Post-Bacc Programs: How Do They Work?

[Amree]

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Hi all,

I'm a 3rd year at UCLA and I just had a general question about post-bacc programs and what they do for your med school application. I know that there are several types of post-bacc programs, but the type that I'm looking into are the academic enhancer programs. I know that after you complete a one or two year post-bacc program, depending on your needs, you end up with a GPA separate from your undergraduate GPA as a result of the courses you took. Suppose I have a relatively low undergrad GPA for medical school - say a 3.2 - and a high post-bacc GPA - say, a 3.7 or 3.8 (deemed "competitive" for med school), will med schools then focus on the post-bacc GPA? I know that they won't completely disregard the undergrad GPA, but does the post-bacc GPA somehow overshadow the undergrad GPA? Or is your post-bacc AND undergrad GPA somehow combined to give med schools an overall assessment of your work? Also, does it really matter what school you attend for post-bacc? Does the name and "brand" of the school really matter? I was looking into programs in both Cal State L.A. and UC Berkeley, and seeing as how UC Berkeley is the more esteemed university, was just wondering.

I was also wondering if it were possible to get into top-notch med schools (i.e. UCLA, Columbia, NYU, etc.) if one were to get a high post-bacc GPA, but still having a relatively low (3.0 - 3.4) GPA for their undergrad? Or are chances shot down due to the low undergrad?

Thank you!

 

[DrMidlife]

Look for the "official new and improved low GPA thread" in this forum. Half a million people have read it so far. You'll find what you need there.

 

[Amree]

Thank you! Found the thread.

 

[futdoc251989]

If the post bacc you do is considered an "undergraduate" program, then your post bacc gpa will be included in your overall undergraduate gpa. If, on the other hand, you do a post bacc that is considered a "graduate" program, then your post bacc gpa will be separate from your undergrad gpa. Generally speaking, your undergrad gpa is WAY MORE IMPORTANT for medical school admissions than your post bacc gpa as it is given significantly higher weight over post bacc gpa. So if you want to raise your undergrad gpa then you would probably want to do an undergrad post bacc. However, keep in mind that undergrad post baccs do not offer much financial aid so you would have to pay a significant amount out of pocket.