DIY POSTBACC Q’s

[Premedandpanicking]

I’m leaning more towards DIY to save money rather than formal. Can anyone lend me some advice on how many credits I should be looking to take and etc? I need all the information and advice I can get thank you

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[BobbyKoch]

It’s highly dependent on what you need to strengthen your application and your available time and resources.

I did roughly 12 credits per semester while working and volunteering. Initially I took prerequisites and then continued with upper level science.

 

[GreenDuck12]

If you need a postbac for a career change then you need to complete prerequisites. Assuming each class and applicable lab is 4 credits you would need a minimum of 36 credits for the full year sequence of bio, phys, gen chem, orgo, and one semester of biochem. Some schools require two additional upper level bio courses which would bring this total to 44. Others have a math or statistics requirement. If you are working full-time, two classes per semester is sufficient. If you are pursuing a postbac for grade enhancement then this is different. You’re looking at taking classes to raise your GPA to prove you can handle the rigors of medical school.

 

[Goro]

I’m leaning more towards DIY to save money rather than formal. Can anyone lend me some advice on how many credits I should be looking to take and etc? I need all the information and advice I can get thank you

I recommend 12-15 credits/semester. At a minimum, two 3-4 credit classes/semester.

 

[jhmmd]

I recommend 12-15 credits/semester. At a minimum, two 3-4 credit classes/semester.

My experience has been that 12 credits worked better, but I did have some semesters that I took >12 credits and it was tougher. There's all this pressure in undergrad like "I'm taking 15 credits" "Well ahaha I'M taking 16 credits; I'm better than you" etc. etc. etc. but at the end of the day only YOU have your GPA to contend with. Remember that you're doing this to RAISE YOUR GPA. Schools aren't gonna frown on 12 credits if you get As in all of them.

Further post-bacc info: Don't let volunteering, shadowing, and clinical activities fall by the wayside. Not sure which school your post-bacc is affiliated with, but you could probably find a free/sliding-scale clinic in the area--most major universities with a medical school attached have something like this. Carve out some time each week for all of the above. Review what you learned in class on the weekend, for at least 6 hours. I did this throughout ochem and it really helped me.

Remember, although people may say things like, "I partied all weekend rah rah;" if they're making As, odds are that that's not what they did. You have to do what's best for YOU. If that means hitting up the library and spending a lot of time there, then so be it--you won't be the loser driving around a 15 year old car 10 years later when those people drop out and are stuck with debt; you'll be the doc with a BMW, or three.

 

[gollypogs]

It really depends on what you need you need to take. I did a DIY type thing and only took a couple classes at a time. I had a BA and needed some of the basic science courses. Most of those need to be taken sequentially, so I could only take so many in one semester. I was also working, volunteering, and doing research. I got accepted into a few DO schools with this technique. But, I think how many credits you take and so forth really depends on what your situation is and what you're aiming for exactly.
If you're in a city with a university try meeting up with an academic advisor for pre-meds or someone who works in admissions for a med school.

 

[GreenDuck12]

What if I'm working full-time? 2 courses/ semester?

Should be ok - that’s what I did.

 

[Goro]

What if I'm working full-time? 2 courses/ semester?

That would OK