Post-bacc recommendations / plans / advice

[blueskygreengrass]

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[Astrophysics]

Hey there,

I am in a similar situation. Currently working in Finance and am looking to apply to a post-bac and pursue medical school. I am going to start applying for volunteering opportunities this Fall (I'm also in NYC) so I can have some experience under my belt. My biggest worry, like you, is that I have no health-related experience, so I am trying to build that up.

From my understanding, the top post-bac programs like to see medical-related experience, but I am not sure how much. I don't know if 6 months of volunteering is enough for these schools (especially if I am applying later this Fall, where it would only have been ~3 months). Given that the rest of my grades, extracurriculars from college, and SAT grades are good, I am not sure how significant of a detractor this would be for my application...any thoughts?

 

[Moko]

I haven't taken any pre-med related courses, most of the science courses I've taken are in Computer Science. I also have no volunteer experience in health-related fields except for the few small things I did in college. I am hoping some of you can provide me with a plan of action if I were to apply to a post-bacc program.

Background:
22-24 y/o
Majored in the computer sciences
GPA: Low 3.7s
SAT/ACT: ~2300, 35/36
0 health-related experience 🙁

Your plans sounds very reasonable and I think you're on the right track. Having not taken any pre-med classes is fine--that's why the "career-changer" programs exist 😉.

Getting some volunteering and shadowing experience under your belt is the best next step prior to applying.. both in terms of having a successful application, but also ensuring that you're doing what's best for yourself. As you know, medical training is a long (and at times soul-crushing) experience that's going to take up the next 10 years of your life, so making sure there's nothing else you'd rather be doing (through shadowing experiences, etc.) is important.

Your goal is to get enough experience to convince schools that you are determined, have good intentions, and know what you're getting yourself into. I would say a few months worth of meaningful experiences at a minimum. With your grades from an Ivy, I wouldn't expect you to have any difficulty getting into a post-bacc program, so I wouldn't worry too much about that. Rather, be mindful of each programs' structure and applicant success rate. You need to go to a program where you can succeed and be competitive for med school.