Hey all you future Columbia Post-Bacs,
There are a couple of topics that could be helpful to you - things I did that really boosted my performance there, and things I wish I had known before I started:
1. Get any kind of academic preparation that you can *before* you get there. If this means auditing a G Chem, physics, calc or O Chem class over the summer before you get there, DO IT. It wil help you so much just to hear the information before you actually ahve to work for grades. Pick you weakest subject and get some extra help before you start. I did this with both calc and O chem, and I seriously wish I had done it for G chem and physics too. Ususally profs are really nice about letting you audit like that - don't try to go through the administrtion because they will most likely say no. I sat in on clsses at the state school in my home state (CA) which was great since it was slower and more basic - I really had a chance to make sure I had a strong foundation in a couple subjects. Community colleges are great for this too.
2. Once you are there - seek out and use ALL of the resources available to you. The profs are excellent if you go and speak with them during office hours. Don't be shy, it is their job to teach you. If you don't understand something, ask for help. Grad students are great too - especially in Columbia's Chem dept. Make a nuisance of yourself, go to all of their open hours, go to multiple sections, get the info you need. Find the T.A. who teaches in the style that works for you, and attach yurself to their section, or their office hours, even if you aren't officially one of their students. It is totally ok to jump between discussion sections and go to review sessions with other TA's. I have some strong opinions about specific profs, so take them for whatever you want to take them for:
Physics: I LOVED prof. Tuts. He is excellent, thoughtful, clear and concise. His office hours can be scary because he asks you to work out problems in front of everyone - but he will guide you through it if you don't understand. Besides being a wonderful teache, he is at the top of his field and working on some groundbreaking stuff. Once you find out who he is, you might be a little star-struck. He usually teaches the day section of gen. physics.
GChem: Prof. Fine did not do it for me at all. This was my LEAST favorite class, and I think about 75% had to do with Prof. Fine's teaching. I highly recommend taking another section if you can. I think that he is pretty burned out on teaching.
Calc: Prof Simring is excellent, enthusiastic and a wonderful teacher. He will make you love math, like you never knew possible. He is totally dedicated to teaching, and will be there for you with any struggles you have. Just don't expect to sitthrough class and passively learn - he will make you partiocipate, which is the best way to learn, I think.
Biology: Dr. Mowshowitz is an amazing woman, and her class is wonderful. She has been teaching for quite a while, and really knows how to make the material accessible to you. She was one of my all time favorites. I went to her office hours all the time and it was soooo worth it. You can sit in on both her day lecture and evening one (she gives the same one twice each day the class meets) If repetition does it for you, this is a great way to learn. Hear the lecture first, read the chapters, then go back to hear the lecture a second time to make sure you got it right. I looved her class, it really made me excited for med school, since all of the first yea stuff is so abstract. You are actually talking about human bodies. So much more interesting than physics and g chem.
Orgo: Prof. Virginia Cornish wins hands down for me. She was the best teacher I have ever had, including undergrad and MPH. She is an incredible teacher. she has a way of pushing you to learn and supporting you at the same time. Sometimes she uses the socratic method, which can be scary, but is also kind of exciting. Her office hours are great, she will meet with you privately if you want. Come prepared, do the work, be a dillegent student, and you will get so much from her class. Organic Chem is really a new language, once it clicks, it clicks. It really was my favorite class. And a good 90% of the was because of the wonderful Dr. Cornish.
Also, a lot of people talk about how competative Columbia is - this is true. A lot of it has to do with the tone set by the Columbia Undergrads. They are all totally gunners, and have made it to the top, ivy league education because of this. they are really really good talented students. But they are also really young, and they don't know what camaraderie can do for them. This is where the post-bac smarts come in for you. Your fellow post-bacs are your greatest resources. Make friends, make study groups, share information. YOu shouldn't feel competative with them, they are your allies, your supporters. If they do well you should be happy for them, and ask for their help on things you don't understand, help them out too. There are so many stusents at Columbia. Helping eachother out is not going to make the curve harder, or bring your scores down. It will be worth it to make a strong network. Feel the love. yeah. I'll get off the soapbox now.
Ok, as far as housing goes, I was lucky enough to get a fabulous deal through columbia - but it was becaus I moved with my woman, and we qualify as a couple, even though we aren't allowed to get legally married (yet). SO, it was really worth it, for a beutiful, spacious, affordable columbia married student apartment. If you have a partner, move with him/her. Otherwise, you are taking a chance of getting stuck with bad roommates, unles you geta a studio. Columbia's housing system is a little funky, and you might not get to meet your housemates before you move in. which can make things hard. The columbia apartments vary widely - I've seen crappy ones, and beautiful ones. It all depends. There are some good deals in the neighborhood, so you might just want to look for a place on your own. also the other post-bac's often have rooms in their apartments that they post notices about.
I would highly recommend taking a couple of weeks off, if you can. You will run the risk of getting burned out by the time you make it throughb the first semester. It is a really hard program, and you need a little reserve of rest, calm and inner peace to draw upon.
This brings me to my next point: I really really really recommend taking up yoga while you are a post-bac. It saved me. There is a great studio on 106th and Broadway called Life in Motion. They sometimes have student deals for class cards. I really do think that I would have gone crazy if I hadn't have had some sense of balance in my life through yogs. You need somewhere to go to to escape the stress and pressure of the program. Yoga, dance, running, any kind of physical excersize that works for you. Just make sure it is part of your daily routine. I can't tell you what a difference it makes. You absolutely HAVE to make some time to take care of yourself and your body during the program, so that you can make it through. The stress is really hard on your body, and will effect your ability to learn and retain information if you don't take care of yourself.
Also, about money. Expect the application process to cost A LOT. There is no help either. You, and your parents have to be below the poverty level to get a fee waiver. Each application costs between $150-$250. Then, if you have to travel for your interviews, you have plane tickets, transportation and hotels to deal with. So just plan on it for the future.
Get involved with a project that is inetersting for you. Do it early on, so that you can actually have some responsibility by the time your applications are going out, and you can get letters of rec. Volunteering in the ER is nice and all, but there are some really phenomenal research projects going on, some great community clinics, and wonderful priovate practices that take post-bacs as volunteers, or even for paid part time workers. It is a really good thing to be working on a project you are about, so that you have some link to the outside world and the medical field during your post-bac years. Making the time for volunteering will really be worth it
Last, but not least, believe in yourself and the reasons you are doing this. Stay in toch with what drives you, what motivates you, what you are passionate about. Be confidant, be human. Don't let the fact that you decided to go to med school later in life psych you out. Doubtless, you have learned a lot from your past experiences, and it will make you a better physician in the future.
Good luck to all.
Lolli
