Community College vs. Postbac Program

[kempo]

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Hi,

I'm trying to decide between a community college or a university postbac program to complete my premed requirements. I have a 4.0 undergrad GPA (sociology major) but completed zilch in terms of premed classes.

Would it be OK to stick with a community college? I would end up saving major cash and it would likely be a less intimidating environment to start taking science classes. On the other hand, is this a no-no in terms of getting into medical schools? I'd probably be relying on my premed profs for for medical school recommendations as well, aside from volunteer recs.

Thanks for your advice!

Cheers,

Kempo

 

[sfnix]

any adcom anywhere is going to tell you community college coursework is not looked favorably upon. definitely want to do the courses at an accredited 4 year university.

 

[ToGodALLGlory]

I am currently retaking prereqs at the local community college and have 3 interviews so far this season. I contacted the admissions office of each school that I applied to and asked about this and they all said it was not a problem in any way. Many people do this successfully and with your current GPA, I'm sure you can save some money and go that way. I discussed my application with a school that rejected me and they mentioned that my letters of recommendation were "fantastic" and not the issue. Three of the letters were science profs from CC, so no worries about letters from CC either. Good luck!

 

[Instatewaiter]

It can be done but many schools look very unfavorably upon it, especially since you are taking all of the pre-recs there, not just one or 2 classes.

If you really want the answer, figure out which schools you are going to apply to and E-mail the deans of admission of those schools. Most deans are very nice and forthcoming and will give you the 411. Make sure to include current GPA, MCAT, Ugrad school etc.

Remember at most schools there are over 5000 applicants for ~120 spots so anything that looks bad can really be a detriment.

 

[kempo]

Hey,

For what it's worth, I've been emailing admissions at several med schools and they pretty much categorically insist that they do not care whether I complete the prereq coursework at a university, community college, or a junior college, as long its an accredited school and transferable coursework.

Not sure how sincere these sentiments are, but it seems to be the majority position on the matter. Most of the responses have been from admissions counselors, one from a dean.

Does this sound right?

 

[braluk]

Personally, I would suggest going through the postbac route- if your finances can support it. A rec letter from an accredited university (not to mention that there are alot more perks in a postbac in a 4 year university) may carry more weight on the tenet that he or she may be a published, relatively known author/scientist. There are also several postbacs out there, that I don't believe any community colleges have, that offer linkages with med programs across the country. Granted the material is the same, and the MCAT is what tests how much you learned, if you get a 30+ on an MCAT, good grades in your courses, adcoms probably wouldn't really care too much about where you did your prereqs, since the education you received at either seemed to have been demonstrated well on the MCAT. However, there are alot of perks with going trough a formal postbac, med school linkages, etc.. etc.. If you could complete the postbac at a 4 year university with a medical school of its own, that may even work better to your advantage.

 

[Instatewaiter]

This is verbatum from my school's FAQ section. I picked this one simply because I knew where it was.

'#11 Are community college classes accepted as prerequisite course credit?

They may be; but the Admissions Committee generally expects students to complete all prerequisite courses at a 4-year undergraduate institution.'

I can understand why you would want to do your pre-recs at a CC, especially since post-bacs are so expensive. If the admissions people at the medical school are telling you it is ok then listen to them over us, but I still feel it may put you at some sort of disadvantage.

 

[Johnny_D]

It is much better for you to take your courses in a post-bacc program. First, the school will hopefully have an advisor that is experienced with the needs of the non-traditional student. Their insight can really boost your application. Also, if they have a pre-med committee, this is an advantage because you can get a committee letter for your recommendation. Otherwise, you will have to get several letters.

The cost doesn't have to be that different between the two. I went to a post-bacc program at West Chester University, which has a terrific reputation and a placement rate of 97%. The cost was a bit more than a community college, but not by much. This is your future, and you will only have one chance for these classes.