Confused on Post-Bacc Situation

[aalhumedy]

Hello everyone,

Fifth and final year of undergrad is underway in Philosophy...

I've completed a year of gen. bio w/ lab, a semester of gen. physics (non-calc based) w/lab, and a semester of gen. chem w/lab, as well as Biostatistics. Also, I used to study Speech & Hearing Science before switching majors, so I took a bunch of "science" classes such as anat and physio of speech mechanisms, sound science, phonetics, etc...

My point of this post is that I intend to complete a post-bacc, but I do not know what kind of post-bacc I'm supposed to pursue since it really is not a career changer (Medicine has been the goal since start of undergrad) and I have not done the remainder reqs for med school (and won't be able to with remaining time in undergrad). Also, PLEASE specify which programs within the correct type of post-bacc I should look at regardless of linkages being present or not. I looked at AAMC's website, and it just does not help a whole lot.

Thanks!

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[TraumaBlonde]

Hello everyone,

Fifth and final year of undergrad is underway in Philosophy...

I've completed a year of gen. bio w/ lab, a semester of gen. physics (non-calc based) w/lab, and a semester of gen. chem w/lab, as well as Biostatistics. Also, I used to study Speech & Hearing Science before switching majors, so I took a bunch of "science" classes such as anat and physio of speech mechanisms, sound science, phonetics, etc...

My point of this post is that I intend to complete a post-bacc, but I do not know what kind of post-bacc I'm supposed to pursue since it really is not a career changer (Medicine has been the goal since start of undergrad) and I have not done the remainder reqs for med school (and won't be able to with remaining time in undergrad). Also, PLEASE specify which programs within the correct type of post-bacc I should look at regardless of linkages being present or not. I looked at AAMC's website, and it just does not help a whole lot.

Thanks!

Do you know what schools you'd want to go to for med school?
The Medical university of South Carolina, for example, doesn't require pre med course pre req but normally to do well on the MCAT you need those courses to help you know the material.

 

[GreenDuck12]

You need a post-bac in the sense that you need to go back to school to take a few classes as a post-baccalaureate student i.e. you already have a degree. There are two main categories of post-bac programs: formal and informal. Formal programs are highly structured. Many are geared towards career changers. Informal programs can be found at almost every college/university as you simply need to enroll and a post-bac / second degree student and then take the classes you need. Since you have some of the pre-reqs completed, informal may be the way to go.

Hello everyone,

Fifth and final year of undergrad is underway in Philosophy...

I've completed a year of gen. bio w/ lab, a semester of gen. physics (non-calc based) w/lab, and a semester of gen. chem w/lab, as well as Biostatistics. Also, I used to study Speech & Hearing Science before switching majors, so I took a bunch of "science" classes such as anat and physio of speech mechanisms, sound science, phonetics, etc...

My point of this post is that I intend to complete a post-bacc, but I do not know what kind of post-bacc I'm supposed to pursue since it really is not a career changer (Medicine has been the goal since start of undergrad) and I have not done the remainder reqs for med school (and won't be able to with remaining time in undergrad). Also, PLEASE specify which programs within the correct type of post-bacc I should look at regardless of linkages being present or not. I looked at AAMC's website, and it just does not help a whole lot.

Thanks!

 

[Law2Doc]

You are being confused by the terminology -every undergrad course taken after you graduate college is a "postbac" class. You likely won't be eligible for a "formal" postbac program because you've taken too many of the prereqs already. So you'll want to do what some on here refer to as a DIY informal postbac, which is really just finding a place that has open enrollment, and signing up for whatever science classes you need. It's not actually any sort of real program, so you won't have any advisors, won't get a certificate, will be on your own for minding deadlines, etc. but for application purposes you'll log these courses as postbac.

