Need post-bacc advice: is it necessary to take 3 science courses per semester in post-bacc?

[unclebiff]

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I'm a nontraditional student who is starting a post-bacc this coming Spring semester. I have a 3.96 GPA from undergrad and I majored in finance and minored in mathematics. I also worked in investment banking at a large, well-known bank in Manhattan for a year. I think those would all be good indicators of my general competency, but I guess adcoms wouldn't be able to see how much science aptitude I had just based on these facts. I plan to work 15 - 20 hours per week as a CNA and have committed to 4 hours per week of non-clinical volunteering while taking courses. I'm also working on pulling together an entrepreneurial type non-profit project that will take up some time during my semester, but progress will likely not be linear and the results of such a project might not actually match the amount of effort I put into it by the time I apply to medical schools.

I was thinking of taking just one course per semester for every semester, including 2 summer semesters and the winter semester, to finish my post-bacc in 2 years. Would this look bad on a transcript? I talked to a (free) admissions consultant who mentioned that I should be taking 3 science classes per semester to show adcoms I can handle the science courseload. Would love to hear what others think of this.

 

[Ultimax]

I do not believe that it is necessary to take 3 classes to show Admission Committee that you are competent. An A in all your class is much more important than 3 Cs. You also need to do well on your MCAT, as it will make or break your application. A little bit of my background to justify my point, I graduated in 2009, only took 1-2 classes per semester since May 2018 as I had to work full time to support my family. I got 16 interviews this cycle (10 MDs and 6 DOs).

 

[unclebiff]

Thanks, that makes sense. People seem to be pretty split on this subject, but I also think that if you’re supporting a family, your plate it already pretty full. Taking even 1 course in a semester is probably very tough with your schedule, so I’d imagine adcoms view that differently than they would for me, someone who works part time and doesn’t support a family.


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[GreenDuck12]

I don't think 3 classes is necessary. That would be on par with a full-time post-bac program. That being said, I took 2 classes a semester with a full-time job and one class during summer semester due to the fast paced nature of the class.

 

[unclebiff]

Got it, that makes sense. Think I’ll try to go with 2 classes during normal semesters and 1 during accelerated semesters, like winter and summer.


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[Ultimax]

You are reading too much into it my friend. A good MCAT and high GPA are two important things that school cares about, they would not care less about how many classes you take per semester. Your MCAT score and your GPA can tell them if you can handle the curriculum of medical school.

 

[unclebiff]

I’m only considering the advice I got from an admissions consultant who seemed pretty sharp. Again, I think it makes sense to take fewer courses if you have a full time job and are raising a family, but I’ve honestly never personally spoken to an adcom, so I think it’d be best to follow this consultant’s advice.

Yes, if I had to choose between straight A’s and taking more than one course at a time, I would choose straight A’s any day, but I should be capable of both. Might have to take time away from something else I do, but I’m sure it’s possible.


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[Fidelio17]

Only working 20 hours plus 4 hours of volunteering a week? A single class would be a very light workload, & I would definitely question your capabilities.

& yes, I know you're doing that other nonprofit thing but frankly that doesn't sound like a good use of your time because of the lack of a guaranteed return.

For context, my last semester of post bacc (while interviewing for med school), I was working 40 hours a week at one job, part time at another (~8 hrs a week), & taking 2 classes. I don't suggest doing that either because nothing about it was enjoyable, but realize that is the level of busy that your competition may be at.

 

[unclebiff]

Yeah, I agree. I’m considering taking 3 classes but might hold off on that until next semester. Don’t want to take on too much too quickly.

True, there’s no guaranteed return in spending time on such a venture, but following a cookie cutter pre med check list also doesn’t guarantee acceptance. If I could pull it off, i.e. raise a meaningful amount of money, have volunteers and scale, it would make my application stand out in a meaningful way I believe.

Another thing I’m curious about, how many science classes should I take as part of a post-bacc? I was thinking of taking somewhere in the neighborhood of 9-10 since I have credits for Calc I and Calc II from undergrad.


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[Ultimax]

Biology I and II, General Chem I and II, Physics I and II, Organic Chem I and II, Biochemistry, Statistics are required in many med schools. The rest up to you to meet their pre-requisite requirements. Advanced biology ( Microbiology, Histology, Genetics), upper level Sociology and Psychology.

