How and where to start DIY Post-bacc?

[porkiepine]

Hello! I dropped pre-med in my sophomore year of college due to self-esteem issues, but I regained my passion for medicine after a number of events, one involving my grandfather's preventable death. After June 2022, which is when my teaching program ends, I'm free to start pursuing medicine again. In the meantime, I am applying for hospital volunteer positions to get some clinical experience, and planning to apply to med schools by 2024. The next tangible step seems to be to knock out my remaining prereqs, but I'm unsure of the basics of creating a DIY post-bacc plan.

Perhaps this will complicate the situation — in the five semesters of gen bio/gen chem/ochem that I did take, I got a handful of Cs, some Bs (~3.0 sGPA, 3.4 cGPA). I'm tempted to apply to career-changer post-bacc programs so I could potentially tackle studying, shadowing, and research simultaneously (depending on the program), but I've read from Goro's reinvention post that retaking courses is almost always a bad idea.

For basic prereqs, I still need:
Ochem 2 with lab
Physics 1 and 2 with lab
2 semesters of English? (if writing classes do not count)

Anyway, how would I start looking for programs? (Should I begin by calling up local schools and asking if I can take classes?) Pluses would include: a stable source of pre-med advice, research, shadowing opportunities, and campus clubs. I live in SoCal, so there are plenty of 4-year colleges near me.

Also, how many/what kind of upper-division classes should I aim to take? (e.g., strategically taking cell bio for my questionable gen bio grades?)

Thank you in advance for your help!

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[caterwaiter]

Congrats on starting the post-bac process!

For English courses, most schools are looking for at least 1 composition-type course. You probably took it freshman year of undergrad, unless you tested out or had it covered by AP Lit. Some schools will let you substitute with other literature/writing courses.

Option 1: a formal, career-changer post-bac. I did a two-year program where you could start in either year 1 or year 2 depending on the number of courses you have left to take. The pro of these programs is the support: advisors, teachers, peers. Most offer MCAT prep. I found the high-achieving culture and ease of access to advising/LORs/mentors to be very helpful. Cons: cost. They're expensive, but you're paying for access to people who know how to get students into med school. Some programs also have a set list of courses that students have to take in order to earn the post-bac degree or certificate.

Option 2: a DIY post-bac. Considering your location, I'd definitely look into the UCLA Extension. Pros: WAY cheaper, particularly if you don't have many courses to take. You can also try searching local 4-year universities that allow non-degree-seeking students to take classes. Classes might be tougher to get into this way -- your registration comes after all enrolled degree-seeking students.

Finally, in terms of upper-div courses, I'd recommend Cell Bio, Genetics, and Micro. To a lesser extent, Anatomy & Physiology, Immuno, Psychology/Sociology (if you didn't already take them in your teaching program). Once you have the prereqs out of the way, you're probably going to want to take 1-2 semesters of these full-time to prove you can handle med school curriculum and solidify your sGPA.

Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions!