Postbac Dilemma

[Phoenix.]

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Great forum - so glad to find some company in this pursuit! My first post here is a little long, but I'd really appreciate any advice you guys could offer. First, a little background: I'm a 30 year old attorney in Chicago without the science prereqs, and am trying to decide on the best way to accumulate them. I have an undergrad gpa of 3.8 from Univ. of Michigan.

The Bryn Mawr program sounds amazing (I studied as an undergrad guest student at Haverford & Bryn Mawr 10 years ago and would love to go back for a year), but that would mean I couldn't start until next summer. Also, it would require moving, be relatively expensive (although do-able), and acceptance is certainly not a sure thing. I have no medical/health volunteering experience yet, and only limited general volunteer work. And from what I've seen of their site, they expect you to have some health-related volunteer work, or demonstrate a dedicated public service history. Then again, if I did get in, it might be possible to skip the "gap year" through them.

So, just in case I don't make it, I started looking at local schools as an alternative/back-up (I'd rather stay in Chicago if I don't get into Bryn Mawr), and primarily came up with the Northwestern and Loyola postbac premed programs. To be honest, I didn't like that Northwestern requires a recent algebra and biology course just to be accepted into their program. Prereqs for my prereqs! Loyola at least allows you to take a Math Placement Test and place out of the math prereqs (I took NO math in college, so I'd try to cover it myself this summer). University of Chicago doesn't even have a premed/postbac program.

So, if I go with Loyola, I would need to spread it out over two years for their program. And of course they have only ONE class that I could take starting this August/fall and still work this year (and save some money for med school): Physics I. Not my ideal first premed course, but beggars can't be choosers.... If I didn't get into Bryn Mawr and continued at Loyola, I'd quit working next May and take either Biology or Chemistry over the summer at Loyola, and finish up next year with Organic Chem and Bio or Chem (whichever I didn't take over the summer). Meanwhile I'll try to start volunteering at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and see if there are ANY research opportunities I could get. Loyola does have a pre-health department and a committee writes you a med school rec.

Otherwise, while taking Physics this year at Loyola, I'd apply for Bryn Mawr's program to start next summer with them. I'd take chemistry over the summer at BM, and then organic chem & biology, but then I'd have to pick a third class to be in their program (but it couldn't be in the bio field since I won't have that class completed yet).

Also, when I just spoke with the head of the Bryn Mawr program, she said that they would still consider me even if I took one year of Physics, but that I should be concerned with where I'm taking my premed classes, and that I should question whether Loyola has the reputation that med schools will find acceptable. I told her that the Northwestern Medical School admissions department said that it didn't matter if I took my premed classes at Northwestern, Univ. of Chicago OR Loyola, that so long as it was an accredited school and I did well. I asked if SHE thought that Loyola wasn't good enough, and she said she had no idea. Loyola is a local school, but I thought it actually had a good rep. Regardless, after speaking with Bryn Mawr I'm starting to worry. I certainly don't want to spend all the time and money on my prereqs only to jeopardize my chances of getting into medical school!

So, anyone have any thoughts or advice? I know that was quite a lot for a first post.... Any response on any issue welcome. Thanks, and good luck!

 

[DJ Sherpa]

Hi, just started looking into these also... Do you know if there are deadlines for applying to these for this fall or am I too late?

 

[Phoenix.]

Hi, just started looking into these also... Do you know if there are deadlines for applying to these for this fall or am I too late?

You're definitely too late for Bryn Mawr. But Loyola is still taking applications. Northwestern stopped accepting applications to start this Fall as of June 15th. I think you could also take courses at University of Chicago as a "Student at Large," but it doesn't seem to have the same support system or an established program as Northwestern or Loyola.

However, if you want to take classes while you continue working, you should probably go with Northwestern, since all of the premed prereqs are offered in the evenings (with other postbacs in your classes, not undergrads). Loyola only seems to have one or two evening classes, and they may start at 5:30pm (which is too early for me to make after work).

If you want to complete your prereqs in a year, beware of costs at Loyola. If you sign up for 12 or more credits (i.e. three or more classes), they charge you the full $12,000 tuition, rather than just $500/unit. You'll end up paying twice as much as a full time student as doing it piece meal, and for the money, you might as well go to a premed program that has a linkage program, like Bryn Mawr, that at least might help you skip the glide year.

Anyway, that's what I've learned so far....

 

[ockhamsRzr]

Sound like you have an exciting and informed path before.

One note of caution about the math. Do not underestimate how much you've forgotten (in your case) since high school. ALmost every school in the country will require you to take a math placement test before taking chem, and you will need to place better than most entry-level college courses.

If you can take a pre-algebra course or college algebra, TAKE IT. It will boost your confidence and while the math in chem and physics is no more than college-level algebra, it IS college-level algebra; if those skills are not in your quiver then it will bite you down the road in post-bacc.

best of luck!

ockhamsRzr

 

[Phoenix.]

Is college level algebra enough, or do I need precalc for Chemistry? I'm not planning on taking a class - I'm tempted to just find a good book and teach myself over the summer. I'm hoping that's enough.

If anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears. There are so many "teach yourself college algebra/precalc" on Amazon it's making me dizzy. If only there were a book specifically made with premeds in mind: "Math for Premeds"! or "Math for Physics/Chemistry Students." Now THAT would be a best seller! I've been doing searches on Amazon, but the closest I've come so far is a math book designed for Physics GRAD students.

Anyway, thanks for the word of caution, ockhamsRzr. I definitely need to be careful. My dislike for straight math is dangerous and makes me want to cut corners.