and the classes were, although not the most impressive of my life, perfectly adequate. Kaplan and EK offer courses there, but I didn't use them for exam prep.

I think choosing post-bacc is sort of like choosing undergrad -you need to know what you want and what you need- it's that last part that can be tricky, because when you're at the beginning, you don't necessarily know what you'll need.

 

[zippitydoodoc]

Are there any out there admitted to medschool who could have done a postbac premed but decided to take the courses piecemeal through the local university to save time and money? If so, would you recommend the same do-it-yourself route for others?

thanks

 

[LifetimeDoc]

Well, I would consider what I did as post-baccalaureate work because I took full-time, upper-division coursework at my local university to do several things...

• Improve my Undergraduate GPA
• Show that I can handle upper-division science coursework and get all A's
• Form new relationships with professors for LORs
• Take advantage of the pre-medical advising office for pre-med committee packet (combined LOR)
• Get back into the groove of studying so that I could take the MCAT

It wasn't a formal post-bacc program, but more something I designed with the help of our pre-medical advising office adviser. I would recommend this route for those who already have a degree and had a sub-par GPA (below a 3.5) in the past that they need to make up for. You need a near 4.0 GPA in this type of second-chance scenario.

There are formal post-bacc programs at various schools, where you take medical school classes alongside medical students, but those can be risky if you don't do well. They are generally recommended for those with sub 3.0 GPAs and low MCATS as a last-chance to prove yourself.

 

[LexiLuthor]

I lived in a rural area and worked full-time, so I took the pre-requisites I needed and a few other classes at the local community college (about 30 credits total). In my state, the cc system is well-regarded and the courses transfer to state universities. I took the toughest versions of things like chem and physics that I could and worked hard to maintain a 4.0. It was way cheaper- I paid off my undergrad debt and paid the cc tuition in full.

I had an ok GPA in undergrad (3.6) and it didn't go up that much but the 30 hrs of science coursework I took at the cc really helped my science GPA (got up to a 3.8).

 

[njbmd]

I have merged this thread with your previous thread as both threads addressed essentially the same subject.

 

[menaniac]

Are there any out there admitted to medschool who could have done a postbac premed but decided to take the courses piecemeal through the local university to save time and money? If so, would you recommend the same do-it-yourself route for others?

thanks

I got into the post-bac program at Drexel, but the >$20K pricetag had me opt for taking my pre-reqs at the local CC here in NJ for <$4K. I got in to one of our state schools, no questions asked. It certainly can be done. Good luck!

 

[Doctor Bagel]

In your situation, I think going with the cheaper state school option would be fine. Sure, advising is good, but is it worth that much extra money? Honestly, you can find out just about anything you need to know here at SDN, and your ugrad should be willing to help you as well even though you weren't premed when you were there. Since you went to a good ugrad, I'm sure they had a decent premed advising system.

Personally I didn't have the option of a formal postbacc because I needed to work fulltime and honestly wasn't willing to relocate. Like you, I had a strong gpa from ugrad in a non-science major, so I figured I had already proved myself academically. I took the remaining science classes that I needed at night at my local state school, which worked out just fine and saved me a ton of money.

 

[PTtoMD]

I took the bulk of my pre-meds 10 years ago (for PT) and have just a few to finish up. I took and am taking them all at a CC for financial reasons. I was unable to get help from any advisors at the CC and was being repeatedly directed to the 'web sites' by the med school admissions staff. I needed some guidance and on a whim called the bio dept or my undergrad school. I graduated in 95 and was pleasantly surprised to get a call back from the pre-med advisor. He was a huge help and gave me lots of guidance. I learned that med schools like 'committee recommendations' from the pre-med programs. The advisor said that i would be welcome to submit my information and LOR's to them and be evaluated for a committee recommendation even though i graduated 12 years ago. I now feel that i have a little support and someone to whom i can direct questions.
Good Luck

 

[SuRos]

I completed my B.S. some years ago. My UG GPA was unimpressive (2.75). Would there be any problem just starting fresh at a new school without transferring any courses and getting another B.S. degree? Then when applying to med schools only using my new degree and new GPA. I would appreciate thoughts on this.

Thank you in advance.

 

[drizzt3117]

I completed my B.S. some years ago. My UG GPA was unimpressive (2.75). Would there be any problem just starting fresh at a new school without transferring any courses and getting another B.S. degree? Then when applying to med schools only using my new degree and new GPA. I would appreciate thoughts on this.

Thank you in advance.

You can't do that. Every class you've ever taken counts...

 

[Think Big]

Are there any out there admitted to medschool who could have done a postbac premed but decided to take the courses piecemeal through the local university to save time and money? If so, would you recommend the same do-it-yourself route for others?

thanks

I did a totally piecemeal program through part-time evening classes at two different schools (one state school, one private). I did it to show strength in the sciences (I was an undergrad bio major but I had a horrible GPA). None of my interviewers questioned why I didn't do a formal program and I got in to both schools I interviewed at. Everyone is different, so I don't know that I would recommend it for everyone. It depends on your situation and how much you need a structured environment to be successful. Worked great for me though!

 

[SuRos]

You can't do that. Every class you've ever taken counts...

If I am willing to put in the time and money, why not just start all over and have a better chance of getting in. Grades, etc., should not be held against a person 10 or 20 years on. How would the schools you are applying to even know if you had a previous UG degree?

I would love to hear any and all info on this.

thanks.

 

[drizzt3117]

If I am willing to put in the time and money, why not just start all over and have a better chance of getting in. Grades, etc., should not be held against a person 10 or 20 years on. How would the schools you are applying to even know if you had a previous UG degree?

I would love to hear any and all info on this.

thanks.

You have to report all grades on the AMCAS. You can try to not report them, but if you are admitted to medical school and they later find out that you lied on your AMCAS by not putting all of your schools you can be kicked out or have your medical license revoked. Go ahead and try it if you want, though. Let us know how it turns out.

 

[SuRos]

You have to report all grades on the AMCAS. You can try to not report them, but if you are admitted to medical school and they later find out that you lied on your AMCAS by not putting all of your schools you can be kicked out or have your medical license revoked. Go ahead and try it if you want, though. Let us know how it turns out.

Really how could they find out with so many safeguards in place your your student privacy?

Suros

 

[PTtoMD]

I think it turns into a bit of an ethical/fairness issue. I think intentional omission of information can be viewed just as negatively as an outward lie. If you retake all your pre-reqs and do well, your GPA will get a huge boost. You will be able to explain away your earlier GPA.
What if you made it to an interview and they asked why you never pursued college 15 years ago following HS??
Obviosly, do what you are comfortable with but i don't think you'll find much support for hiding bad grades.
Good Luck!