Post Bacc Pre med Decisions- UVM v Mills v UConn

[wbcalcio]

Hi everyone,

After years of thinking about it, I decided this winter to apply to some post-bacc pre med programs in the interest of becoming a physician. I've received accepted to UVM, Mills College. I'm waiting on UConn, so who knows, but for the sake of this post I'm assuming I am in.

Hoping you all can provide some advice or feedback as there isn't a ton of info. on Mills or UVM.

First some stats:
26, M
3.0 Undegrad from a top liberal arts college, humanities
Have been working as a high school language teacher for 2 years.
2 summers research experience with co-authorship on a paper published in International Journal of Infectious Diseases. EMT-B, national reg. + CT license.

I am most interested in UVM and Mills because they are in areas that I would enjoy living and they have linkages to medical schools that I would be happy studying at. I am curious to what degree the linkage between Mills and UCSF actually exists. UCSF looks incredibly competitive, but Mills seems to send a decent number of post baccs there. Is this at all realistic given my pre- post bacc GPA of a 3.0?

Also wondering if anyone has experience attempting to gain in-state tuition in Vermont or California after having done a post-bacc in those states.

Does anyone have any recent information regarding class dynamics, competitiveness, capability of teachers, research opportunities etc.?

Also wondering how much I should weigh lifestyle possibility vs. cost of program. I will receive (i think) approximately 11k to whatever program I choose due to my father having professorsip at Columbia. This would make UConn (if accepted, and if granted in-state tuition) basically free, and the medical school much cheaper than the alternatives. That said, I am far from excited about the idea of living in Storrs, CT for 6 years. I like to climb and ski and get outside.

Another option is deferring a year, saving money, and applying to a broader range of post-bacs, including 1 year programs like Bryn Mawr to stay on a similar time frame as I am now.

Thanks for any info or advice, I know I my questions are rather general, so I am mostly looking to hear from people who have gone through these programs and can offer insight, however I welcome any and all feedback to inform my decision.

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[BeingForItself]

Hi everyone,

This would make UConn (if accepted, and if granted in-state tuition) basically free, and the medical school much cheaper than the alternatives. That said, I am far from excited about the idea of living in Storrs, CT for 6 years. I like to climb and ski and get outside.

Do keep in mind that UConn Health is in Farmington and the main campus is in Storrs, CT so you'll only have to do two years in Storrs! The two campuses are about 45 minutes apart. Also, I'm assuming the postbac is a two-year program.

 

[wbcalcio]

Ah, good point! though, I'm not sure it changes much. yes, planning two years, or one full calendar year if i can work summer classses in.

 

[yourethewurst]

I'm a current Mills post-bacc, coming back for my third year next year. (Yikes, I feel simultaneously old and weird that I said that, as it's normally a two year program, but I'll be a TA next year so that's a plus for me-- if you do end up attending, say hello.) That being said, I've thoroughly enjoyed my time at Mills and it's really what you make of it. The way the program is restructuring itself will make things a bit hit or miss next semester, but the cohorts are mid-sized (~30-40 at most) and pretty collaborative and everyone looks out for each other. It's not super competitive, but there's enough friendly competition to motivate everyone else. If you or your classmates DO fall to the wayside, other classmates usually pitch in to help and professors will not hesitate to let you know where you stand and how you could improve.

I will say that I am not sure how the program will be, as our current coordinator is leaving. However, given the cohort you will be entering with and the year above you is very close knit as well. We all take care of each other and at the end of the day, people will want to do their own thing, but there's a real sense of community-- not just within the cohorts, but also the professors and undergrads. Everyone wants to do well, and everyone wants to see you succeed. If you were accepted, it means that the professors saw something in you that will be beneficial to you in medical school.

I'll be straight with you: There is no official linkage to UCSF. The only linkages Mills has are to Western U (DO school) and Pitt. I haven't heard of anyone recently applying to the Pitt linkage, but people have been successful with the Western linkage. There are a high amount of people that tend to attend UCSF, but a lot of people do it through the Berkeley/UCSF JMP (joint medical program.) With a cumulative GPA of 3.0, you may not stand a chance unless you do VERY well on your prereqs. UCSF allows Mills students to tour once a year, and we have speakers from all over normally, so you may want to hop on that if you're that interested. I can personally say while I had a very high cumulative GPA, my sGPA was poor due to undergrad grades, and I've managed to recover, but there's no way I'd apply for UCSF with my grades. You will have to work super hard and make great relationships with your professors and get an extremely high MCAT score. I know people who have done research at UCSF and applied, and still haven't gotten in even with their grades at Mills.

