Formal Post Bacc vs. Do-It-Yourself

[mshheaddoc]

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Philosophies ....

Spill it

What are you doing?
Why did you do it?
and what you have learned. 🙂

 

[mshheaddoc]

Wow pretty even ... What factored into your decisions?

 

[NYCmed]

I voted in the "formal" category. I graduated my undergrad university with a double major, but not a lick of pre-reqs, or even any science or math courses (beyond a summer course on neurology, which was amazing but geared to non-science majors.) When I researched the available postbac programs in my area I decided a formal program would not only help me finish my pre-reqs, but would help me get back into a "science oriented" mentality as well--the rigorous schedule, memorizing/applying formulae, study groups, labs, etc. Of course, the preparation for interviews and committee letter will certainly help, too. 😛

 

[CanIMakeIt]

I took the do-it-yourself approach ... major reson being there was none in my area..... didn't have money to move to NYC or anyplace else, and then I have a job and if I wanted to do a structured post-bacc then I would have to leave that.... well it took me a year extra do all my pre-reqs but I think it worked out well (at least so far...) for me.........

 

[titoincali]

I decided on the do-it-yourself for the same reasons as CanIMakeIt. I had a good job that was a good opportunity for me and they were offering to pay for my classes. So I decided to do try to do both. Unfortunately, I couldn't afford to not work. It's taken me several years but I'm pretty happy with my decision. When it comes to med school however, I'll move in a heartbeat!

I was surprised by how many people in my classes were also non-traditional post-baccs trying to get into medical, dental, and graduate schools. So I feel like I still have a good support system in regards to my classmates. Although, I know people who have done formal post-bacc and they got a lot of institutional support when it comes to the actual application process. I hope my decision to do an informal program won't come back to bite me when it comes time to apply next year!

 

[happy20003]

i am doing a 2nd degree because i have a Accreditation problem with my first degree and so i am starting all over again, it sucks that i am going to have to repeat all the general education classes, and this time i will be sure to include the pre-req. 😡

 

[Non-Trad DO]

It was my experience that a formal post-bacc program brought me closer to the faculty at the school I eventually ended up attending and am currently a third year medical student at. 🙂

 

[seethrew]

I went to a formal program because:

a) wanted to do it fast and local options were limiting
b) wanted to make it impossible to work for $$$ so i would focus more and do well.

 

[Sainttpk]

I have decided to do a do it yourself style post bacc, mainly becuase I want to make sure that i take my time and do well in my classes. I looked at doing a one year program, but I am not convinced that it will prepare me in the same manner if I would just do it in a two year period by myself. I think the main pros to do doing it on my own is the cost, the second pro is that I am not rushed to take all my classes at once. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

 

[maishaldan]

What are you doing?
Why did you do it?
and what you have learned. 🙂

1: 9 month formal program @ LECOM.

2: Schools have told me in a nutshell: "Your MCAT scores are great, but your grades suck. Show us you're not as dumb as your grades suggest." The top 3 reasons why this program in particular:

A: Time, I prefer a 9 month program to some that are 12-24.

B: Classes: 1st sem offers good classes, but check the 2nd sem lineup:

Anatomy, Immunology, Virology, Pathology, Pharmacology & Toxicology, Intro to Medicine, Public Health

C: Money: $12 000 is pretty good for these formal programs. Yes, you could do this on your own at a fraction of the cost, but the classes sold it for me; we will actually get cadaver time in the labs for Anatomy 'cause the 1st years will already be done with them!

3: There are a lot of advantages to a structured program you don't find out about going in; especially if it's a program with a linkage to an in-house or closely-related med school.

I wish I could take the time to get into specifics, but, this program is no joke; and I've gotta wicked Physiology test next Mon. So, for anyone who wants to know about those specifics or anything else; don't hesitate to shoot me a PM; I'll reply as soon as I can.

