Informal Post-Bacc: Who, why, why, where, and how? HELP? thx!

[rgerber85]

Ok... I come from a modestly strong science background. Both a BS and MS. Makes me not so appealing to some of the formal post-bacc's b/c I already have a number of the pre-reqs completed. I'm looking to retake a number of classes b/c I'm not satisfied with my grades... external influences pertaining to my father's health + an overbearing immaturity complex at a young age (as expected) influenced my less than stellar grades.

With that little whining aside - we all make mistakes. We all pay a price. It should not cost us everything we want in life. My hard work and dedication to the sciences, clinical work, and medicine kept me in the game... far enough to complete a masters degree in find standing from notable, rigorous program; known for its research.

With that in mind, I still need Organic Chem I and II + their respective labs... another Bio, and an english course (looking towards Creative writing). I'd also like to retake Chem I, Physics I and II (not the labs... the labs I received A's in), etc, etc...

I, foolishly, allowed my academics to falter... there must be a second chance for someone like me. My cGPA and sGPA are not strong and I've retaken 2 courses for this circumstance. I know I have a better shot at DO school - and I'm hoping I get it. I am currently studying for the MCAT; which I'm aiming for a January take. I know, it's late... but better than never.

My idea is to take Bio + Lab, Orgo I + lab, Chem I, English Writing for fall... (hello loans...)

See what courses are offered for Winter intercession... (Hopefully Physics I & Physics II)... if ORGO II is offered... hello...

and for Spring, Orgo II + Lab (if not offered during winter), Bio II + lab, and either a Biochem or Microbio course... (although I have a solid graduate level biochem class in an Energy Metabolism course my graduate adviser taught that I rocked an A in) so I'm leaning towards Microbio.

The question I have... is what's the best means of doing an informal post-bacc? Extension schools? Can I go through the regular school itself or must I enter through misc. portals ie, umassulearn.net for the umass network?

And is there gov't financing available for individuals carrying 12 credits?

Thanks in advance...

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[lizzo76]

Look into Harvard Extension's rather informal Health Careers Program (and the Extension School has its own website.) Surprisingly, half-time and greater students are eligible for Stafford loans, even if they are not working towards the pre-med diploma (which you can't receive if you have ever taken even one of the 8 pre-med courses which constitute the diploma... and you wouldn't care about the diploma, anyway.) I do not think that students in every other continuing ed program can take out gov't loans - "technically" HES does not meet the requirements - students are not even in certificate programs, let alone degree programs. They've essentially just signed up to be able to get sponsorship if they do well in a certain number of courses (that number determined by their undergrad GPA.)

HES has a strong informal post-bac program.

 

[rgerber85]

Look into Harvard Extension's rather informal Health Careers Program (and the Extension School has its own website.) Surprisingly, half-time and greater students are eligible for Stafford loans, even if they are not working towards the pre-med diploma (which you can't receive if you have ever taken even one of the 8 pre-med courses which constitute the diploma... and you wouldn't care about the diploma, anyway.) I do not think that students in every other continuing ed program can take out gov't loans - "technically" HES does not meet the requirements - students are not even in certificate programs, let alone degree programs. They've essentially just signed up to be able to get sponsorship if they do well in a certain number of courses (that number determined by their undergrad GPA.)

HES has a strong informal post-bac program.

Spoke with Dr. Fixsen... he is hesitant to accept me based on my freshman year grades....

I shot him back an e-mail yesterday stating that basically extenuating circumstances were at play, and everybody makes mistakes and etc etc.. like I stated in my post. I told him, if given the opportunity/chance, I will not let it pass me by again.

I await his reply on Monday.

Otherwise, I'll have to enroll in the program informally and be a non-admitted student and take out a crapload of loans. I have the support of 2 DO's from PCOM who will write me strong recs based on my education, interest, and my kinesiology background makes me a strong candidate for osteopathic medicine, given its "mission statement" lol

thanks.

I hope Dr. Fixsen could see reason.

 

[lizzo76]

I doubt that his reason for being hesitant of admitting you is that he thinks your freshman year grades indicate a lack of ability to do well in the program... lots of people are there having flunked earlier science courses. And HCP is generally non-competitive regarding admissions.

