For those of you doing informal post bacc or just taking classes on your own ...

[mshheaddoc]

---

Members don't see this ad.

How many of you are going full time to a local college/university and how many classes are you taking a semester? Just curious!

I'm looking at 4-5 science classes a semester

 

[sunnyjohn]

How many of you are going full time to a local college/university and how many classes are you taking a semester? Just curious!

I'm looking at 4-5 science classes a semester

I'm doing 12-15 hours a semester.

 

[mshheaddoc]

I'm doing 12-15 hours a semester.

All sciences?

 

[sunnyjohn]

All sciences?

I throw in 3 hours of Psychology, poli sci or history to "mix it up" every semester.

 

[Tatiana2020]

I throw in 3 hours of Psychology, poli sci or history to "mix it up" every semester.

I did 2 science classes last semester and am taking 3 next semester.

 

[adpitan]

I'm taking two sciences and one math class this fall

 

[junebuguf]

I pretty much did two years of informal undergrad post-bacc. My first year I retook all the basic sciences (gen chem, gen bio, ge phys) and just stuck with those classes and ther associated labs, which is a lot of work so I would not recommend taking anything else. Since I had taken them before, I took the honors section, which I think adds a lot to your transcript and AMCAS app and also helps you get better LORs from those profs.

My second year, I took the following classes:

Fall 2004
Biochemistry 5
Honors Molecular Bio 3
Molecular Bio Lab 2
Animal Bio 3
Physiology 3
------------------------
Total 16

Spring 2005

Neuroscience 4
Honors Micro 3
Honors Genetics 3
Research 4
-----------------------
Total 14

I was also studying for the MCAT in Spring 2005, which took about 20 hours a week for three months, so I would lay low in your MCAT semester. Also, research typically involves at least 12-15 hours a week in the lab so plan accordingly. Other than that, Biochem and Neuro were the two hardest classes I took, so I would not take both in the same semester, or along with Orgo.

Start slow, just learn to do well in the basic pre-reqs your first year, develop effective study habits and then take on large course loads your second year because you need to prove you can handle it if your undergrad numbers are bad.

EDIT: Also remember that labs are a LOT more work than the credit they are assigned. My two credit Molecular lab was the most work of any class I took in two years! All the report writing, homework probems and lab notebook upkeep really adds up.

 

[FloatingCloud]

junebuguf:

I pretty much did two years of informal undergrad post-bacc. My first year I retook all the basic sciences (gen chem, gen bio, ge phys)

So, it's possible to have taken the basic sciences in college, and RETAKE them again in another 4-year university year later? That's something that I would like to do considering how I have forgotten my basic sciences.

Does one apply as a visiting student?

 

[cher25]

How many of you are going full time to a local college/university and how many classes are you taking a semester? Just curious!

I'm looking at 4-5 science classes a semester

Fall 04 (Post Bac)

Physiology 3
Physiology Lab 2
Biochemistry 3
Biochemistry Lab 2
Neuropsychopharmacology 3 (pharmacology class focused on brain interactions)

Total= 13 hours

Spring 05 (Grad)

Pharmacology & Toxicology 3
Embryology 3
Seminar Course 1

Total= 7 hours

Only took a light load in the spring because I was studying for MCAT.. I didn't want to take any chances of overloading myself.

Currently taking Immunology first summer session and second summer session will take an Independent Study Course doing neurological research under my graduate advisor.

 

[XT777]

Cher, Junebug, Sunny,

Are/were you guys working fulltime as well?

XT777

 

[junebuguf]

Cher, Junebug, Sunny,

Are/were you guys working fulltime as well?

XT777

I didnt work at all while taking post-bacc classes, though my last semester I was working in a lab for about 20 hours a week. I would not recommend working while in post-bacc unless its something that can help your application--working in a research lab or in a hospital in a capacity that gives you direct patient contact.

I dont think you guys realize how time-consuming the basic pre-reqs can be. There is a lot of busy work associated with these classes that you have to do to get an A. If you must work you should take fewer classes or not work at all your first semester, guage how much more you can handle and proceed from there. Its always better to be safe than sorry, and most of you have bad enough records as it is, you have no margin for error, so don't take 14 credits and work 20 hours a week your first semester in post-bacc. If you get a single C you've dug yourself a large hole. A couple of B's and you're in the same boat. Unless you had a 3.7 to begin with, you need straight A's.

 

[sunnyjohn]

Yeah I work full time, but I'm lucky.

I work at a scrub tech so I fill in my 40 hours with lots of call shifts and off shifts with the most down time (READ-study time). I average 2 hours of study time per shift. I also concentrate more on getting 160 hours a month rather than 40 a week.

I'm awake, so I might as well study. I usually spend Sat from 8-1p in the library.

If I did not have the choice of shifts at work , I know I could never do it.

 

[emgirl]

Hi there-

I am about to start on a 2 year post-bac (doing it myself through my local state school and a private school). Because the courses I'll be taking at the private school will be more expensive, I may need to take out some loans. Do you all have any experience with this? If you are a non-matriculated student at a school do you have to get private loans or are there federal ones that are available? In general, how are you guys paying for the do-it-yourself-postbac? (I'm prob only going to be able to work about 10 hours per week so I don't think I can afford the tuition without a loan). Oh and to answer the OP, I'm taking 15 units per quarter (an average load for the quarter system) except for the winter quarter before the MCAT where I'm only going to take 3 units.

