HELP! Advice on choosing a post bac

[schun]

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I'm currently a senior at top-ten university (not ivy-league). I recently decided to become a doctor, but I haven't taken any of my pre-reqs yet. I'm currently taking calculus and I've taken statistics in the past. My current cumulative gpa is a 3.6 and my SAT score was a 2290. I'm about to start volunteering at a hospital this semester.

So I'm wondering if I should wait a little after I graduate to apply to post bac programs or apply as soon as possible? Also is it better to apply to really intense but prestigious post bac programs like goucher and bryn mawr, which are only 1-year long, or to programs at larger universities like UPenn and Georgetown? Math and science have never been my best subjects (but I'm not terrible at them), so I don't know if I could handle taking physics, orgo, and bio with labs all at once. I got a B in statistics (but it was a notoriously difficult class at my school) and a B in calculus last semester (had an A but did poorly on the final). Will these poor math grades effect my chances of getting into any post bac programs? I am going to try to get an A in my calculus II class this semester.

Also is the cost of attending a post bac program at a private more prestigious university worth it? Or would I be seen as an equally competitive med school applicant if I did my post bac at Rutgers?

Thanks! I could really use the advice! I'm pretty lost right now.

 

[CUpostbacc]

Hi there!
First off, congrats on deciding you want to become a doctor. I think taking that leap could be considered the most daunting part of entering the postbacc path, so good job!

I had the same concerns as you when I applied to postbacc programs. I sent out a ton of applications to schools with varying levels of prestige. In the end I decided on Columbia for a number of reasons, and I am very happy with my choice!

In response to whether or not you should apply immediately after college or wait a bit; I would say that is up to your preferences and specific situation. I have plenty of friends in the Columbia postbacc program who began immediately after college and plenty who took time off, explored another career, and then started the program. Either way, you will be in good company

It is great that you are being so discerning in your choice of postbacc program and paying attention to your specific strengths and weaknesses. I can say that for me, taking all the premed classes in one year seemed incredibly daunting. Now that I have almost finished the classes after 2 years I have no idea how I would have done all the academic work I just did in 1/2 the time! If you know that you require a more slow pace to perform your best, then I would encourage you to look into a postbacc program that is more than a year long and also has a postbac-specific advising program set up so that you can speak to your personal advisor about the best way to configure your schedule.

When I went to the information session at Columbia after being accepted, I saw immediately that it is way more structured in comparison to other programs, allowing you to look ahead into coming semesters and know which classes have some 'wiggle room' as far as in what order and how quickly they must be completed. (There are a few ways to complete the requirements, and I know many students who are currently taking a different path than those listed on the website: http://www.gs.columbia.edu/postbac/schedules) Also, although the requirements are rigorous, because of the community and great advisors there you won't be going it alone, which is important to know if you are not from a traditional math and science background.

Your current GPA and SAT scores are very competitive, and I don't think you should have any problem getting into a good postbacc program, especially if you get some volunteer work under your belt before you apply.

Finally, the question of 'does a mediocre GPA at a prestigious college look as good or better than a great GPA at a so-so college?' Well, I can tell you that this is a question it seems nobody really knows the precise answer to! However, I truly believe that the cost of attending a prestigious program like Columbia's has been well worth it, as you do not pay for the prestige but you pay for a great education and dedicated advisors. I personally believe that a medical school admissions committee will look at a GPA from Columbia and take it with a grain of salt, knowing the rigors of the program. I also believe that premed classes are going to be difficult no matter where you take them, and I imagine now that I probably would have the GPA I currently have regardless of where I had studied!

I hope I clarified some things for you and you are feeling less lost now. If not, feel free to message me! Take care!