Completely Lost

[meliora27]

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A little background: In May 2006 I graduated with honors from a small, well-regarded liberal arts college with a major in political science and a minor in philosophy. All my life I've wanted to be a doctor but after taking an into poli sci course my freshman year of college I was absolutely fascinated by the material. As it was a liberal arts college I had to take a lot of elective courses and in the three science courses that I took I received A's in all of them. My overall GPA was slightly over 3.6. Always being interested in healthcare but being a political science major, I completed an honors thesis examining the effects of market privatization on healthcare in China. I'm now working in finance and still feel deep down that being a doctor is the only thing that would truly satisfy my intellectual curiosity and inquisitive nature as well as interest in science and medicine. I'm only 22 so I feel like I still have time. A few friends of mine who are in medical school suggested looking into "post-bacc" programs. What exactly would I need to do to become a competitive applicant for medical school or am I completely out of luck? I think this is posted in the right section.

 

[lawnboy313]

Sounds like you'll be a great candidate for top post-bac programs and if you do well in one you should coast into med school. Read the "Post-bac FAQ" on this forum for a good place to start researching your options. You can also call the career services office of your undergrad and they'll be able to give you the 411. Good luck!

 

[meliora27]

Is a post bacc for people who want to boost their GPA who have already taken the basic science pre-reqs or for people like me who have not taken any of these classes?

 

[cjb85]

It is my understanding that there are different post bac programs for different people depending on their situation. Like me, you would be considered a career-changer so you would enter a program designated for ppl who have taken little or no science courses. There are also programs for people who have taken all or most of the science courses in college, but did not necessarily do well enough to get into medical school. These ppl go to post bacs to boost their science GPAs. They are different programs and often offer Masters degrees. I think that there are also programs for underrepresented minorities, but these programs seem to be for those who have already taken the science courses as well.

The AAMC website would be helpful b/c it will tell you which programs are which.

http://services.aamc.org/postbac/

I hope this helps!

 

[echidna]

Hi Meliora,

I'm pretty much in the same boat as you- graduated in humanities with little to no science background but set on medical school. What you want to look at are "career changer" or "basic sciences" programs to get through a year each of biology, chemistry, organic chem, and physics, and in some cases, calculus. There are a number of ways to go about this- some prefer structured (but expensive) post-bacc programs designed specifically for people like us, while others prefer to go it alone at a local university, taking classes a la carte with the other undergraduates and making your own schedule. I'm applying for a second bachelors and intend to drop it after I finish the medical prerequisites (with a second bacc, campus services and advisors are available as well as financial aid if you need it). The FAQ should answer most of your questions:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=114425

Good luck!