Non-Traditional vs Post-Bacc

[WhiteWolfNY]

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I'm an older student at 28. Sparing the story and getting to the facts. I went to school after high school and went undeclared and took all non math and non science classes. I ended up with a 2.2 GPA.

Fast forward to today.

I've declared a major in computer science. I want to graduate with a marketable degree if my dreams of med school cannot be met. My academic progress restarted in the Fall of 2017. I wanted to see if I could handle school before I even considered admittance into medical school. I maintained a 4.0 in my first semester back and will maintain it through the end of this spring semester.

The classes I have remaining for a degree in CS are all major related. All of my general requirements are filled. I'd be taking 2-3 classes a semester and finish my degree in 2020.

I feel that I've gotten my feet wet enough to know that I can perform at a high level. My question is:

Do I continue as a CS major and take med school prerequisites a la carte and apply as a non traditional?

Do I continue as a CS major and graduate with a degree in CS and look into post-bacc options?

 

[curbsideconsult]

If you're working on getting your bachelor's now, you're just applying as a regular undergrad. It would be best to major in CS if that's what you enjoy while taking the med school prereqs so that you don't have to do a post-bacc.

 

[WhiteWolfNY]

If you're working on getting your bachelor's now, you're just applying as a regular undergrad. It would be best to major in CS if that's what you enjoy while taking the med school prereqs so that you don't have to do a post-bacc.

I do enjoy CS. However I should add that the university that I attend isn't exactly the most competitive university and I've just begun studying for the MCAT. Admissions is my biggest concern. From what I understand I want to have a strong involvement in extracurricular programs and have strong connections / recommendations. Will those programs and recommendations totally discredit my application towards med schools when coming from what is considered a weaker university?

 

[stickgirl390]

I was in a similar-ish situation. The post-back I did wasn’t linked with any program, so it was basically a longer more annoying version of a-la-carte. I would suggest you just take the prereqs while you finish your degree

 

[curbsideconsult]

I do enjoy CS. However I should add that the university that I attend isn't exactly the most competitive university and I've just begun studying for the MCAT. Admissions is my biggest concern. From what I understand I want to have a strong involvement in extracurricular programs and have strong connections / recommendations. Will those programs and recommendations totally discredit my application towards med schools when coming from what is considered a weaker university?

What matters more than the name of the school is how well you do in all your classes. I've known of people who have graduated from a pretty low-ranked state school to go on to places like Pitt for med school. A lot of where you're going to apply for med school depends on your GPA (no matter which university/college you attend) and MCAT and then a close second to those is your activities. The only caveat to all of this is if you're getting your degree from an extremely disreputable online school.

Yes, you want to have strong involvement and strong LORs from profs/supervisors/coordinators/etc. who know you well. You need to have clinical and non-clinical activities and make sure at least one of those non-clinical activities is service to the needy.

 

[WhiteWolfNY]

What matters more than the name of the school is how well you do in all your classes. I've known of people who have graduated from a pretty low-ranked state school to go on to places like Pitt for med school. A lot of where you're going to apply for med school depends on your GPA (no matter which university/college you attend) and MCAT and then a close second to those is your activities. The only caveat to all of this is if you're getting your degree from an extremely disreputable online school.

Yes, you want to have strong involvement and strong LORs from profs/supervisors/coordinators/etc. who know you well. You need to have clinical and non-clinical activities and make sure at least one of those non-clinical activities is service to the needy.

Thank you. I see that you're a med student. How do you think my low GPA of the past will impact my chances at interviews? Hindsight is 20/20.

 

[WhiteWolfNY]

I was in a similar-ish situation. The post-back I did wasn’t linked with any program, so it was basically a longer more annoying version of a-la-carte. I would suggest you just take the prereqs while you finish your degree

Time is a factor when considering age which is why I want to consider both options carefully. All of my general requirements are filled to graduate with a degree in CS and all thats left are major related classes which leaves plenty of room for the prerequisite classes.

I was worried that a post-bacc would be a inefficient use of time vs if I could take the prerequisites today. Thank you.

 

[curbsideconsult]

Thank you. I see that you're a med student. How do you think my low GPA of the past will impact my chances at interviews? Hindsight is 20/20.

Only positively if you keep the grade trends up (on the flip side, don't freak out if you get a B or so here and there while taking your prereqs). Those old classes not being science-related works in your favor since you won't have to incorporate any of those low grades into the sGPA calculation.

 

[OchemOficionado]

I'm an older student at 28. Sparing the story and getting to the facts. I went to school after high school and went undeclared and took all non math and non science classes. I ended up with a 2.2 GPA.

Fast forward to today.

I've declared a major in computer science. I want to graduate with a marketable degree if my dreams of med school cannot be met. My academic progress restarted in the Fall of 2017. I wanted to see if I could handle school before I even considered admittance into medical school. I maintained a 4.0 in my first semester back and will maintain it through the end of this spring semester.

The classes I have remaining for a degree in CS are all major related. All of my general requirements are filled. I'd be taking 2-3 classes a semester and finish my degree in 2020.

I feel that I've gotten my feet wet enough to know that I can perform at a high level. My question is:

Do I continue as a CS major and take med school prerequisites a la carte and apply as a non traditional?

Do I continue as a CS major and graduate with a degree in CS and look into post-bacc options?

Either way you're non trad. If I understand correctly, you're asking if you should take pre reqs while still pursuing your degree OR save them for a post bacc after you graduate, right? In regards to time and possibly cost, I would take as many prereqs as possible while in undergrad and those you can't finish do after (as a DIY post bac). Can you do some CS courses over summer? If so, you can squeeze more prereqs in during the semester. If you're asking about formal post bacs, it would still be better to complete as many prereqs as you can before starting.