*And to the previous poster, Sainttpk: Pacing yourself so that you'll do well in your classes is a smart play; but I would call a few admissions reps at some of the schools you're considering and see what they think. Admissions people at both DO schools I previously applied to automatically stipulated that my "improved grades" would be earned while taking classes full-time. If you are gonna go full-time, I wish you and everyone else doing this post-bacc/"Second chance at med school" thing the best.

-Bert

 

[Febrifuge]

Formal. I need to re-wire my brain, from arts to science. So naturally, a school that excels at both is the ideal environment for me.

Also, while that's going on I also need to learn and get good grades. I know myself well enough by now that I understand, those two things do not always go together.

 

[sidewalkman]

What:
Informal post-bacc, most likely at Harvard Extension. I will be taking the prereqs plus upper-level sciences to bring up that almighty science GPA (and my regular GPA as well!)

Why:
Unfortuantely, I knew my low GPA would keep me out of a lot of programs. So I needed a program that would let me take lots of science classes a-la-carte, had easy admissions, didn't cost an arm and a leg (I already paid 6 figs for undergrad, thank you), wasn't 3000 miles away, had medical and dental schools in the area (especially dental, my goal), and had a good repution. After shopping around, it was down to Northwestern, Harvard, Penn, and Temple. Penn rejected me outright. Temple accepted me 2nd degree (it would take me the same amount of time), but I didn't feel comfortable with the administration or the quality of instruction. Since there are 3 medical and 3 dental schools in Boston, and Harvard classes are 50% cheaper than Northwestern, going to Harvard was the natural choice. I sat in on a couple of science classes there, and really liked the atmosphere and the instruction. I also read good things from this site. Hopefuly I will be starting this upcoming semester to put away some science electives. I am in no rush, as I know it will take me 2+ years to repair the damage done from a failed undergrad experience.

It's funny, while any formal program would reject me, I actually prefer the informal post-bacc. This way, I choose my path, my courses, my schedule, my research and volunteer opps, and my advisors (IMHO, SDN is better than any advisor for premed stuff, anyway). I find it far more liberating and flexible (not to mention cheaper!) going the informal route.

What I Learned:
There are ALWAYS options out there for those of us who had a change of plans in the career department. Even if you had a crummy GPA, there are STILL a surprising number of options available.

I was fortunate to have taken very few science credits as an undergrad, so my science GPA can still come out to be quite respectable after a post-bacc. Sadly, nothing can be done about the overall GPA, but there are motivating stories on SDN that say this can be overcome.

Good luck to all the postbaccs who actually took the time to read all of this!

 

[VPDcurt]

I have decided to do a do it yourself style post bacc, mainly becuase I want to make sure that i take my time and do well in my classes. I looked at doing a one year program, but I am not convinced that it will prepare me in the same manner if I would just do it in a two year period by myself. I think the main pros to do doing it on my own is the cost, the second pro is that I am not rushed to take all my classes at once. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

This is just my opinion but it might be in your best interest to complete the coursework in one year. The more rigorous the program the better. You need to show med schools that you can cut it academically - I am not quite sure that taking your time and spreading it out is the best way to do this as that is not an option once you are in medical school. What do I know though...the only thing I am good at is juggling and riding around on a unicycle.

 

[CrazyPremed]

I went to a formal program because:

a) wanted to do it fast and local options were limiting
b) wanted to make it impossible to work for $$$ so i would focus more and do well.

Excellent point. I have this bad habit of taking on too much responsibility with my jobs (by getting promoted, taking on extra shifts and projects), and school falls on the backburner. 🙁

CrazyPremed

 

[DrTex?]

I'm going Do it yourself mainly for financial reasons. When I first started my research, I looked at the formal programs and was pretty impressed. When I got down to researching money I was shocked though. You can't get loans for undergrad if you have graduated.

 

[Kluver Bucy]

I appreciate all the advice here, however I have next to no science background. As an undergrad i took maybe one physics class for fun, and a chemistry class just to see what it was like. My reasons for doing an informal post bacc is that I feel that it is important for me to get a grasp of these basic sciences without diving straight into it. What do you guys think of this approach?

