Graduating with a BSN..next stop, Post-Bac

[rayychellmarie]

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I am currently in my spring semester of junior year in a BSN program. Last semester, I truly set my heart on going to medical school after realizing that nursing was not where my passion lies. I gave it by best shot...but the scope is nowhere close to what I want for my future profession. Needless to say, I was in a sticky situation in regards to transferring majors so late in the game..I decided to follow through with the nursing program and apply for post-bacs this fall. I work for a research lab through Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (have been there for about 5 years...mainly a research tech but I've done internships through Bloomberg SPH in the summers). Some main points...

Overall 3.6 GPA
Science GPA ~3.5
3000+ hours of shadowing/volunteering in addition to a few hundred direct patient clinical hours (nursing school)
Haven't taken the MCAT yet obviously...but plan to do so during post-bac
A publication through Johns Hopkins SOM

Just wondering what my chances are getting into the Goucher, Hopkins, UPenn, and Temple programs are....not quite sure how competitive post-bacs can be...🙂

 

[gyngyn]

For you, more than most, success will be contingent upon a strong MCAT score. The sciences in BSN classes are not thought to be quite rigorous. Thus your good gpa is less penetrant as a factor.

UPenn and Hopkins are extraordinarily competitive. When you are ready to make a school list, purchase the MSAR and make strategic choices based on your stats and the quality of your application.

 

[Pons Asinorum]

3000+ hours of shadowing/volunteering in addition...

That looks like a typo. If it's not, you've shadowed/volunteered 2+ hour a day, every weekday (taking a two week hiatus/vacation) of the year for the last 7 or 8 or so years. Even if that is true, and it may be, it defies belief. If I saw that on an application, I would question the inflationary forces on other parts of your app.

 

[rayychellmarie]

That looks like a typo. If it's not, you've shadowed/volunteered 2+ hour a day, every weekday (taking a two week hiatus/vacation) of the year for the last 7 or 8 or so years. Even if that is true, and it may be, it defies belief. If I saw that on an application, I would question the inflationary forces on other parts of your app.

It isn't a typo...I know, difficult to believe. I have been fortunate enough to begin shadowing/volunteering early on and my parents were able to allow me to spend adequate time (40+ hours a week) volunteering and working in various clinical settings instead of getting a paying job in high school/undergrad. I've also spent time doing medical missions. It has culminated pretty quickly and I have documentation of my hours. When I'm not in school I'm in the hospital/research lab/ etc. Understandable about the questionable inflation...

 

[rayychellmarie]

Also....I am solely applying for post-bacs that are pre-med focused (basic science)...not an advanced science "gpa booster"...I will be graduating with a minor in biology as well. Unfortunately it's nearly impossible to cram all of the pre-reqs in with the nursing curriculum unless you start early and go through summers

 

[Pons Asinorum]

It isn't a typo...I know, difficult to believe. I have been fortunate enough to begin shadowing/volunteering early on and my parents were able to allow me to spend adequate time (40+ hours a week) volunteering and working in various clinical settings instead of getting a paying job in high school/undergrad. I've also spent time doing medical missions. It has culminated pretty quickly and I have documentation of my hours. When I'm not in school I'm in the hospital/research lab/ etc. Understandable about the questionable inflation...

And yet in all that time, with all that clinical setting experience, you choose to go BSN vs. pre med, a decision on which you have now at a late date decided to reverse course. It will either make for fascinating conversation during interviews or will get you screened for the usual RN-to-MD questions that are debated in many places elsewhere on here.

 

[rayychellmarie]

And yet in all that time, with all that clinical setting experience, you choose to go BSN vs. pre med, a decision on which you have now at a late date decided to reverse course. It will either make for fascinating conversation during interviews or will get you screened for the usual RN-to-MD questions that are debated in many places elsewhere on here.

It was a difficult decision to choose nursing going into undergrad....I don't think I was able to truly understand what I wanted until I was immersed in a profession that I truly did not gain any satisfaction from. In my experience, shadowing gave me an idea but being involved was the ticket to knowing what I wanted and did not want. Nursing is extremely important, but not for me. Initially, I planned on doing advanced practice nursing and I think that's compelled me to go the BSN route. My rationale was that "I couldn't lose either way" even if I decided to go to medical school later on. Now I realize that it is a little more difficult than that. However, I believe I have strong rationale behind my decision and hopefully that will get through to adcoms when the time comes. Thanks for your help!

 

[Pons Asinorum]

It was a difficult decision to choose nursing going into undergrad....I don't think I was able to truly understand what I wanted until I was immersed in a profession that I truly did not gain any satisfaction from. In my experience, shadowing gave me an idea but being involved was the ticket to knowing what I wanted and did not want. Nursing is extremely important, but not for me. Initially, I planned on doing advanced practice nursing and I think that's compelled me to go the BSN route. My rationale was that "I couldn't lose either way" even if I decided to go to medical school later on. Now I realize that it is a little more difficult than that. However, I believe I have strong rationale behind my decision and hopefully that will get through to adcoms when the time comes. Thanks for your help!

I think you should definitely incorporate this into your PS and the broader narrative that you app will tell about you. You just need the app to be a cohesive story of who/why you are seeking a medical school acceptance. Sounds like you have that.

