Medical Looking for Advice on Postbac

[Catalystik]

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I graduated from North Central College last year (Music major, psych minor) and somehow saw the light that I still have this desire to be a surgeon. I had a 2.9 cGPA and (fortunately) only took two science courses at my school. Calculus (C+) and Human Bio (A).

1) I am looking to do a postbac, but I am unsure how it is weighted into an application.

I was accepted into Dominican University, and have just applied to Loyola and Lewis. I also applied to Elmhurst as a transfer on accident, but got accepted as a "second degree seeking student" and received a post baccalaureate studies scholarship. The first three programs are all recognized on the AAMC website as postbac programs, but Elmhurst College is not. I fell in love with Elmhurst as soon as I stepped foot on campus, and I'm worried that maybe its not the best choice to go there. (It helps that is one of the safest areas/campuses).

2) Any advice on where to go, what looks better, how to stop being stressed, etc. would be greatly appreciated!

1) Postbac undergrad coursework will be included in your application GPA calculations, just as if you had taken it during your pre-graduation college years. Many schools weight recent grades more heavily.

2) A do-it-yourself postbac at Elmhurst will accomplish the same GPA repair for your transcript as a formal, more-expensive postbaccalaureate program. The proof that it was sufficiently rigorous comes from the MCAT score that will demonstrate that "you got it." Other benefits of a formal program you can find on your own, like shadowing opportunities, good LOR writers, volunteer programs (clinical and nonclinical), MCAT prep, and possibly research experience. Both will have advisors of variable quality; it will be up to you to determine if they are knowledgeable or not. SDN is a good backup plan.