Pickin' a Post Bacc...Help?

[lemmonhead]

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Hi All,

New to the post. Just wondering the process people went through when choosing a post bacc program? What did you do before applying? How do I maximize my chances of being admitted to the best post bacc possible?

Stats:
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Economics Major
GPA: 3.15/4.0 (3.6/4.0 3rd/4th year)
ACT: 27 Cumm. 23 Reading, 27 Math, 27 English, 35 Science
Spent a year teaching in Asia and volunteering for brief stints at a couple health clinics
Currently in the process of applying to volunteer programs at hospitals and shadowing physicians
Currently working at an internet start up and utterly displeased. Medicine is pretty much the only thing I have ever wanted to do and I'm now finally relaxed that I'm ready to pursue my dream.

Any input would be appreciated!

 

[theseeker4]

Hi All,

New to the post. Just wondering the process people went through when choosing a post bacc program? What did you do before applying? How do I maximize my chances of being admitted to the best post bacc possible?

Stats:
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Economics Major
GPA: 3.15/4.0 (3.6/4.0 3rd/4th year)
ACT: 27 Cumm. 23 Reading, 27 Math, 27 English, 35 Science
Spent a year teaching in Asia and volunteering for brief stints at a couple health clinics
Currently in the process of applying to volunteer programs at hospitals and shadowing physicians
Currently working at an internet start up and utterly displeased. Medicine is pretty much the only thing I have ever wanted to do and I'm now finally relaxed that I'm ready to pursue my dream.

Any input would be appreciated!

Can you attend classes at your undergraduate university? When I went back to take the med-school pre-reqs, I simply registered for the classes and started taking them at my UG institution; I could still register so I didn't have to apply to a post-bach program or go through admissions to a university. If you can do this, it would probably be the option with the fewest headaches involved.

If you can't do this, the only advice I can give is begin contacting the admissions offices of nearby universities and ask about post-bach requirements. If a post-bach is not available, you can apply for a second bachelors degree and simply take the pre-reqs and any other desired courses to raise you GPA on your own. Good luck!

 

[Reggie V]

Hi Lemonhead. I see you are in Chicago. I did my post-bacc at Loyola. They have a great program (good support staff, strong post-bacc reputation). Northwestern and I believe UIC also have good post-bacc programs.

oops...didn't read the question carefully enough. As far as requirements, I know that Loyola has certain GPA requirements to be admitted to their program. However, I also know that if you don't meet those requirements, they will allow you to enroll in classes and "prove yourself." I have a friend who is doing that now and after taking biology and gen chem (and getting A's) was admitted into the main program. Some people may think, "what is the point of getting into the program if you can just take the classes anyway?" The program can actually be very important. Loyola (and likely Northwestern and UIC) offer to write a Committee Letter of Recommendation if you are part of the program and have done well. These letters are very important as far as LORs go (and if you go to a school which offers them and don't have one it tends to look bad on your app).

 

[lemmonhead]

Reggie-

Thanks for your input.Did you do a science related undergrad? I Looked at Loyola and I got the impression that it was more of a Masters post bacc and for students who had completed the most if not all of the basic med school requirements?

 

[lemmonhead]

Seeker-

Were you in a similar academic situation to myself GPA wise? Or if I nail my pre-med courses will that offset the lower overall GPA? It sounds like they average post back and undergrad grades which concerns me. I guess its not a reason to not apply....just trying to size up my chances.

 

[Reggie V]

A friend of mine at med school did the masters program (i think he called it MAMS), but I did not do that. below is the link to the program that I did. My program did not confer a degree. It just allowed you to take the courses, but provided a very strong support staff (free tutoring, help with the entire application process, mock interview prep, etc). If you schedule yourself part-time, you will get all the benefits of the university, without having to pay the regular tuition (a huge difference at a private school). I feel like a salesman, but to this day I feel a lot of gratitude for the efforts made by the school to help me.

http://luc.edu/prehealth/postbachelors.shtml

p.s. I did not have a science background and had to take all the pre-reqs at Loyola.

 

[theseeker4]

Seeker-

Were you in a similar academic situation to myself GPA wise? Or if I nail my pre-med courses will that offset the lower overall GPA? It sounds like they average post back and undergrad grades which concerns me. I guess its not a reason to not apply....just trying to size up my chances.

I had a higher GPA so I didn't need to worry about bumping it up. If you get great grades >3.7 and get a good MCAT score, you should have a better chance than your GPA would indicate. However, you will have to apply more broadly to schools to ensure acceptance somewhere with a below-average GPA. You are getting ahead of yourself in that respect though, since you need to get through the classes and take the MCAT to see where you stand. If you excel in the courses you definitely have a good chance at becoming a doctor, even if you have to apply more than once. The question is if you can/will get excellent grades in the science classes you need.

 

[lemmonhead]

Thanks Seeker. I do tend to get ahead of myself and just get overwhelmed in the process. Definitely need to ground myself and take it one step at a time. Thanks for the input. Really appreciate your help