official or unofficial postbac-difference?

[savvysearch]

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Is there any advantage of taking a certificate post-bac program rather than taking classes on your own?

 

[cher25]

The advantage of a formal one is that some have linkages to med schools and you could also get rec letters. Not saying that you can't do this on your own, but access to a pre med office via a formal post bac could make life alot easier.

 

[Comet208]

Another disadvatage would be that since you will be enrolled as a CE student, you are limited to certain # of credits/semester or even certain courses, while as a student officially in a post-bacc program you can take a full load and show what you are made out of. Ad coms like to see this.

 

[Cold Penguin]

On average, you need to compile 6-8 letters of recommendation for your med school applications. As a post-bac, would you be able to find 6-8 recommenders who can substantiate your decision to change your career and support your passion to pursue a career in the health sciences? If you are able to do this, study the MCAT on your own and fulfill all pre-med prerequisites with no support structure, I don't necessarily think that you need a formal post-bac program. So, basically, here is what I think

Informal post-bac: require much independence and time management skills
- need to schedule classes on your own, thereby giving you more flexibility in your schedule. You just need to shape your work schedule around your class schedule.
- you may have more options in choosing where you want to study and live (less financial burden)
- you may need to make more efforts to get to know your professors and TAs
- you may have other things to fit into your schedule: volunteering, studying the MCAT, compiling your letters of rec (who is going to do it for you?), deciding on a glide year

Formal post-bac:
-provides strong support network available such as the experienced advising staff, professors with the experience of teaching career-changers, MCAT study session, ample opportunities to keep your goal on the track, guidance on your glide year
-may be expensive and have to relocate yourself, but changing your scenery to focus on your new field of studies won't be a bad idea
-can be done in one year, and you may take the advantage of the linkage program
-strongly discourages students from working or even working part-time so that students can focus on their studies and ECs necessary for med school

Feel free to add more.

Another disadvatage would be that since you will be enrolled as a CE student, you are limited to certain # of credits/semester or even certain courses, while as a student officially in a post-bacc program you can take a full load and show what you are made out of. Ad coms like to see this.

 

[samenewme]

It depends on the college or university. I can take as many credits as I want as a post-bacc special student. Matriculated students get to register earlier, but so far no classes have been off-limits to me as long as I have the prerequisites. This is something you'll need to check out at the school or schools you're considering.

Another disadvatage would be that since you will be enrolled as a CE student, you are limited to certain # of credits/semester or even certain courses, while as a student officially in a post-bacc program you can take a full load and show what you are made out of. Ad coms like to see this.