D
deleted1028537
Hi everyone, I see that lot of people are looking at special masters program and post bacc programs to enhance their GPA or if they are career changers. I believe that anyone who has a sub 3.4 GPA or is changing a career should definitely do a postbacularate or special masters program. I believe that doing courses at a community college is frowned upon by most allopathic/osteopathic schools unless you just take intro level biology/chemistry courses there (I know it sucks but what can you do). So from my experience this is what a prospective student should do before applying to medical school.
1. Research: I cannot stress enough the importance about researching the right SMP/Post-Bacc program. Looking back I wish I spent more time doing research on the right SMP/Post Bacc program before making my choice. I recommend that students look at programs that have a strong background in preparing their students and programs that have affiliations with medical schools. Some of these programs are Drexel University, Boston University, University of Cincinnati, John Hopkins and etc. Avoid programs that are relatively unknown or lack affiliations.
2. Courses: Picking the right courses is always important. I suggest looking at AAMC for the pre-med coursework/electives that medical schools require. Taking 12+ credits each semester of sciences proves that you can handle the rigorous coursework required in order to take the MCAT and becoming a future physician. Doing good in your post-bacc/ SMP program can play a huge role in admission factor if your GPA is low. A GPA of 3.7 or above goes a long way when it comes to becoming a competitive candidate when it comes to the application time.
A little bit about myself: I went to a relatively small school for my undergrad and majored in Biology but graduated with a GPA around 3.1 and decided on going to post bacc program at Elms College . The program itself was good and got me where I needed to but looking back I wish I did more research before committing to the right program. The program lacks affiliations to MD/DO programs (It says on their website they are affiliated with LECOM but I think it only applies to undergraduate students) . The other negative from my time being a post-bacc student there was the academic support/counseling provided by the pre-health director. I found the pre-health director to lack proper knowledge about application/resume building/standardized test preparation. The program being relatively small also amounted to "favoritism" with some students getting extra attention and being favored when taking classes that are taught by the program director who also teaches majority of science classes in the program. The rest of the program otherwise was great and I encountered some great professors who taught other science pre-requisite courses that are required for medical school. . So to recap things I wish I spent more time doing research when picking the right program which had an unbiased Pre-Health Committee and prepared their students well with rigors they will encounter in medical school.
1. Research: I cannot stress enough the importance about researching the right SMP/Post-Bacc program. Looking back I wish I spent more time doing research on the right SMP/Post Bacc program before making my choice. I recommend that students look at programs that have a strong background in preparing their students and programs that have affiliations with medical schools. Some of these programs are Drexel University, Boston University, University of Cincinnati, John Hopkins and etc. Avoid programs that are relatively unknown or lack affiliations.
2. Courses: Picking the right courses is always important. I suggest looking at AAMC for the pre-med coursework/electives that medical schools require. Taking 12+ credits each semester of sciences proves that you can handle the rigorous coursework required in order to take the MCAT and becoming a future physician. Doing good in your post-bacc/ SMP program can play a huge role in admission factor if your GPA is low. A GPA of 3.7 or above goes a long way when it comes to becoming a competitive candidate when it comes to the application time.
A little bit about myself: I went to a relatively small school for my undergrad and majored in Biology but graduated with a GPA around 3.1 and decided on going to post bacc program at Elms College . The program itself was good and got me where I needed to but looking back I wish I did more research before committing to the right program. The program lacks affiliations to MD/DO programs (It says on their website they are affiliated with LECOM but I think it only applies to undergraduate students) . The other negative from my time being a post-bacc student there was the academic support/counseling provided by the pre-health director. I found the pre-health director to lack proper knowledge about application/resume building/standardized test preparation. The program being relatively small also amounted to "favoritism" with some students getting extra attention and being favored when taking classes that are taught by the program director who also teaches majority of science classes in the program. The rest of the program otherwise was great and I encountered some great professors who taught other science pre-requisite courses that are required for medical school. . So to recap things I wish I spent more time doing research when picking the right program which had an unbiased Pre-Health Committee and prepared their students well with rigors they will encounter in medical school.
Last edited by a moderator:
