Post-bacc advice with a twist on NY schools

[Irvin]

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Hey guys,
I am a 3rd year undergrad at UCI. I am a bio major and i started my first year and a half pretty bad. Since than i have picked it up alot and have gotten involved in all the right activities. This last quarter i got a 3.7 gpa to raise my cum. to a 3.18. I am in a fraternity, a pre-med club (AMSA), i write for the school medical newspaper, and i have been doing research for a year and a half. I am currently working on my own experiment and i just got a grant proposal approved. So the research is going spectacular but my gpa needs alot of work. I have been on the up and up each quarter and i will be applying my 4th year and i will be taking the MCATs this upcoming august and if need be again in april. I have had plenty of clinical experience and i willl be just fine with letters of rec. Now that you guys have a background idea on me, i can ask my real question.

I want to go to NY! That is the bottom line. I want to go specefically to medical school in NY. My issue is even if i keep my grades up i should end up with a 3.4-3.5 ish. However i want to go to a good medical school. Not a DO, not that there is anything wrong with that. 😉 I am considering going to Colombia, however i do not wish to be there for 2 years nor do i wish to take classes again like physics that i have already done well in. What is my best plan if i want to do a one year post-bacc and basically take g-chem/o-chem/ and some bios to boost the gpa. I am not worried about research or clinical experience becasue i have more than enough.

What would you guys recommend i do if i want to complete my 4 year undergrad and do a one year post-bacc under those tenses. Also when can you apply for a post-bac... because i would like to start the program right after undergrad ends. Any advice and pointers are very much welcome. I would love to hear what you all have to say. Thanks.

 

[cooldreams]

Hey guys,
I am a 3rd year undergrad at UCI. I am a bio major and i started my first year and a half pretty bad. Since than i have picked it up alot and have gotten involved in all the right activities. This last quarter i got a 3.7 gpa to raise my cum. to a 3.18. I am in a fraternity, a pre-med club (AMSA), i write for the school medical newspaper, and i have been doing research for a year and a half. I am currently working on my own experiment and i just got a grant proposal approved. So the research is going spectacular but my gpa needs alot of work. I have been on the up and up each quarter and i will be applying my 4th year and i will be taking the MCATs this upcoming august and if need be again in april. I have had plenty of clinical experience and i willl be just fine with letters of rec. Now that you guys have a background idea on me, i can ask my real question.

I want to go to NY! That is the bottom line. I want to go specefically to medical school in NY. My issue is even if i keep my grades up i should end up with a 3.4-3.5 ish. However i want to go to a good medical school. Not a DO, not that there is anything wrong with that. 😉 I am considering going to Colombia, however i do not wish to be there for 2 years nor do i wish to take classes again like physics that i have already done well in. What is my best plan if i want to do a one year post-bacc and basically take g-chem/o-chem/ and some bios to boost the gpa. I am not worried about research or clinical experience becasue i have more than enough.

What would you guys recommend i do if i want to complete my 4 year undergrad and do a one year post-bacc under those tenses. Also when can you apply for a post-bac... because i would like to start the program right after undergrad ends. Any advice and pointers are very much welcome. I would love to hear what you all have to say. Thanks.

Did you know in 1961, the College of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons became part of UC Irvine?

howz that for a twist hehe

😀

 

[NYCmed]

Well, if Columbia really is your first choice, they do sometimes allow you to skip over classes you've already done well in. You'd have to discuss it with them, since each individual case is different, but I do know of people who were allowed to pass over certain pre-reqs due to a high grade at a previous university. A high grade at UCI should particularly speak volumes. The postbac is mainly for students with no previous science courses, but you certainly wouldn't be the only one there with science experience.

As for when to apply, Columbia has three semesters--Fall, Spring and Summer. If you apply early enough after you graduate UCI, you might be able to sneak into the summer semester (though the only courses postbacs can take in the summer are math and physics). I think July or August is the cutoff date for next Fall semester.

Hope that helps. 🙂

 

[Stratus2675]

I dont think you really need a post-bach. Your grades are good and they trend upward, you're working on a research project, and you are doing other positive EC's. If you rock the MCAT's, you'll be in great shape.

If you have already done very well in the core classes (physics, chem, orgo, & bio), taking them over in a post-bach won't help you much...in my opinion.

Good luck

 

[Lindyhopper]

The term "post-bacc" has two pretty different meanings. It seems to me you may be better off going to a special masters or certificate program. Schools such as UMDNJ (Newark), Georgetown, Drexel, BU, & many others have graduate programs that allow you to take med school or grad courses. The programs are demanding but people how do well seem to greatly enhance their applications. They also report that the first year of med school is significantly more managable.
You can apply to med school & special masters in the same cycle. Usually, using the masters as a backup plan.