It is instead likely that he thinks that it will be hard to overcome your earlier grades... meaning it will be hard to bring up your GPA enough to make you competitive for med school so HCP would just be taking your money for no good reason.

That said, you can still take all the courses at HES without being in HCP. I'm not in HCP but took several pre-reqs. You can simply register online. (Ah, I see you said this.) Either way you are not really an "admitted" student - HCP is seriously VERY informal. They generally admit everyone unless, like I said, they think they'd be wasting your time. (I usually refer to people as "enrolling" in HCP rather than having been "admitted" to HCP.) In any case, HES/HCP will not give you any aid in the form of grants, so either way you'd have to take out loans if you can't pay out of pocket. (It's just Stafford vs. private.)

HES is one of the cheapest programs around, so don't totally discount it if you can't get into HCP. You could always try to get a staff job at Harvard - I worked there for 3 years and could take all HES classes for free.

Oh, just wanted to add though that for the most part at HES you're not going to find relevant classes to take over the winter break, and you can't opt not to take the labs.

 

[rgerber85]

I doubt that his reason for being hesitant of admitting you is that he thinks your freshman year grades indicate a lack of ability to do well in the program... lots of people are there having flunked earlier science courses. And HCP is generally non-competitive regarding admissions.

It is instead likely that he thinks that it will be hard to overcome your earlier grades... meaning it will be hard to bring up your GPA enough to make you competitive for med school so HCP would just be taking your money for no good reason.

That said, you can still take all the courses at HES without being in HCP. I'm not in HCP but took several pre-reqs. You can simply register online. (Ah, I see you said this.) Either way you are not really an "admitted" student - HCP is seriously VERY informal. They generally admit everyone unless, like I said, they think they'd be wasting your time. (I usually refer to people as "enrolling" in HCP rather than having been "admitted" to HCP.) In any case, HES/HCP will not give you any aid in the form of grants, so either way you'd have to take out loans if you can't pay out of pocket. (It's just Stafford vs. private.)

HES is one of the cheapest programs around, so don't totally discount it if you can't get into HCP. You could always try to get a staff job at Harvard - I worked there for 3 years and could take all HES classes for free.

Oh, just wanted to add though that for the most part at HES you're not going to find relevant classes to take over the winter break, and you can't opt not to take the labs.

Wow. Great information!

I may ask for your hand in marriage right now, I'm that much in love with you. Haha, j/k.

ok, I guess no funny.

Do you recommend any alternative lending/loan ideas for this then? I guess I could look for a Harvard staff job, but will having my MS overqualify me?

I WANT this. So bad.

Thank you!

 

[deleted248403]

Haven't you already posted all of this in the low GPA thread....why the need to repeat?

And i hate to burst your bubble, but an MS in Exercise Science is not impressing many in the medical community.

Its a soft science at best

 

[rgerber85]

Haven't you already posted all of this in the low GPA thread....why the need to repeat?

And i hate to burst your bubble, but an MS in Exercise Science is not impressing many in the medical community.

Its a soft science at best

Exercise Physiology...

and I concentrated on energy metabolism (which is a lot of biochemistry) and endocrinology

 

[deleted248403]

Exercise Physiology...

and I concentrated on energy metabolism (which is a lot of biochemistry) and endocrinology

I'm not going to bicker with you but per this post:

My problem is I havea BS and MS... but I am missing a few core pre-reqs for Med School (I was on atrack that didn't require Ochem i and ii) nor do I have a second bio semester

(http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=11257336#post11257336)

"Biochem" that somehow doesn't require an understanding of orgo, or even second semester intro bio isn't really biochem. They were both pre-reqs for upper level biochem courses I took, and 2nd semester bio was required for the intro biochem class (often called 'cellular and molecular bio' or some such title)

 

[rgerber85]

I'm not going to bicker with you but per this post:

(http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=11257336#post11257336)

"Biochem" that somehow doesn't require an understanding of orgo, or even second semester intro bio isn't really biochem. They were both pre-reqs for upper level biochem courses I took, and 2nd semester bio was required for the intro biochem class (often called 'cellular and molecular bio' or some such title)

Oh.

