confusion about postbac and med school app timings

[equityrange]

So I plan to "Do it myself" and do a postbac for one year and i plan to graduate my undergraduate university in Spring 2011.

When am i suppose to apply to med school? Do i apply Summer 2011, or summer 2012 after I finish my postbac? If I apply summer 2012, what am i suppose to do during the time i wait for replies from med schools?

thanks for clarification

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[NewmansOwn]

If you finish all your prereqs by the end of Spring term 2011, as you seem to be planning on doing, then you'll apply that Summer (2011) for admission to the med school class beginning in Fall 2012. Does that make sense?

A general timeline would be: Fill out AMCAS in June 2011, take the MCAT in June/July 2011, send out completed ACMAS by July/August 2011, wait for interview invites throughout the Fall 2011, get acceptances from rolling admission schools in the early Winter 2011, get acceptances from traditional admission schools in March/April 2012, make your decision and send in a deposit by May 2012, begin med school in August 2012.

If you waited until Summer 2012 to apply, you'd have two full years between the completion of your postbac work and your matriculation to med school. There's no reason to do that to yourself unless you need/want the time prior to matriculation to do something.

 

[DrMidlife]

I'd recommend slowing it down so that you're setting yourself up to succeed with an early, complete app full of A's and EC's and LOR's and a high MCAT score. Working backwards:

June 2012 submit AMCAS with no outstanding items
May 2012 get MCAT score
April 2012 start pushing hard on faculty recommenders
early April 2012 take MCAT
January 2012 nothing on your social calendar: studying for MCAT
September 2011 start MCAT prep
June 2011 get a full time job that will help you pay for MCAT prep and app year (and will help set you apart as a candidate)
May 2010 start recruiting faculty recommenders
Now: make list of things you need to do before you're ready to apply

Best of luck to you.

 

[equityrange]

If you finish all your prereqs by the end of Spring term 2011, as you seem to be planning on doing, then you'll apply that Summer (2011) for admission to the med school class beginning in Fall 2012. Does that make sense?

A general timeline would be: Fill out AMCAS in June 2011, take the MCAT in June/July 2011, send out completed ACMAS by July/August 2011, wait for interview invites throughout the Fall 2011, get acceptances from rolling admission schools in the early Winter 2011, get acceptances from traditional admission schools in March/April 2012, make your decision and send in a deposit by May 2012, begin med school in August 2012.

If you waited until Summer 2012 to apply, you'd have two full years between the completion of your postbac work and your matriculation to med school. There's no reason to do that to yourself unless you need/want the time prior to matriculation to do something.

just wondering, what is the point of a 1year postbac if they technically wont even csee the grades for my GPA if i apply summer 2011? is it just to show that im willing to learn?

 

[deleted248403]

Equity - thats why a lot of ppl take a gap or "glide" year between their SMPs/PBs before they plan to begin Med School classes

 

[DrMidlife]

just wondering, what is the point of a 1year postbac if they technically wont even csee the grades for my GPA if i apply summer 2011? is it just to show that im willing to learn?

A good SMP (where you're in first year med school classes graded against med students) will support same-year apps by sending letters and transcripts to the med schools you're applying to, and will also give you a leg up on the host school's admissions process.

 

[equityrange]

Equity - thats why a lot of ppl take a gap or "glide" year between their SMPs/PBs before they plan to begin Med School classes

so what do they do during the gap year? work or take more classes in case of rejection?

A good SMP (where you're in first year med school classes graded against med students) will support same-year apps by sending letters and transcripts to the med schools you're applying to, and will also give you a leg up on the host school's admissions process.

im actually thinking about "do it yourself" method. SMP too expsensive

 

[NewmansOwn]

just wondering, what is the point of a 1year postbac if they technically wont even csee the grades for my GPA if i apply summer 2011? is it just to show that im willing to learn?

I'm sorry -- I think I may have confused you. Your post led me to believe you were finishing the postbac in Spring 2011, but you did say you're not even graduating from college until then. If that's the case, you may have time to take the prereqs before you graduate from college -- but only if you have fulfilled virtually all the requirements to graduate save credit hours.

If you're planning on finishing a postbac in Spring 2012, however, then simply take my post and push everything back exactly 1 year and it'll hold true.

Sorry about the mix-up.

 

[deleted248403]

Equity - it would help if you posted your stats and whether you've done the pre-reqs. Also you do whatever you want during your gap year. I personally plan on working. You could travel, do research, go abroad and do some volunteer work, whatever you want as long as its productive.

You could play video games all day too if you wanted but not sure it helps your application any

 

[equityrange]

ok - so my stats are expected to graduate from my four year undergrad university in Spring 2011 with about 3.3cGPA and 3.1sGPA. Im planning on taking the MCAT Summer 2010. I have completed all of my pre-reqs.

So if I do a 1year postbac, it will look like this right?

Summer 2010 - I plan to take mcat in July/August
Spring 2011 - graduate
Summer 2011 through Spring 2012 - 1year post bac
Summer 2012 - apply to med school
Summer 2012 through Spring 2013 - work/research/travel/?????
Summer 2013 - hopefully start med school?

is this the typical schedule for one year postbac? or should i just **** it and apply Summer 2011 with 3.3/3.1 to DO and then work from Summer 2011-2012?