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Bryn Mawr Post Bac Candidate?
- Thread starter Member0129
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Hey there,
At each of these programs, you're going to have to answer the question, "Why medicine? Why now?" The more data you have to back your answer, the more convincing you'll be. Have you done any medicine-related work or volunteering?
At each of these programs, you're going to have to answer the question, "Why medicine? Why now?" The more data you have to back your answer, the more convincing you'll be. Have you done any medicine-related work or volunteering?
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I agree completely. In my opinion though, if you feel that you can adequately defend your decision to pursue medicine at this time, why not apply? It sounds like you're planning on applying this year anyway, and the longer you wait the more of a disadvantage you may be putting yourself at. I guess what I'm attempting to say is, don't wait for someone on the forums to arbitrarily tell you that you have no chance or that you'll definitely get in. If you're truly invested, apply, however, think hard about your decision to pursue medicine and start looking for some medically related extracurriculars ASAP
Best of luck to you.
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z
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Hallo there,
SeverusSnape is right. You do need to make sure you can give reasons as to why you've decided to pursue medicine. That being said, it seems like you do have some experience in the health related fields. That is a great start! You should try to pursue those avenues; it is possible your interests lie in working with children with development issues? Or if you find that you're more interested in the medicine behind autism, then maybe your interests lie in clinical research? There are a lot of avenues you can take with the experiences you have so far.
I do not know about the program about Bryn Mawr but the program here at Columbia is very good in terms of preparing students for medical school, especially when it comes to practical experiences. There's a mandatory 120 volunteer hour component that encourages people to get as much clinical and research experience as possible so that students are 120% sure that not only can they handle the workload but that they are completely, absolutely invested in working in a hospital or in medical research. Since it's NY, there are so many hospitals and positions to choose from that a lot of my friends have done multiple internships in varied fields and this has really helped them nail their preferred fields.
It's a big decision but if you've even the slightest inclination towards medicine, there is no harm in doing research to find out if that's where you belong! I'm currently a student in Columbia's PB program; if you have any questions about it, I'd be happy to help you out.
Regardless of what you decide, best of luck.
SeverusSnape is right. You do need to make sure you can give reasons as to why you've decided to pursue medicine. That being said, it seems like you do have some experience in the health related fields. That is a great start! You should try to pursue those avenues; it is possible your interests lie in working with children with development issues? Or if you find that you're more interested in the medicine behind autism, then maybe your interests lie in clinical research? There are a lot of avenues you can take with the experiences you have so far.
I do not know about the program about Bryn Mawr but the program here at Columbia is very good in terms of preparing students for medical school, especially when it comes to practical experiences. There's a mandatory 120 volunteer hour component that encourages people to get as much clinical and research experience as possible so that students are 120% sure that not only can they handle the workload but that they are completely, absolutely invested in working in a hospital or in medical research. Since it's NY, there are so many hospitals and positions to choose from that a lot of my friends have done multiple internships in varied fields and this has really helped them nail their preferred fields.
It's a big decision but if you've even the slightest inclination towards medicine, there is no harm in doing research to find out if that's where you belong! I'm currently a student in Columbia's PB program; if you have any questions about it, I'd be happy to help you out.
Regardless of what you decide, best of luck.
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Your stats are certainly good enough for Bryn Mawr. It is not necessary to have a lot of medical experience, but you will be expected to show in one way or another a passion for medicine and to sincerely convey why you want to pursue medicine now.
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+1. It's not the quantity of the experiences but the quality and depth of the passion. If your narrative is convincing to a stranger (Does it make sense, or does it seem like an abrupt about-face or split-second decision?), then go for it. These programs are very selective, not just in terms of numbers, but in terms of candidates who have the greatest chance of being genuinely happy and fulfilled as they pursue a medical career.
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Great, thank you everyone! This is very helpful! Gotta work on those essays 
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z
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From my research (still in the preliminary stages...won't be applying until next year), it seems like UPenn is pretty good, and while maybe not on the same level as BM/Goucher, is very reputable. I have a college friend who did UVA, and she seemed pleased with it and recommended it, though I don't think it's on par with the top programs. I honestly haven't seen it mentioned too much here on SDN. As far as Columbia, it doesn't seem like the posters on SDN are too happy about it, especially since it's very expensive. I plan on applying to UPenn and UVA, but not Columbia. But that's just my two cents! Definitely search the programs on here; you can probably find someone who went to each program to talk more with.
D
deleted248403
There is a giant UPenn thread to read and Columbia has been discussed a fair amount too.
I know nothing on the UVA program and there isn't written a lot on here about it either
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I wouldn't worry much about location. It's only a year, and you'll be studying 99% of the time anyway. I don't care much for Baltimore - the level of racial segregation here drives me nuts - but I hardly ever go into the city anyway; and location just didn't factor into my decision to attend, especially compared to where Goucher would put me for four years of med school and beyond.
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Hallo there!
You should check out Columbia's Postbac program. It's the oldest of its kind and has a great reputation for getting people where they want to go in the healthcare field. The courses are challenging but you'll be extremely well prepared for the MCAT and medical school. Columbia also has fantastic linkage programs to medical schools in the area if you're interested in also attending medical school in NYC. I'm a tour guide for the program as well as a 2nd year so feel free to PM me if you have any questions.
Good luck!
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deleted248403
You are a walking and posting advertisement for this program. All u ever post about it is it.
If u r in admin then make it known. You should be transparent about whom you are cos its very suspect and dodgy when all you do is post "hey checkout Columbia; its swell"...
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The "common knowledge" on these programs, with regards to prestige, administrative support, and ability to get people into medical school, is generally accepted as follows (at least on this board and my post-bacc friends in real life):
Tier 1: Bryn Mawr and Goucher (and Scripps on the West Coast)
Tier 1A: Hopkins
Tier 2: Columbia, UPenn, etc.
I'm a current post-bacc at Bryn Mawr, but I'm going to second what Goucher2013 said and tell you to take a hard look at Goucher's program. If you're going to do classes at a structured program at a private university (which it sounds like you're doing), and you're going to spend the money, spend it somewhere worthwhile. You can definitely succeed at a place like Columbia if you're very self driven, but the support you'll get at BM and Goucher (Hopkins is getting there too) is really unmatched. Whereas the scuttlebutt during linkeage visits from current post-baccs at Columbia is not all that positive. Haven't had much interaction with Penn. If you're not going to take classes at your state school to save yourself some serious dough, make sure you're going to a place where you can get the most bang for your buck.
Tier 1: Bryn Mawr and Goucher (and Scripps on the West Coast)
Tier 1A: Hopkins
Tier 2: Columbia, UPenn, etc.
I'm a current post-bacc at Bryn Mawr, but I'm going to second what Goucher2013 said and tell you to take a hard look at Goucher's program. If you're going to do classes at a structured program at a private university (which it sounds like you're doing), and you're going to spend the money, spend it somewhere worthwhile. You can definitely succeed at a place like Columbia if you're very self driven, but the support you'll get at BM and Goucher (Hopkins is getting there too) is really unmatched. Whereas the scuttlebutt during linkeage visits from current post-baccs at Columbia is not all that positive. Haven't had much interaction with Penn. If you're not going to take classes at your state school to save yourself some serious dough, make sure you're going to a place where you can get the most bang for your buck.
