Goro's advice for pre-meds who need reinvention (updated for 2021)

[woundcarelover]

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Hi Goro and friends!

What is the consensus on how adcoms view online academic-enhancing SMPs/post-baccs? Specifically, I am thinking of North Texas and Northern Colorado, which have in-person and online options. Would it be looked down on if I did one of these online programs? I would go in person, but I do not live in either of these states and am currently working full-time (I will go down to part-time or PRN once I start a program). I would attend an in-person program, but there are none near me.

I would like to do a DIY in-person post-bacc at my city's university, but the university has stated that they give the lowest registration priority to non-degree-seeking students, so I am afraid I would not get into the classes I need to. This university is public, but it is on the smaller end and often only has one section for upper-level science courses.

Any advice or insight would be greatly appreciated!

 

[stonecutter4991]

I would like to do a DIY in-person post-bacc at my city's university, but the university has stated that they give the lowest registration priority to non-degree-seeking students, so I am afraid I would not get into the classes I need to.

During my post-bacc I registered as a second degree seeking student and got first dibs on classes! Nobody is going to check and make sure you actually plan to finish the second degree - though you may as well take classes as if you are, because you never know how many cycles admission will take.

Also, look at if you can mix and match between schools. I took some classes at the local public state university, and some at the community college, just to make sure I could always get a seat in the class I needed. Some people say that CC credits are looked down on, but that has not been my experience. Several interviewers have asked about it and seemed to view it as a sign I was flexible and willing to find a way to make things work. Just make sure you don't take all of the really hard classes (OChem 2, Biochem) at the CC or it'll look like you were shirking difficulty.

 

[Goro]

Hi Goro and friends!

What is the consensus on how adcoms view online academic-enhancing SMPs/post-baccs? Specifically, I am thinking of North Texas and Northern Colorado, which have in-person and online options. Would it be looked down on if I did one of these online programs? I would go in person, but I do not live in either of these states and am currently working full-time (I will go down to part-time or PRN once I start a program). I would attend an in-person program, but there are none near me.

I would like to do a DIY in-person post-bacc at my city's university, but the university has stated that they give the lowest registration priority to non-degree-seeking students, so I am afraid I would not get into the classes I need to. This university is public, but it is on the smaller end and often only has one section for upper-level science courses.

Any advice or insight would be greatly appreciated!

My school doesn't tell interviewers or Adcom members if a program is online or not, so just do well.

 

[lukadoncic77]

Hello Everyone!

Hope you guys are all doing well. I am a nontraditional premed hoping to gain some insight and see if there are any glaring issues that would prevent me from applying next cycle.


NC Resident

Graduated with a BS in Computer Science from UNC Chapel Hill in 2023

I am most concerned about my GPA. I had a pretty poor undergraduate GPA, but did essentially none of the medical school prerequisites until my post-bacc. I was able to achieve a 3.97 GPA taking 47 BCPM credit hours during my post-bacc.

My final GPAs will be: cGPA: 3.40, sGPA: 3.56.

BCPM:

Clinical Experience:
Emergency Department Medical Scribe: 2100+ hours
EMT-Basic: 170+ hours
Free Clinic EMT Volunteer: 50+ hours

Volunteering:
Crisis Textline: 20+ hours
Boys & Girls Club After school volunteer: 60 hours
Food Bank: 20+ hours

Shadowing:
Orthopedic Surgery, in the clinic and OR: 20 hours
Want to do at least 60 hours shadowing, with one of the specialities being primary care

Research:
Kinesiology research studying ACL laxity: 80+ hours
Literature Review Project: 20 hours (don't know if I will include this or not)
Possible authorship on a paper

Leadership:
Human Physiology Teaching Assistant: 90 hours (idk if this is actually leadership or not)

Other:
Software Engineer Intern: 400 hours

I am currently studying for the MCAT and hope to take it in March 2026.

Sorry if I forgot any important info.

 

[gildishchambino]

Hey Goro!

I’m a Canadian applicant thinking about applying to DO schools. My stats:

• GPA: 3.2 overall / 3.0 science
• MCAT: 517 (130 CARS)
• URM
• Some Ws and Ds early in undergrad

I’m wondering a few things:

1. For someone like me, would a DIY post-bacc be necessary, or is my MCAT enough to carry my app?
2. If a post-bacc is helpful, roughly how many upper-level science credits should I aim for to make a meaningful impact?
3. Do DO schools look favorably on Canadian applicants who do a post-bacc, or is it just about showing recent strong grades?

Any advice or experiences would be super appreciated!

 

[stonecutter4991]

1. For someone like me, would a DIY post-bacc be necessary, or is my MCAT enough to carry my app?
2. If a post-bacc is helpful, roughly how many upper-level science credits should I aim for to make a meaningful impact?
3. Do DO schools look favorably on Canadian applicants who do a post-bacc, or is it just about showing recent strong grades?

Sorry - not Goro!

1. maybe necessary - what was your GPA trend by year? Good MCAT is good, but they want to make sure you can handle the courseload.
2. 30 is a reasonable target

 

[gildishchambino]

Sorry - not Goro!

1. maybe necessary - what was your GPA trend by year? Good MCAT is good, but they want to make sure you can handle the courseload.
2. 30 is a reasonable target

No need to apologize, i appreciate ur response!!

1. Heres my GPA breakdown:
Y1: 3.45
Y2: 3.1
Y3: 3.2
Y4: 2.8
Y5: 3.65

2. should I spread out the 30 credits between 3-4 semesters, or jus do it all in 1 year?