Is there any advantage of taking a certificate post-bac program rather than taking classes on your own?
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official or unofficial postbac-difference?
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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.
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.
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.
Comet208 said:
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.
Comet208 said:
