Any suggestions on what to do if it’s too late to take premed and also can’t afford post-bacc?

[deleted1120671]

I am senior, I was planning to on delaying graduation to Spring 2023 to take pre-medicine classes for medical school. My university had said that I would qualify for federal aid still since I didn’t use all 150% of aids but I recently found out I was misinformed by the financial aid office. So, now myself a bit lost on what do next since the post-bacc programs are too expensive and I wouldn’t be able to delay my graduation. Thanks.

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[jamaica jan sun princess]

Student loans or working full-time and taking classes part-time.

Have you confirmed that you've used 150% of aid? I'm assuming it's the Pell grant in question here. 150% would be ~180 credit hours.

 

[Catalystik]

I am senior, I was planning to on delaying graduation to Spring 2023 to take pre-medicine classes for medical school. My university had said that I would qualify for federal aid still since I didn’t use all 150% of aids but I recently found out I was misinformed by the financial aid office. So, now myself a bit lost on what do next since the post-bacc programs are too expensive and I wouldn’t be able to delay my graduation. Thanks.

Graduate. Get a job with a university that offers free tuition as a perk (or any other business that offers this). Take classes part-time until completed.

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[Med Ed]

I am senior, I was planning to on delaying graduation to Spring 2023 to take pre-medicine classes for medical school. My university had said that I would qualify for federal aid still since I didn’t use all 150% of aids but I recently found out I was misinformed by the financial aid office. So, now myself a bit lost on what do next since the post-bacc programs are too expensive and I wouldn’t be able to delay my graduation. Thanks.

Job -> $ -> classes -> 4.0 -> AMCAS.

 

[deleted1120671]

Student loans or working full-time and taking classes part-time.

Have you confirmed that you've used 150% of aid? I'm assuming it's the Pell grant in question here. 150% would be ~180 credit hours

I have not used 150% of aid yet. That is what the financial services office said. I think I'll have 124 credits when I graduate. It is hard to get a clear answer from them for some reason.

 

[LizzyM]

Can you change your major and stay on an extra year for that reason while fitting in the pre-reqs you haven't taken?

Getting a job with an employer that offers tuition assistance and taking night school/weekend classes to fill in the gaps in your pre-reqs would be another reasonable alternative.

 

[FluffyCat1212]

Graduate. Get a job with a university that offers free tuition as a perk (or any other business that offers this). Take classes part-time until completed.

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This!!! This is what I did. It took a little longer, but my post-bacc was almost entirely free and I was able to put away some money for med school. 100% would recommend. Only downsides are that it can be really tough to balance everything and that it can take a little longer.

 

[stinkycheeseperson]

 

[Proudfather94]

Alot of the workers at the hospital I worked at did so to get free tuition. Maybe look into that do you can get clinical experience at the same time.

 

[SQBlack]

So, now myself a bit lost on what do next since the post-bacc programs are too expensive and I wouldn’t be able to delay my graduation.

What is "too expensive" to you? There are career-changer post-bac programs that are under $10k for a year in-state or $20k per year non-resident.

 

[deleted1120671]

What is "too expensive" to you? There are career-changer post-bac programs that are under $10k for a year in-state or $20k per year non-resident.

My institution's career changer post-bacc program is a little more than $25K for in-state tuition. If I'm able to go to medical school, I really wouldn't want a loan of that size since they'd be private. My university's financial aid doesn't accept federal loans since it's a certificate and not a degree. If it were under $10K, I wouldn't much of an issue paying for the program since the loan amount would be significantly less if I paid half out-of-pocket.

So far, all the post bacc programs I have seen are all around that price range and I haven't seen anything under that for in-state unfortunately.

 

[KnightDoc]

Unfortunately, going through 4, 5 or 6 years of UG and only deciding at the very end that you would like to pursue medicine has a cost associated with it. If you cannot afford to take med schools prereqs now, and don't want to take on additional debt, you are going to have to further delay your plans while you save money or get yourself into a situation where an employer will pay for you to take the necessary classes. I don't know of any federal or private program that funds unlimited classwork until people figure what it is they want to do with their lives.

 

[KnightDoc]

I have not used 150% of aid yet. That is what the financial services office said. I think I'll have 124 credits when I graduate. It is hard to get a clear answer from them for some reason.

I don't know about your particular situation, but while most scholarships will allow you to go above a minimum (in your case up to 150% of a base amount) if NECESSARY to complete a degree, they usually cut off once the requirements for a degree are met, even if the maximum amount of money has not been spent. It sounds like that's the situation you are in.

You declared a major, didn't change it in time, and met the requirements for graduation with your 124 credits. From that point forward, most programs will not fund an all expenses paid vacation to continue in school because you changed your mind and are not quite ready to launch into the real world. Most places believe that money would be better spent funding someone else's future rather than just letting someone max out scholarship money.

If your case, you changed your mind about med school and have a legit reason to want, or even need, extra coursework, even if it's not necessary for a degree. What about someone else who just likes being in school and wants to take additional, unnecessary classes because they like sleeping late, hanging out with students, and having everything, including room and board, paid for by someone else?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

In general, why do you want to be a doctor? Take the time to work in the real world and do some solid community service outside of school while working. It would be a shame that you take classes only to not have enough experience to show why you are ready. Med school will wait for you.

 

[candbgirl]

Why don’t you tell us more about yourself: GPA, ECs etc. You can do a DIY post bacc - a couple of courses a semester for a couple of years. If there is a state school near you it wouldn’t be that much. There is really no reason to do a formal post bacc. You need the courses, not a certificate. Have you done other science courses? Are you used to science in college? You’ve waited this long to start your medical journey, there is no reason to rush it. Have you shadowed physicians? How is your clinical experience(paid or volunteered)? How about nonclinical volunteering with the unserved/underserved in your community. Do you have research, leadership, etc.? Of course you need the MCAT too. It might take you awhile to get your med school application together and that’s just fine. So take your time and do it right. You only want to apply once with the best application possible. So maybe find a job and work a couple of years and save up for school and other expenses in applying. Good luck.