Were you part of an accelerated post bacc program that takes a year to complete or was it like a DIY post bacc style?
It was not an "accelerated" program, nor DIY. It was a two year program (Fall, Spring, Summer, Fall, Spring). It was designed for career changers in that we took all the basics (Bio 1/2 with labs, Chem 1/2 with labs, Ochem 1/2 with labs, Physics 1/2 with labs, Calc, Stats, BioChem, Physio, MicroBio) to cover a variety of pre-req mandates across several different pre-health needs (MD, DO, PA, Dental, etc.). The program organized the classes at a time of day that supported those of us working traditional office hours, but this probably also fit well with when the university had classroom space available for us. It was recommended that we not work, but I knew that if I or my family couldn't make it work for "simple" undergrad level coursework while working full time, the likelihood of my success in med school would be similarly low.
But, this decision really is very personal with regards to your family budget, the strength of your current career, likelihood of staying in it if med school doesn't happen, comfort with singular focus on success in post bacc balanced against back-up plan if med school doesn't happen, etc.
I tend to think I'm like everyone else, but it is more likely to do poorly in your classes if working full time, so, since I did very well, it's possible that I'm an outlier. You might be an outlier too - do you already tend to commit to doing "too much" but still get it all done well without alienating your spouse and children? Then you, and your family, might be a good candidate to do work and school full time with family. If not, then perhaps a post-bacc plan without working is wiser.
Good luck!
🙂