 

[aalhumedy]

You are being confused by the terminology -every undergrad course taken after you graduate college is a "postbac" class. You likely won't be eligible for a "formal" postbac program because you've taken too many of the prereqs already. So you'll want to do what some on here refer to as a DIY informal postbac, which is really just finding a place that has open enrollment, and signing up for whatever science classes you need. It's not actually any sort of real program, so you won't have any advisors, won't get a certificate, will be on your own for minding deadlines, etc. but for application purposes you'll log these courses as postbac.

Do you know where I can go to find these "informal" post-bacc programs? Also, it sounds like I would be at a disadvantage of gaining admission to medical schools since the program is not structured.

 

[aalhumedy]

Do you know what schools you'd want to go to for med school?
The Medical university of South Carolina, for example, doesn't require pre med course pre req but normally to do well on the MCAT you need those courses to help you know the material.

I'd prefer to stay in the Chicago-land area. New York, Pennsylvania, and California appeal to me very much. Are you aware of any good informal post-bacc programs in those areas with high admission rates to Medical school?

 

[Dullhead]

...California appeal(s) to me very much...

Why do you want to screw yourself?

 

[aalhumedy]

Why do you want to screw yourself?

Screw myself in what sense? If you see this taking place, then give me a suggestion on how to go about this scenario.

 

[Dullhead]

Screw myself in what sense? If you see this taking place, then give me a suggestion on how to go about this scenario.

California is not the place to be if you want to give yourself the best chance at acceptance. CA is one of the, if not THE largest exporters of med students to other states. Competition here is intense, so if you are a resident of a state with better odds, you'd do better off staying there.

 

[cabinbuilder]

Do you know where I can go to find these "informal" post-bacc programs? Also, it sounds like I would be at a disadvantage of gaining admission to medical schools since the program is not structured.

There is no informal program. As stated before you figure out what other pre-req's you need to take, sign up to take those at a university and do well.

 

[Goro]

Key phrase here is "Do well". As in ace everything (3.7 GPA or higher. There are MD schools (and all DO) that reward reinvention.

There is no informal program. As stated before you figure out what other pre-req's you need to take, sign up to take those at a university and do well.

 

[GreenDuck12]

I would go to google. I would definitely google search universities in your area to find out if they have a continuing education program / secondary degree program / post-bac registration option. Not all universities have them but many will allow you to take classes as long as you are willing to pay for the tuition.

Not being structured does not mean you are at a disadvantage from the perspective of a medical school. There is a general sequence of courses that you can use to guide your study. Not structured means that you have to put things together yourself and be self-sufficient / proactive to make sure you get what you need (i.e. running a google search).

Do you know where I can go to find these "informal" post-bacc programs? Also, it sounds like I would be at a disadvantage of gaining admission to medical schools since the program is not structured.

 

[DrMikeP]

You can register for a second bachelors in whatever (bio is common) and then just take the premed courses you need. If you don't make it in then finish the bachelors. Caution in doing a formal masters/SMP that guarantees acceptance, as they can be more difficult than just getting the courses and MCAT.

Good Luck

 

[prettylittlebird]

Do you know where I can go to find these "informal" post-bacc programs? Also, it sounds like I would be at a disadvantage of gaining admission to medical schools since the program is not structured.

Hey there, I did a post-bac program through Harvard Extension (in Boston) and it was pretty bril. I also took classes at Northwestern University in Chicago through their School of Professional Studies (might be called something else now). Just as an FYI, schools aren't going to care how structured your program is, ADCOMS are only going to care about how you did in the classes you took (GPA!) so don't worry about doing an informal DIY type thing (it's what I did and I got into school, yay!). If you have any questions about the HES program feel free to PM me!

 

[Chelsea FC]

BUMP!! Quick question, my friend will be during her Masters as a plan B while trying to repair her GPA via a DIY. This will take 3 years , is it possible to just take courses in the summer over 3 year span(8 credits a summer) to do GPA replacement ? OR do DO schools look for students taking their replacement courses in close proximity .. Also she will be taking the classes in Puerto Rico so it will be considerably cheaper so she doesnt have to enroll fully with a second degree