There are pros and cons to Mills, because it is such a small school. I don't want to disparage it or identify myself too much, but if you do go to Mills for more than a year, you can apply to be a TA, and if you become a TA, you get a fairly sizable paycheck. If you have a full load of classes (over 2) half of your paycheck goes to your tuition, the other half is your stipend. If you have less than 2, your classload is basically free. The TA positions are extremely competitive, but worth it in the end, as they will help you teach your peers, teach yourself and help you retain and learn information to keep your mind sharp for the MCAT. I don't know what you're looking for in a post bacc, but despite my rough times at Mills (of which I've had a couple semesters where I burned out a tad,) I wouldn't change it for the world. It's why I applied to be a TA, and why I decided to come back for an extra year. I don't know much about UConn, but I do know that Mills is wonderful and you will have some of the best professors who want to see you succeed. Seriously, I haven't gotten anything lower than a B in any of my classes, including Organic Chemistry. The Orgo professor (who I will be TAing for) is amazing and understanding. If you can't get at least a B in your class, it means you're not doing any of the work because she's very straight forward and keeps things easy. The Bio professors are wonderful and if you can manage to squeeze in some upper level division, I highly recommend Immuno or Microbio .


If you have specific questions, let me know. But that's an overview of my experiences at Mills. I am not establishing California residency even though I am eligible. I don't want to apply to in-state schools here, as I am most likely going to apply to my local state medical school and other schools. Let me know if you have any other questions.

 

[wbcalcio]

Thanks for all the info, I appreciate it! If you don't mind me asking, how are you financing Mills? It seems like a great program, but I am concerned about the cost, particularly if I then end up at another OOS Medical School afterward.

 

[yourethewurst]

Thanks for all the info, I appreciate it! If you don't mind me asking, how are you financing Mills? It seems like a great program, but I am concerned about the cost, particularly if I then end up at another OOS Medical School afterward.

The cost has been a real issue for some people. I'm lucky enough to have some financial help from family, but a lot of my friends take out loans. If you end up doing really well and developing a great relationship with your professors, you may be chosen for a TA position. This TA position helps out with finances tremendously. So while I had help for my first two years, my schooling for the next year (since I don't HAVE to come back, but chose to voluntarily to take the position) will be covered by my TA job at Mills next year.

 

[Jonny Seed]

Hi everyone,

After years of thinking about it, I decided this winter to apply to some post-bacc pre med programs in the interest of becoming a physician. I've received accepted to UVM, Mills College. I'm waiting on UConn, so who knows, but for the sake of this post I'm assuming I am in.

Hoping you all can provide some advice or feedback as there isn't a ton of info. on Mills or UVM.

First some stats:
26, M
3.0 Undegrad from a top liberal arts college, humanities
Have been working as a high school language teacher for 2 years.
2 summers research experience with co-authorship on a paper published in International Journal of Infectious Diseases. EMT-B, national reg. + CT license.

I am most interested in UVM and Mills because they are in areas that I would enjoy living and they have linkages to medical schools that I would be happy studying at. I am curious to what degree the linkage between Mills and UCSF actually exists. UCSF looks incredibly competitive, but Mills seems to send a decent number of post baccs there. Is this at all realistic given my pre- post bacc GPA of a 3.0?

Also wondering if anyone has experience attempting to gain in-state tuition in Vermont or California after having done a post-bacc in those states.

Does anyone have any recent information regarding class dynamics, competitiveness, capability of teachers, research opportunities etc.?

Also wondering how much I should weigh lifestyle possibility vs. cost of program. I will receive (i think) approximately 11k to whatever program I choose due to my father having professorsip at Columbia. This would make UConn (if accepted, and if granted in-state tuition) basically free, and the medical school much cheaper than the alternatives. That said, I am far from excited about the idea of living in Storrs, CT for 6 years. I like to climb and ski and get outside.

Another option is deferring a year, saving money, and applying to a broader range of post-bacs, including 1 year programs like Bryn Mawr to stay on a similar time frame as I am now.

Thanks for any info or advice, I know I my questions are rather general, so I am mostly looking to hear from people who have gone through these programs and can offer insight, however I welcome any and all feedback to inform my decision.

Go wherever you can get straight A's in your pre-reqs. Your 3.0 will make schools hesitant right now, so you need to show after being out for a bit, you can handle the courseload.

 

[Mikewise]

Hey there, chiming in late but saw this thread and wanted to say I just finished the PB program at Mills. There's no formal linkage whatsoever between UCSF and Mills but we do send one or two people there most years. Even for the top people in our class though, chances of getting in are not guaranteed or even likely, so I wouldn't make a decision based on that. Starting with a 3.0, 2 years of straight A's will raise it a few points but still probably not into UCSF range. Still UCSF is known to value applicants' personal characteristics and life experiences a little more than other top-10 schools so if it's your dream, hell, Mills certainly gives you a very slight edge.

Otherwise our linkages are with Pitt and Western (a DO program). Note that the Pitt linkage requires a 3.8 GPA and waives the MCAT for selected applicants. Unfortunately with 3.0 from UG you're not likely to meet that requirement even with a perfect post-bac record. We do have 2 students who are pursuing the Western linkage from this year's class. I'm happy to chat with anyone who has other questions about Mills!