When I was applying for postbac programs, I saw a post on SDN that said, “If you get the opportunity to go to Goucher, take it.” Hands down, that holds true today. That program, in 11 months, prepared me not only to get into a phenomenal medical school, but to laid an extraordinary foundation for med school success. I know people have had success at Bryn Mawr also, so this is just a bit more of a general take on the Goucher program, since that's where my experience lies...
First, the teaching itself is extremely well done. It’s an enormous task for any professor to teach all of the material that they need to in 11 months. The curriculum at Goucher is set up for nontraditional students. In a standard undergrad intro bio course, for example, you may spend two weeks on photosynthesis. At Goucher, you spend less than an hour on it. It is important to understand the process for a well-rounded science education, but it is not important to your future as a medical student/physician. On the other hand, you’ll go into far more depth on metabolic processes than you would in any standard intro bio class. This is foundational material for the MCAT and, just as importantly, for medical school success. That is one of countless examples. The biology curriculum is absolutely one of the strengths of the program. And I will say that the teachers I had at Goucher, across the board, were the best professors I had in any undergraduate coursework. They are dedicated to helping you succeed. They had open office hours and were willing to meet outside of those times – literally always. There’s a TA dedicated to supporting students in tutoring and who runs an MCAT class. At the same time, I will clarify that the impetus is on the student to learn the material. The majority of learning/encoding of the material occurs outside of class. A successful postbac student has to understand that completing, and doing well, in all the coursework required for medical school within 11 months is going to be a very challenging process. It requires an immense amount of hard work, the willingness to proactively seek out help, and to be honest in evaluating what is working/what is not in your habits and study processes. The program does as much as possible, and students must work hard to succeed. But if you come in with that willingness, then the Goucher program is really known for getting you to the finish line. The students are traditionally super collaborative, which is extremely encouraged by the professors, advisors, program staff, etc. So there's definitely a lot more personal attention at Goucher than anywhere I've ever seen.
The teaching and curriculum are clear strengths, but the primary thing that makes the Goucher program stand out is the advising. When I was looking at postbac programs, I wanted a program that was a one-year program, and I wanted a program where I would be surrounded by other nontraditional, nice students. I did get both of those things. What I did not realize then, and am unspeakably grateful for now, was the strength of the advising process. The Program Director at Goucher has been doing this for 19 years. The track record of admissions success to top-tier medical schools is a testament to her expertise. You begin meeting with the advisors in the summer when you arrive in order to discuss volunteer options for the year. In my experience, the director and assistant director were interested in supporting not only what would “look good” on my application, but more importantly what I was interested to do every week in the community. During the school year, the Program Director holds weekly meetings for the class. One week you will discuss the personal statement. Another week you will discuss the AMCAS experiences list. And so on and so forth. They cover every topic. She gives a suggested timeline for sending your application materials to her for proofreading. Again, it is up to the student to be proactive in completing these tasks within the timeframe. But if you do so, you will be successful. I had multiple meetings in person with the program director at various points throughout the year to brainstorm, and then to workshop all the portions of my AMCAS. It’s literally impossible to overstate how helpful the advising is. And the advising is geared not just simply to getting you into medical school. It is geared toward grooming professional expectations that await you within medicine itself and helping you continue finding the things that interest you.
I will echo whole-heartedly what was said about the Goucher program when I was deciding on a postbac program: “If you get the opportunity to go to Goucher, take it.” I never imagined being able to accomplish everything that I did, but I trusted the process and the steps that were in place at Goucher, and it literally changed my life. My advice to anyone who gets in to Goucher is to make an honest evaluation of whether you’re willing to put in the work required to complete this in 11 months. And if you are, you can find no better place than Goucher to do so.