I am a 2nd year law student who plans on finishing my JD first, and I also have a large amount of debt right now. I would love to do a formal post bacc but they all seem super super expensive!! I figure that doing an informal program in my home state will save me money, and it will also give me a better chance to do well in my classes without rushing through it in one year. Any thoughts on this?

If I went the formal route, it would have to be relatively cheap. My question for those of you who have gone the formal route is whether you found it to overwhelming? Another reason I am doing the informal route, is because I only have up to precalculus in math, I would like to go back and review my basic skills. Plus I do not want to apply to a program that has a bunch of gunners. I know that people come up with the argument that schools like rigourous programs. Seriously what do you think looks better. a 3.7 over two years? or a 3.2 in a one year period? I would tend to belive the former over the latter.

Im taking all these things into consideration before I choose any one option. Like I said I would love to do a formal post bacc, as long as I knew that I was gonna get the help, support and attention someone needs who has no science background. Otherwise I think I will do the informal route.

thoughts?

thanx

 

[Kluver Bucy]

umm this is truly strange, but i am not kluver bucy i am sainttpk. For some reason when i logged in I ended up logging in as Kluver bucy(I have no clue where this name came from), I tried to clear my brower and log off this guys screeename but it keeps showing up Yikes!. Anyways please respond to my previous post, know that it is sainttpk not Kluver

 

[daria]

Uh... both, actually. Did the UPenn postbacc program (had been out of school 6 years, only had Physics I). I did the absolute minimum # of prereqs at Penn (so as to get their "covering letter"), and did the rest at the inexpensive state school 3 blocks from my front door. The Penn name and covering letter were a good thing, and the resources there were generally good, but beware of postbacc programs; sometimes you end up with low-quality adjunct profs (2/4 for me at Penn, although they may have fixed this problem there by now). The quality at the state school was also mixed, but I was paying a helluva lot less for it!

This worked out fine for me.

 

[mshheaddoc]

You can't get loans for undergrad if you have graduated.

You can get loans but its private loans 🙁

 

[mshheaddoc]

bmp

 

[morganlefay]

So what would you do if your MCAT sucks and your GPA is ok? I am applying for a masters program as a backup (1 year) and obviously retaking the mcat if it comes to that. Or I was thinkiing NIH research or something less formal. I'm leaning more toward the formal, though, because it just seems more 'legit' or something. Opinions would be helpful.

 

[notdeadyet]

You can get loans but its private loans 🙁

Not true, you can get school loans after you graduate if you're enrolled in a program that leads to some kind of certificate (not necessarily a degree). In this case, your register as a 5th year undergraduate and are eligible for up to $10,500/year in student loans.

 

[mshheaddoc]

Not true, you can get school loans after you graduate if you're enrolled in a program that leads to some kind of certificate (not necessarily a degree). In this case, your register as a 5th year undergraduate and are eligible for up to $10,500/year in student loans.

not always eligible and $10500 won't get you far with most schools 😉

 

[blankguy]

The web sites of quite a few schools indicate that they have a strong preference for a committee letter. Are people who are not in a formal post-bacc at a disadvantage? They seem to have such strong wording.

 

[mshheaddoc]

The web sites of quite a few schools indicate that they have a strong preference for a committee letter. Are people who are not in a formal post-bacc at a disadvantage? They seem to have such strong wording.

eh i'm not to worried about it because sometimes you can still get a letter from your institution. Additionally you can get professor and other letters of recommendation.

 

[notdeadyet]

not always eligible and $10500 won't get you far with most schools 😉

The only way you're not eligible for the $10,500 federal is if you have a recent drug conviction or defaulted on student loans before. Credit ratings and EFC do not come into the equation (though most/all of the $10,500 will be unsubsidized if you have a high EFC).

Too right about it not going far, though...

 

[mshheaddoc]

bumping to see who else hasn't voted 🙂

 

[mshheaddoc]

bump