Postbac options- structured vs. unstructured, etc.

[phenoflier]

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Hello everyone, this is my first post. I've been lurking around sdn for a few months now and I finally felt compelled to ask a question. I am set on doing postbac work this coming fall and I wanted to get your input on what the most sensible path would be.

I have been working as a management strategy consultant for the past year and due to several life-altering developments in my family, have decided to pursue a career in medicine, with a desire to ultimately be a psychiatrist (although that could change in school!).

Here is where I could use some advice. I've read up on every postbac route and program. I know the differences between structured vs. unstructured, Goucher vs. HES, etc. For me, a big consideration for postbac is cost and location. I need to be in the NYC area but I do not want to pay Columbia and NYU prices bc, frankly, I don't want to find myself with an additional $80k of debt in ten years. I've spoken to the pre-med advisor at my ivy undergrad and was told expressly that with the ivy background, the key for me is not where I go for postbac, just that I get it done.

What do you think? Would it be better for me to jump around and take postbac classes where I can get them? Or should I just enter a structured postbac program?


Any recommendations and insights would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

[johnnyscans]

Hello everyone, this is my first post. I've been lurking around sdn for a few months now and I finally felt compelled to ask a question. I am set on doing postbac work this coming fall and I wanted to get your input on what the most sensible path would be.

First, my background. I was my high school Salutatorian, went to a top 3 ivy for undergrad ('09) where I was a Division I athlete, majored in PoliSci with a 3.33 gpa (result of sport), then went to business school in CA and got a 3.72. I have been working as a management strategy consultant for the past year and due to several life-altering developments in my family, have decided to pursue a career in medicine, with a desire to ultimately be a psychiatrist (although that could change in school!).

My SAT was 1480 (out of 1600) and I think that my extracurriculars are wrapped up because in addition to being a D-I athlete in college I am an Ironman triathlete.

Here is where I could use some advice. I've read up on every postbac route and program. I know the differences between structured vs. unstructured, Goucher vs. HES, etc. For me, a big consideration for postbac is cost and location. I need to be in the NYC area but I do not want to pay Columbia and NYU prices bc, frankly, I don't want to find myself with an additional $80k of debt in ten years. I've spoken to the pre-med advisor at my ivy undergrad and was told expressly that with the ivy background, the key for me is not where I go for postbac, just that I get it done.

What do you think? An option for me is to go to Manhattanville College for postbac because I would be able to get half tuition (so that it would cost about the same as HES). Do you think this would be a bad move? Would it be better for me to jump around and take postbac classes where I can get them? Or should I just enter a structured postbac program?

My inclination right now is to go the unstructured route through Manhattanville and then finish up potentially at HES.

Any recommendations and insights would be greatly appredciated. Thank you.

A few things. First, to put it bluntly, your extracurriculars are not wrapped up. Not by a long shot. Do you have any clinical exposure? Shadowing? Clinical volunteering? Research? Non-clinical volunteering? How do you know you'll enjoy what's on the other side? Being an Ironman triathlete has nothing to do with medicine, and does not help to convince admission comittee's that you have any inkling as to what it means to be a physician. It's an interesting EC, there's no doubt there, but if that's all you have you're going to have trouble gaining acceptance to the formal structured programs. You need clinical exposure, though both shadowing and volunteering, and you need it now. That said, your SAT may help you. 1480 is a damn good score.

The key for picking a program is to find one that will enable you to get As, acquire some good letters of recommendation (be it through clinical volunteering, shadowing, research, tutoring, etc.), and not wear you down. The key for you is getting As. A 3.33 on its own is not going to get you into medical school, so your post-bacc work needs to be exemplary.

Keep in mind, in order to get the committee letter from HES, you must completed a minimum number of credits. If you start at one school then finish here you may set yourself back a year taking enough courses to meet the credit requirement.

Hope this helps.

 

[phenoflier]

My apologies for saying "wrapped up" there. I am fully conscious of the need for clinical volunteer work, and the need to demonstrate a commitment to medicine outside of schoolwork. That was poor wording on my part and was not meant to reflect what it came across as.

 

[johnnyscans]

My apologies for saying "wrapped up" there. I am fully conscious of the need for clinical volunteer work, and the need to demonstrate a commitment to medicine outside of schoolwork. That was poor wording on my part and was not meant to reflect what it came across as.

That should be your first priority. Medicine is very different than it seems on the outside. I've become more interested in it as my exposure to it increased - you may not have the same result.

 

[SixStringPsych]

Ditto to what everyone else here said.

Also, given your circumstances (I'm not sure what kind of life altering event got you interested in Psychiatry) but depending on how exactly you are attracted to mental health, you may want to look into a degree in clinical psychology as well. I was interested in solely mental health, but decided to pursue medicine because I didn't want any gaps in my education, I wanted to be a clinician that could treat the entire body as well as the mind (if I even decide on psych) took me plenty of clinical experience to figure that out.