I'm not looking for a fight, but good question. Kinesiology in my dept was an umbrella dept for a given number of concentrations; my area of specificity was in Energy Metabolism (working in the Energy Metabolism lab) as both a graduate student researcher and teaching assistant.

Our areas of expertise were in biochem, metabolism, ex phys, and endocrine function. My advisor's PhD was in Nutrition and the associate research Md in our lab has an MD specializing in Endocrinology. Both brilliant men in the field, and great mentors. I was just about the study of human movement...

My area of study was in the function of diet and/or exercise on metabolic pathways that affected insulin sensitivity (hepatic and skeletal muscle)

 

[deleted248403]

That doesn't really address my point.

My point is - that an MS (in something that claims to be bio/biochem related) that doesn't require into bio II or any organic chem classes, isn't that rigorous. I think don't think you are going to get the mileage for your MS that you think you are going to get

 

[rgerber85]

That doesn't really address my point.

My point is - that an MS (in something that claims to be bio/biochem related) that doesn't require into bio II or any organic chem classes, isn't that rigorous. I think don't think you are going to get the mileage for your MS that you think you are going to get

I wasn't insinuating I would get any 'mileage'. I am planning on taking orgo I + II this year informally... + bio II. And all the respective labs. In addition a second english course...

3 good books I used;

http://www.amazon.com/Biochemistry-...6122/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1310911739&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Bioenergetics...2416/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1310911739&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Bio...3878/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1310911989&sr=8-1

...you make it seem like I did **** like 'how to exercise: pick things up and put them down'

 

[rgerber85]

I'm thinking of doing a 2nd degree in Biology at Boston University's Metropolitan College... it's technically a 2 year program, giving me the basic core necessities I'd need for "medical-school" as far as pre-reqs, and help prep me for the MCAT.



Spoke to a woman from advising... courses from my ugrad nd grad career @ umass could transfer over giving me a course satisfied, according to her...


English

MET EN 104 English Composition SATISFIED
MET EN 201 Intermediate Composition Pre-Req needed

Mathematics

Four credits in a Metropolitan College math course numbered
MET MA 110 or higher SATISFIED w/ Calc 1 & 2 + 2 Statistics courses

Computer Science

MET CS 101 Computers and Their Applications SATISFIED - Computer Science from UMass Amherst

Literature

Four credits in a 100- or 200-level MET EN literature course or MET HU 221 SATISFIED hmmm... I think I might need 1 course actually.. if a Classics course counts. Crap

Philosophy

Four credits Would need to take 1 class, have a Medical Ethics philosophy course already...

History

Four credits ummmm crap

Additional Courses SATISFIED - I should be all set with this based on my ugrad non-degree courses to satisfy the core 120 credits to graduate from ugrad...

Four credits in the humanities (H)
Four credits in the social sciences (S)
Eight credits in the humanities (H), natural sciences (N),
or social sciences (S)
Four credits in the humanities (H) or social sciences (S)

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A total of 15 courses (60 credits), completed with a grade of C or higher, is required.

Required Courses

Choose nine biology courses (36 credits), including the two courses below:

MET BI 107 Biology I I need
MET BI 108 Biology II I need
The remaining seven courses must include at least one from each of the following areas: physiology SATISFIED, endocrinology SATISFIED, and neurobiology (PER/NEURO) I need and want; cell and molecular biology (CM)coool; and ecology, behavior, and evolution (EBE). At least three courses must be at the 300 to 500 level, and five must have a laboratory or field component.

Courses from the Biomedical Laboratory & Clinical Sciences program may be accepted as specialization courses upon written approval from the Metropolitan College biology coordinator.

Related Courses

Choose six courses (24 credits) from the following:

MET CH 101, MET CH 102, and MET CH 203 or MET CH 171, MET CH 172, and MET CH 271 or MET CH 203
MET MA 123 or MET MA 121, or a college-level statistics course
MET PY 105 and MET PY 106 or MET PY 211 and MET PY 212

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I have heard of people doing their "pre-reqs" for their informal post-bacc and then dropping. How common is that? It's something I might be considering.