post bacc questions

[christin7]

Hey everyone- I have recently been thinking about going to med school. I graduated with my Bachelor's in 2005 with a GPA of 3.4 and my Masters in 2007 with a GPA of 3.8, both in Communication. I have little to no experience with the sciences so I was thinking that a post-bacc program might be for me. I just had a few questions....

First off, I have never taken the MCAT or the SAT. I took the ACT a LONG time ago- about 10 years ago...and I scored 21. I know it's pretty bad but I was carefree at the time (only 18) and I hardly remember it even happening. And I think my grades since have demonstrated that I've changed my ways since then. Will this ACT score affect getting into a program? Or are there programs that do not require those tests? Also, are there any websites that rate all the different programs? I just want to make sure I'm doing the right thing. I've heard that volunteering at hospitals is good experience. I did work in hospitals for about 4 years but it was billing/scheduling related so I'm not sure if that would help me or not. Any help you could give me would be greatly appreciated! thanks!

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[NewmansOwn]

Hey everyone- I have recently been thinking about going to med school. I graduated with my Bachelor's in 2005 with a GPA of 3.4 and my Masters in 2007 with a GPA of 3.8, both in Communication. I have little to no experience with the sciences so I was thinking that a post-bacc program might be for me. I just had a few questions....

First off, I have never taken the MCAT or the SAT. I took the ACT a LONG time ago- about 10 years ago...and I scored 21. I know it's pretty bad but I was carefree at the time (only 18) and I hardly remember it even happening. And I think my grades since have demonstrated that I've changed my ways since then. Will this ACT score affect getting into a program? Or are there programs that do not require those tests? Also, are there any websites that rate all the different programs? I just want to make sure I'm doing the right thing. I've heard that volunteering at hospitals is good experience. I did work in hospitals for about 4 years but it was billing/scheduling related so I'm not sure if that would help me or not. Any help you could give me would be greatly appreciated! thanks!

Your ACT score will likely keep you out of the top formal postbac programs, like Bryn Mawr, Goucher and Scripps -- they take standardized tests very seriously, because they think it correlates with your future performance on the MCAT. Your best bet would be to take the GREs and do extremely well on them, to prove the ACT was, as you say, just a function of your immaturity at the time. Your master's GPA is fine, but depending on where you went to undergraduate school, a 3.4 is likely too low for the top programs. If you went to a notoriously difficult (and elite, I'm afraid) school with no grade inflation, a 3.4 might scrape by...I got into Bryn Mawr with a 3.5 from such a school. Slam the GREs and apply to the top programs, because you have at least a chance. Then, if you don't get in, look into less formal, mid-tier postbac programs (ie - Temple, Columbia (though I've heard terrible things about it), Tufts, UVM). Good luck to you.