Post-bac Options Advice

[nontradhopefulOBGYN]

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Does anyone have any reasons why pursuing a second bachelor's degree would be a bad option for post-bac?
Like, is it frowned upon to be in pursuant of this degree and drop it if you apply to med school after you've done the pre-reqs and are successful?

The idea came along because I figured if I do it this way and am an unsuccessful applicant the first time, I will still be in a program to continue taking upper level classes until I am successful. This as opposed to a 1 year post bac program, and then having to find another enhancement track program if I am unsuccessful the first time.

Thoughts, comments, concerns?...

Thanks =)

 

[Goro]

It's a bad option only because it's not necessary. Costly. I have had students who did a second UG degree after bombing the their first one.

But it's not needed.

Just ace the pre-reqs, and then either take some upper level Bio courses, followed by a good MCAT, and there are MD schools that reward reinvention. this can all be done DIY, at a local CC and/or UG school too.

A faster route to being a doctor will be to retake any F/D/C science coursework and apply to DO schools, using grade replacement.

But doing a second UG degree won't hurt you in the eyes of Adcoms as long as you do well (3.6 GPA or better)

Does anyone have any reasons why pursuing a second bachelor's degree would be a bad option for post-bac?
Like, is it frowned upon to be in pursuant of this degree and drop it if you apply to med school after you've done the pre-reqs and are successful?

The idea came along because I figured if I do it this way and am an unsuccessful applicant the first time, I will still be in a program to continue taking upper level classes until I am successful. This as opposed to a 1 year post bac program, and then having to find another enhancement track program if I am unsuccessful the first time.

Thoughts, comments, concerns?...

Thanks =)

 

[LingoLaine]

any reasons why pursuing a second bachelor's degree would be a bad option for post-bac?

I think officially pursuing the second bachelor's degree is a great idea. It helps open up pre-req classes that might not otherwise be available to you. It's exactly what I did even though I NEVER had any intention of actually completing the second degree (and my school knew that).

 

[nontradhopefulOBGYN]

Thanks for the advice guys. I guess there's technically no RIGHT way to do it. Just make a decision, get it done, and DO WELL. I appreciate the insight!

 

[Terry Toma]

I think officially pursuing the second bachelor's degree is a great idea. It helps open up pre-req classes that might not otherwise be available to you. It's exactly what I did even though I NEVER had any intention of actually completing the second degree (and my school knew that).

Same here. The most expedient way to re-enroll at my undergrad institution was to just enroll as a degree seeking student. Since I already had a degree from the same school, this only required a one-page form and a $20 app fee. I believe that I could have taken a few classes a la carte, but I would have been limited to some maximum number of credits that was below what I plan to take.

Nothing at all wrong with enrolling as a bio major or whatever and then just wrapping up the courses you need to take and moving on.

 

[GreenDuck12]

If you have finished your pre med coursework a 1 year post bac program really won't help as they are designed for students that are just starting. If your grades in your first degree are low, you can raise your gpa (slightly). If your science course grades are low, you could retake them and then apply to DO schools as they replace the lower grade with the higher 1. The answer really depends on your current situation....

Does anyone have any reasons why pursuing a second bachelor's degree would be a bad option for post-bac?
Like, is it frowned upon to be in pursuant of this degree and drop it if you apply to med school after you've done the pre-reqs and are successful?

The idea came along because I figured if I do it this way and am an unsuccessful applicant the first time, I will still be in a program to continue taking upper level classes until I am successful. This as opposed to a 1 year post bac program, and then having to find another enhancement track program if I am unsuccessful the first time.

Thoughts, comments, concerns?...

Thanks =)

 

[JW2020]

A degree seeking program, as someone above pointed out, would be your best bet. This will let you register for classes at the same time as traditional undergrads to that your pre-reqs fill up, however, you won't have to take a full course load like you would as an actual student matriculated into a BS major. Typically they just require proof of a college degree and a small fee. This means you could buffet your pre-reqs and mold them around a full time job (like I did). This way you can still earn money while you're completing the necessary coursework.