Loyola Chicago Post-Bacc Fall '11 Start

[SamiSmiles]

Anyone accepted/starting the program this fall? Why did you choose Loyola?

I've been accepted and having a hard time making a decision between this and another program.

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[Wake949]

I was just accepted for the Loyola Post-Bacc program starting this August ('11). I only applied to Loyola after reading literally every single post on this entire website written about post-bacc programs in Chicago.

Between Loyola and Northwestern, Loyola's program (according to a lot of the responses on this website) seems to have a better support system. The pre-health office is apparently very helpful and they write a committee letter for you, which Northwestern may or may not do, I couldn't discern. Also, Northwestern was reviewed as not really having their house in order. I guess they haven't worked the kinks out yet, while Loyola puts their post-bacs with the undergrads so at least the pre-health office is experienced.

It really came down to a) I need a really strong support system because I have no idea what the hell I'm doing; I was an Econ/Art History double major, and b) I liked that Loyola's program was full time, which allows me to set a faster pace and get through this thing quickly even though I'll have to quit my job.

Hope that helps. Let me know what you decide, or you may have already decided.

 

[meliora27]

I did the post-bacc program at Loyola and I'm now in medical school. The LUC program is fine. Nothing amazing but nothing terrible. In all honesty, I think you should do the cheapest program you can find. If you're smart and have a good work ethic you'll do fine. As for getting good LOR's, having social skills and getting to know professors takes care of that. Did the "committee letter" and "committee process" help? I have no idea. Research, volunteering, clinical experience, being an interesting/normal person all all fine and dandy but at the end of the day it's all about GPA/MCAT. The one thing I will say is that the classes at LUC did not seem terribly difficult so that's a plus, BUT i also didn't feel I learned all that much in them when it came time for the MCAT.

 

[Wake949]

Meliora,

Did you get the impression that the "application" process is just a formality for the Loyola program and that they pretty much let most people in, or did it seem to be relatively competitive? Also, do you think the program was worth it? It's expensive as hell but UIC doesn't really have a student-at-large arrangement anymore and I'm assuming Northwestern would be as expensive if not more. Thanks for your help.

 

[racataca]

Wake, Northwestern's is actually less than Loyola's, according to the figure I've seen.

Northwestern = $1,495/unit where one class is one unit, plus $266 per lab.

Loyola = $16,100.00 full time plus fees, or $655/credit hour, where one science class is generally 4 credit hours (3 lecture plus 1 lab).

So the way I see it, either you go full time at Loyola for 2 years (since you won't be able to do it in less than that just due to the sequence of chem + ochem) and pay $32,000, you go part time at Loyola and pay $2620 for each class part-time (which ends up being $20960 for the very basic pre-med classes), or you do Northwestern on one of their schedules (four quarters, five quarters, or six quarters) and pay $14088 for the entire program (I am not factoring living expenses or fees into any of these calculations).

But I'm biased because I went to Loyola for undergrad, and am stoked about beginning Northwestern's program this fall.

 

[Wake949]

Thanks for doing the math that for whatever reason I had not done yet. Northwestern has a 4 quarter program? Do you know how competitive it is to get into N'western's program (compared to Loyola)?

 

[racataca]

Here's the link to the three different schedules you can do the program in:

http://www.scs.northwestern.edu/pdp/cpdp/health/premed_plan.cfm

As far as competitiveness, I don't know how it compares to Loyola's program, but to get into Northwestern's post-bacc pre-med is not nearly as difficult as getting into Northwestern for undergraduate. I went to the info session and the way they described it was, they are more in the interest of letting people in who qualify and giving them a little bit more of a benefit of a doubt, than denying people just for the sake of denying and therefore raising the level of competitiveness.

That said, you also have to have passed biology I and algebra with at least a B, and have a demonstrated interest in going to medical school.