Thanks 🙂Em

 

[twinkiee]

I pretty much did two years of informal undergrad post-bacc. My first year I retook all the basic sciences (gen chem, gen bio, ge phys) and just stuck with those classes and ther associated labs, which is a lot of work so I would not recommend taking anything else. Since I had taken them before, I took the honors section, which I think adds a lot to your transcript and AMCAS app and also helps you get better LORs from those profs.

junebug... do you know if re-taking all of the basics is helpful to your application? i had always heard that taking upper-levels was the way to go... i see you took the basics AND upper levels, but what made you decide to do both? and... how did you decide to do an informal post-bacc as opposed to a formal one (such as those through Upenn or Georgetown SMP... etc)?

sorry for the million questions... just trying to figure out how to make my gpa and overall app look more appealing to med schools 😉

 

[mshheaddoc]

I retook ochem because I had a C and a W. Also I'm going to retake quant chem because I got a D and also I need for my 2nd bachelors as well. I'm going to have enough credits for a 2nd degree, why not do a 2nd degree and if I don't get in the first time, then I will have a science degree and be eligible to apply for graduate programs.

My #1 choice is a DO school so all my "retakes" will boost my GPA. So that is part of my reason as well.

 

[Rumplestilskin]

I have decided that it would be better for me to do a 'sort of' informal post-bacc program of my own than to do a formal one which is much more expensive (I can take classes at my state college for free versus paying 10,000 a semester 😱 , plus medical school admissions have also told me that courses are courses, just make A's in them. Currently I have a 3.4 and science gpa of 3.0. My MCAT sucked 👎 , so I know I have to really improve on that, but I also wanted to take some extra science courses to up the gpa to make my app. look even better by showing I can handle upper level courses.

What courses should I take? I am also going to be working, so I know I am only going to take 1-2 courses a semester, so in all before I apply to medical school in June 2006, (Taking Mcat April 2006), I will only take 4 courses. I juat want to show admissons that I can handle upper level courses.

What do you think?

Thanks!~

 

[MaryWrathers]

to emgirl,

I asked the same question in the financial aid forum but so far haven't received responses Let me go check...

 

[mshheaddoc]

Hi there-

I am about to start on a 2 year post-bac (doing it myself through my local state school and a private school). Because the courses I'll be taking at the private school will be more expensive, I may need to take out some loans. Do you all have any experience with this? If you are a non-matriculated student at a school do you have to get private loans or are there federal ones that are available? In general, how are you guys paying for the do-it-yourself-postbac? (I'm prob only going to be able to work about 10 hours per week so I don't think I can afford the tuition without a loan). Oh and to answer the OP, I'm taking 15 units per quarter (an average load for the quarter system) except for the winter quarter before the MCAT where I'm only going to take 3 units.

Thanks 🙂Em

You get one year of post-bacc federal funds, the rest need ot be private. I plan on going through sallie mae signature loans.

 

[ChicaLinda]

I work full-time and take one science class a semester.

Last year I took physio and anatomy, both with labs, so it was really like two nights a week of class.

Next semester I want to try chem and physics, but maybe I will drop down my work schedule a bit, maybe 30 instead of 40 hours.

 

[Caboose]

I have decided that it would be better for me to do a 'sort of' informal post-bacc program of my own than to do a formal one which is much more expensive (I can take classes at my state college for free versus paying 10,000 a semester 😱 , plus medical school admissions have also told me that courses are courses, just make A's in them. Currently I have a 3.4 and science gpa of 3.0. My MCAT sucked 👎 , so I know I have to really improve on that, but I also wanted to take some extra science courses to up the gpa to make my app. look even better by showing I can handle upper level courses.

What courses should I take? I am also going to be working, so I know I am only going to take 1-2 courses a semester, so in all before I apply to medical school in June 2006, (Taking Mcat April 2006), I will only take 4 courses. I juat want to show admissons that I can handle upper level courses.

What do you think?

Thanks!~

Rumplestilskin -
Hey! I'm in the same boat. My GPA is about a 3.2 and incredibly variable between courses, (C in gen chem, A in ochem, etc), which directly reflect my personal life. It's not like medical schools are going to look at my record and say, "Ah, this is where her dad died. I called her yesterday about it," so it seems like I should retake some of those. The thought makes me want to vomit. I see that you are focused on upper division instead of going back over courses. Any reason? I'm taking the MCAT in April with you, so if I'm not stellar in the physical sciences, I was thinking about retaking those horrible, weed-out classes...?
In other news, I think that if you have to get A's in upper division, find out who the coolest instructors are. The courses I did best in were the ones where the instructor was entertaining. I look at my post-bac like extra training for medical school, so if I'm not swallowed by the hungry gen chem monster, I'm going to focus on biology classes. It's tough to recommend any because I don't know your school or the classes you've already taken. I loved neurobiology and sports medicine. SM and a human dissection classes gave me hands on practice, on the soccer field and in the lab. Very cool stuff. If the instructor sucked in either of those classes, it would have been much harder to get my A's, you know?