 

[Pons Asinorum]

And I will reiterate what some one very correctly said: do well on the MCAT. The argument for truth is for another day, but most people/adcomms take a dim view of the rigorousness of BSN classes and RN training in general. There is a lot of feeling that a new RN shows up on the floor completely clueless and then they get a bunch of on-the-job training that turns them into something useful, like the entire training process could be skipped due to its lack of education. The MCAT is how you prove that that stereotype doesn't apply to you.

 

[rayychellmarie]

And I will reiterate what some one very correctly said: do well on the MCAT. The argument for truth is for another day, but most people/adcomms take a dim view of the rigorousness of BSN classes and RN training in general. There is a lot of feeling that a new RN shows up on the floor completely clueless and then they get a bunch of on-the-job training that turns them into something useful, like the entire training process could be skipped due to its lack of education. The MCAT is how you prove that that stereotype doesn't apply to you.

So I've heard, which is understandable. The rigor of a nursing curriculum is much different compared to that of a hard science background. In it's defense, nursing evokes and develops a vast amount of clinical reasoning and critical thinking skills which proves extremely useful in practice...but it's emphasis on science is minimal and sophomoric if that...you really only need to know the basics to get by.

I can vouch from personal experience, almost being finished with nursing school, that if I were expected to take over patients on a med-surg floor right now I would have little idea regarding what to do on my own. Training and experience definitely cultivate the successful RN.

I appreciate the wise guidance! One more question...would adcoms look favorably upon the fact that I chose a post-bac instead of piecing together pre-req courses on my own? I have reason to think this may potentially downplay the nursing stigma..but I could be wrong?

 

[Pons Asinorum]

I appreciate the wise guidance! One more question...would adcoms look favorably upon the fact that I chose a post-bac instead of piecing together pre-req courses on my own? I have reason to think this may potentially downplay the nursing stigma..but I could be wrong?

Any classes you take post-BSN will be lumped under "post bacc" in the eyes of adcomms. If you make good grades in pre-req and some above pre-req classes (genetics, biochem, a&p), you will be fine regardless of institution. Knowing that, I would favor the path that maximizes 1) the number of A's you can pick up, and 2) the lack of debt that you start medical school with. Don't pay the extortion-level fees that a lot of post-baccs charge just for a minimal, if any, jump in "prestige". Save your money and study hard enough to maximize your MCAT score and you'll be golden.

 

[gyngyn]

Any classes you take post-BSN will be lumped under "post bacc" in the eyes of adcomms. If you make good grades in pre-req and some above pre-req classes (genetics, biochem, a&p), you will be fine regardless of institution. Knowing that, I would favor the path that maximizes 1) the number of A's you can pick up, and 2) the lack of debt that you start medical school with. Don't pay the extortion-level fees that a lot of post-baccs charge just for a minimal, if any, jump in "prestige". Save your money and study hard enough to maximize your MCAT score and you'll be golden.

I agree.

 

[alpinism]

That looks like a typo. If it's not, you've shadowed/volunteered 2+ hour a day, every weekday (taking a two week hiatus/vacation) of the year for the last 7 or 8 or so years. Even if that is true, and it may be, it defies belief. If I saw that on an application, I would question the inflationary forces on other parts of your app.

Its not that unbelievable. I was a volunteer firemedic for 3 yrs during ugrad alone. Volunteered 2-12hr. shifts per week (sometimes more). Came out to over 3,800hrs.

Also....I am solely applying for post-bacs that are pre-med focused (basic science)...not an advanced science "gpa booster"...I will be graduating with a minor in biology as well. Unfortunately it's nearly impossible to cram all of the pre-reqs in with the nursing curriculum unless you start early and go through summers

Agree with the previous posters. Go whereever is cheapest and the most convienient. It really doesn't matter when it comes to post-bacc classes. Your science GPA and MCAT score is what adcoms focus on, not where you went to class.

If you have a good job and internship positions available at Hopkins, I'd just stay in Maryland and go to Hopkins or U Maryland. UMCP's SIE track is supposed to be a solid program and its pretty cheap. UMBC is another option. There are a few threads on SDN discussing all of them if you do a search.

Good luck!

 

[rayychellmarie]

Its not that unbelievable. I was a volunteer firemedic for 3 yrs during ugrad alone. Volunteered 2-12hr. shifts per week (sometimes more). Came out to over 3,800hrs.



Agree with the previous posters. Go whereever is cheapest and the most convienient. It really doesn't matter when it comes to post-bacc classes. Your science GPA and MCAT score is what adcoms focus on, not where you went to class.

If you have a good job and internship positions available at Hopkins, I'd just stay in Maryland and go to Hopkins or U Maryland. UMCP's SIE track is supposed to be a solid program and its pretty cheap. UMBC is another option. There are a few threads on SDN discussing all of them if you do a search.

Good luck!

Thank you!! I'll check out the post-bac posts unless you guys are familiar with the linkage options that most programs offer...that's what initially drew me to the formal programs in addition to a few other extra opportunities that they offer I saw them as a fit for me because I believe I do well in a more structured, competitive environment....but I could be glamorizing the whole thing