 

[unclebiff]

Thanks friend @Ultimax

 

[peregrino]

I must concur: doing well in your classes is better that trying to get more classes done faster. For the MCAT, doing well in the MCAT the first time is better than having to retake it. The MCAT is in some ways a test run at how you will do in the Step board exams (the USMLEs), just like your premed classes are a test run at how you might do in medical school classes.

 

[unclebiff]

I completely agree. Having high grades is more important than taking more classes per semester. But that doesn’t mean workload isn’t important. All other things equal, a higher workload looks better than a lower workload on a medical school application. Though, I’m assuming that they’ll be able to tell, which they should be if they’re looking at an official transcript.


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[Goro]

I'm a nontraditional student who is starting a post-bacc this coming Spring semester. I have a 3.96 GPA from undergrad and I majored in finance and minored in mathematics. I also worked in investment banking at a large, well-known bank in Manhattan for a year. I think those would all be good indicators of my general competency, but I guess adcoms wouldn't be able to see how much science aptitude I had just based on these facts. I plan to work 15 - 20 hours per week as a CNA and have committed to 4 hours per week of non-clinical volunteering while taking courses. I'm also working on pulling together an entrepreneurial type non-profit project that will take up some time during my semester, but progress will likely not be linear and the results of such a project might not actually match the amount of effort I put into it by the time I apply to medical schools.

I was thinking of taking just one course per semester for every semester, including 2 summer semesters and the winter semester, to finish my post-bacc in 2 years. Would this look bad on a transcript? I talked to a (free) admissions consultant who mentioned that I should be taking 3 science classes per semester to show adcoms I can handle the science courseload. Would love to hear what others think of this.

If you are working, then two classes/semester should be OK. One course/semester will not convince me that you can handle a med school course load, and we've rejected people who have done just that.

You need to prove this to yourself as well.

I suggest that you work and save up some money, and then attend school full time.

 

[unclebiff]

Merry Christmas and thanks for the response @Goro. I might work / volunteer on a full-time schedule for the next six months and see if it’s for me, then go to one of the structured post-baccs in the fall semester if you think that makes sense. I’m in the NYC area, so NYU, Columbia and CCNY are all options I’m thinking of. Is this generally considered a better route than doing a DIY post bacc where I’d be working / volunteering and taking 2 classes per semester? I have no doubt I could do either, but the DIY option is certainly cheaper and that’s the only reason I lean towards it.


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[chemphysicsinstructor]

I'm a nontraditional student who is starting a post-bacc this coming Spring semester. I have a 3.96 GPA from undergrad and I majored in finance and minored in mathematics. I also worked in investment banking at a large, well-known bank in Manhattan for a year. I think those would all be good indicators of my general competency, but I guess adcoms wouldn't be able to see how much science aptitude I had just based on these facts. I plan to work 15 - 20 hours per week as a CNA and have committed to 4 hours per week of non-clinical volunteering while taking courses. I'm also working on pulling together an entrepreneurial type non-profit project that will take up some time during my semester, but progress will likely not be linear and the results of such a project might not actually match the amount of effort I put into it by the time I apply to medical schools.

I was thinking of taking just one course per semester for every semester, including 2 summer semesters and the winter semester, to finish my post-bacc in 2 years. Would this look bad on a transcript? I talked to a (free) admissions consultant who mentioned that I should be taking 3 science classes per semester to show adcoms I can handle the science courseload. Would love to hear what others think of this.

I always recommend students have a detailed plan before embarking on these types of endeavors. I also strongly recommend pre-studying the material and working with a tutor. It also helps to let the instructors know about your situation. For example, if students communicate their concerns with me, I usually have the ability to work out a customized plan for them. I can do this because I teach at a small school and have my own dedicate lab space as well as a supportive administration.

For inspiration, I just found a YouTube video of an Kansas City Chiefs NFL player who completed medical school concurrently while in the NFL.

 

[unclebiff]

Yeah I think planning with someone is definitely what I would need. Mind if I PM you? @chemphysicsinstructor


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[Moko]

You don't need to take three courses at a time to prove you can handle medical school, but you do need to show that you can do well in your classes despite a full time work load. One class+lab per semester would be fine for someone working a full time job with other extracurricular responsibilities, but would not be sufficient for a person with just the equivalent of a part time work load. With your current schedule, I would expect two classes per semester. Just my thoughts

 

[unclebiff]

I’m thinking of just dropping the DIY post bacc idea altogether. Probably going to end up working for a few years to save for a formal post-bacc program that has good advisement and can tell me exactly what I need to do when I get there.


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