ICU position w/ informal postbacc or formal postbacc?

[rosalinn]

Hi everyone! I am a senior nursing student about to graduate! I am interested in going to medical school in the future. My Gpa is ~3.7, I have some research experience (although I don’t know if it counts as research!). I have a good amount of community service hours. I also have many clinical hours that count as credits from my school (I’m not sure if this counts as clinical experience since I’m getting credit for it). I also recently started a per diem job as a student nurse intern.

I have a job offer in the ICU and I believe it’s an excellent way of gaining meaningful patient interaction, overall boost my clinical hours, and help me speak more fluently about why I want to pursue medicine. Initially, I was going to work full time and take classes part time to fulfill my prerequisite.

I also applied to formal postbacc programs to have formal advising regarding the application process, what I can do to make myself a stronger applicant, LORs, research, volunteer, and shadowing opportunities. I have recently been accepted to UConns post bacc program. From what I’ve read, the acceptance rate to medical schools is 85%. The program requires you to take 15 credits per semester along with volunteering, shadowing, seminar activities. I don’t believe I can work full time while being a full time student.

Should I try to keep my job and just do a diy postbacc or should I do the formal postbacc? Any advice would be appreciated 🙂

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[Chardeemacdennis60]

From what I’ve read, the acceptance rate to medical schools is 85%.

Are you saying the acceptance rate to post-bacc programs is 85%? The acceptance rate to medical school is generally around 40% for all applicants that applied in a given cycle. For each individual school the acceptance rates are usually between 2-4%, but this can vary if you are applying to an in-state program.

I worked full-time as an ICU nurse while I did a DIY post-bac, because I had a employee tuition benefit at my health system and because I wanted the clinical experience/money. I had to take 50 credits in pre-reqs and this took 2.5 years taking 2 courses/semester year round. If you applying as a nurse, you need to work for a meaningful period of time in the profession prior to applying to school.

Going from your BSN program directly to a past-bacc, without ever working as a nurse, would make it difficult to answer in interviews "why" you left the profession. Otherwise, continue with some meaningful volunteer experience and form relationships with your professors to get good LORs. Do well on the MCAT and keep your GPA where it currently is and you should be able to get into a program.

 

[gramnegative]

If you are already about to graduate with a BSN, and are planning on applying for med school, you should really work at this point for a year or two. My ICU experience was universally highly praised on the interview trail. Bachelors in professional health fields have some of the lowest rates of acceptance to med school in general. What would be your answer on the interview trail for why you went into a postbacc right away? The formal prpgrams are not necessary - I did my a DIY postbacc and have had no issues this cycle, which allowed me to work and was much cheaper.