need advice on post-bacc

[dandoe123]

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hello again people.

sorry to repeat myself, but i'm a PhD student in immunology looking to graduate in the next few months. i'm really contemplating about going to med school afterwards.

i was interested in applying to drexel's MSP/UPenn's program to help prep for the MCAT and "up" my UGPA.

i'm worried to know what my chances of getting in to either of these program is. trying to decide exactly how many post-bacc programs i should apply to and whether getting into a post-bacc and eventually med school is a feasible option.

UGPA: 2.94 (science) 3.11 (overall) -- biology and classics double major
Grad GPA: 3.7 -- PhD immunology (Emory Univ/Dr. Rafi Ahmed)
GRE: i forget the exact score... but i did ok -- verbal: ~650; quant: ~750

** two first author papers in respectable journal and 3 non-first author papers **

thanks

 

[drizzt3117]

Consider HES and Columbia... Penn special science as well. I'm not sure if Drexel MSP requires you to have taken the MCAT first or not.

 

[dandoe123]

Consider HES and Columbia... Penn special science as well. I'm not sure if Drexel MSP requires you to have taken the MCAT first or not.

Will definitely consider them. Ideally, I'd like to go to school near Philly just cause I grew up there and my parents live near by.

According to their website and from what I've read on here, Drexel MSP requires low MCAT OR GRE, whereas the IMS program requires MCAT.

I guess I'm just concerned whether I can get into a Post-Bacc program or not (primarily cause of my low undergrad science GPA). I had initially thought that getting into a Post-Bacc program couldn't be that hard, but read somewhere that, for example, there is only 40 some openings in the Drexel MSP program with about 800-1000 applicants! 🙁

 

[Cluj]

I am currently in Drexel's MSP program and I had to make a quick comment so that you have all the facts. In the MSP program you take four undergraduate classes (2 in the fall: physics I and gen chem and 2 in the spring: physics II and o-chem) as well as four graduate classes: anatomy, physiology, pharmacology and cell biology/biochemistry. All this together with a very intense MCAT preparatory course which is taught by year II students who are currently in the IMS (second year of the program). Include volunteer (mandatory) and also a research class (if you don't have enough experience).

In order to be accepted you have to have an MCAT 27 or below. There are some students in my class who haven't yet taken the MCAT but were accepted with their GRE. Also, I'm close to a 3 science but I was still accepted, with a low MCAT score. If you apply early (i applied end of March) and if your grades are around a 3 with a decent MCAT, strong letters of recommendation and some volunteer you'll be fine. Remember that you'll be volunteering in the fall semester as part of the program. Let me know if there's any other questions you have 🙂

Will definitely consider them. Ideally, I'd like to go to school near Philly just cause I grew up there and my parents live near by.

According to their website and from what I've read on here, Drexel MSP requires low MCAT OR GRE, whereas the IMS program requires MCAT.

I guess I'm just concerned whether I can get into a Post-Bacc program or not (primarily cause of my low undergrad science GPA). I had initially thought that getting into a Post-Bacc program couldn't be that hard, but read somewhere that, for example, there is only 40 some openings in the Drexel MSP program with about 800-1000 applicants! 🙁

 

[neuro85]

If students are allowed to take these undergraduate classes (physics I, gen chem, physics II, and o-chem), so does that mean that the program is open to those who haven't completed all of their pre-med classes? I am confuse because I thought on the website it says that you must have completed the pre-med classes with C grade or higher.