Post-Bac Newbie

[docryder]

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I am just beginning to look into post-bac programs for a June 2006 start. I have a 3.4 GPA from my undergrad and am looking to get into Bryn Mawr or Goucher. I have really good test scores but not alot of medically related volunteer experience. I am beginning a volunteer program at Rhode Island Hospital. Should I be worried about getting into a top program? My commitment is 150% and I want to get into a top medical school. Any advice to offer???

 

[wakebord99]

I am just beginning to look into post-bac programs for a June 2006 start. I have a 3.4 GPA from my undergrad and am looking to get into Bryn Mawr or Goucher. I have really good test scores but not alot of medically related volunteer experience. I am beginning a volunteer program at Rhode Island Hospital. Should I be worried about getting into a top program? My commitment is 150% and I want to get into a top medical school. Any advice to offer???

I was about to post the same topic. I'm a grad for spring 07' but i haven't taken my MCATs. My objective is to get into UMDNJ program. I live here by Newark, and i feel comfortable in the area.

I don't understand what the point of a post-bach program is entirely...

I know you basically apply to this program if you haven't been accepted into a medical school, but how much does this really help.

-What are your % chances of getting into UMDNJ if you do their post-bach program and do well?

-Some post-bach programs have actual Med School classes. Do you have to retake those classes again if your accepted into the med school?

Thanks
Wakebord99

 

[Law2Doc]

I was about to post the same topic. I'm a grad for spring 07' but i haven't taken my MCATs. My objective is to get into UMDNJ program. I live here by Newark, and i feel comfortable in the area.

I don't understand what the point of a post-bach program is entirely...

I know you basically apply to this program if you haven't been accepted into a medical school, but how much does this really help.

-What are your % chances of getting into UMDNJ if you do their post-bach program and do well?

-Some post-bach programs have actual Med School classes. Do you have to retake those classes again if your accepted into the med school?

Thanks
Wakebord99

First, it's post-bac with no "h" (short for post-baccalaureate). The formal postbac schools tend to be helpful not only because they give you an opportunity to improve your credentials for medical school with additional science course work, but also because the program administrators serve as advisors to you and actually also go to various medical schools and somewhat effectively have be able to market their candidates. It's a very hands on program and they keep on top of you and make sure that you are doing everything you need to to succeed in your courses and get everything out on time. (Less formal postbacs leave this to you on your own - very laissez-faire). Some postbac programs have linkages with med schools, meaning that if you meet certain criteria you either get into or at least get an interview with a certain med school. The formal postbacs tend to carefully scrutinize candidates on admission to ensure that they have a high percentage of their class getting into med school. However, I think it is a mistake to have just a single med school in mind as your goal. Med school admission is competitive, and not everyone with the credentials gets into their dream school. In fact I would suspect most don't.

 

[Pemulis]

Just for clarification, I think docryder and wakebord are talking about two very different things. The programs docryder is mentioning are for people who are career changers, i.e. those who have a college degree but took none (or almost none) of the science pre-reqs needed for med school. Wakebord sounds like they've taken their science classes and are looking for a program to do additional science work and MCAT prep in order to boost their chances. There is plenty of info about both types of programs on these boards; you should each do a search to learn more.

To get back to the OP's question: you should NOT be worried about having too little volunteer experience, since by the time you apply you will have several months of it. This is about what I had when I applied to both Bryn Mawr and Goucher last year, and it was not raised as an issue by either school. In fact, I know a few people who have gotten into both of these programs with NO formal medically related volunteer work. However, these usually tend to be people who have been out of school for a few years, so they have other life experience to make their apps interesting. If you can put together a convincing argument in your essays and/or interviews about why you are ready to make a serious committment to studying medicine, this should not be a major issue. That said, I would definitely try to do some volunteer work and/or shadowing this summer, so that you can use that to bolster your app, and so that you can sharpen your own ideas about why you want to pursue medicine.

Good luck.

 

[wakebord99]

First, it's post-bac with no "h" (short for post-baccalaureate). The formal postbac schools tend to be helpful not only because they give you an opportunity to improve your credentials for medical school with additional science course work, but also because the program administrators serve as advisors to you and actually also go to various medical schools and somewhat effectively have be able to market their candidates. It's a very hands on program and they keep on top of you and make sure that you are doing everything you need to to succeed in your courses and get everything out on time. (Less formal postbacs leave this to you on your own - very laissez-faire). Some postbac programs have linkages with med schools, meaning that if you meet certain criteria you either get into or at least get an interview with a certain med school. The formal postbacs tend to carefully scrutinize candidates on admission to ensure that they have a high percentage of their class getting into med school. However, I think it is a mistake to have just a single med school in mind as your goal. Med school admission is competitive, and not everyone with the credentials gets into their dream school. In fact I would suspect most don't.

Thanks Doc,

I appreciate the claffication. Does the credit work you do in these POST-BAC program count as medical school creds?

 

[Law2Doc]

Thanks Doc,

I appreciate the claffication. Does the credit work you do in these POST-BAC program count as medical school creds?

I believe that at at least some places you have the option to "place out" of some of the sciences if you already had the courses at the med school level (I've heard of people doing this for biochem especially). But most post-bac programs give courses at the undergrad level and so most people retake the classes in med school (which may give you a pretty nice advantage).

 

[sgulati]

Does the credit work you do in these POST-BAC program count as medical school creds?

Depends what you mean. If you do a post-bac program at a university and then matriculate to ONLY that university's medical school, then the credits transfer and you won't have to take the classes you've already done; but because in most post-bacs you're only taking a few med school classes, you wouldn't be able to save any time or skip a year of med school, if that's what you're hoping. And if you do a post-bac at a university with med school classes and then matriculate to a different med school, you will almost definitely have to retake any med school courses you've already done.