Postbacc or State School? :(

[kdwhite525]

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Hello everyone. I can't decide whether to complete my premed classes at a state school or through a postbacc program. I'm sure this is a commonly asked question, but I am so torn, so I would really love some input from people!

I am a junior at the University of Maryland, College Park. I am a music education and cello performance major. I have been considering medical school throughout my entire college experience, but I have been so busy with my degree (20 credits per semester to get this degree at my school), so I haven't had time to take any of the premed science classes. I am now realizing I need to get my act together if I want to go to medical school.

Here is some information about me:
-3.83 GPA (with 118 credits entering senior year)
-SAT's: V: 760, M: 590 (I know math is weak. I am honestly not bad at math, I just had terrible high school math teachers! I did well in the math section on the Praxis though. Maybe I should take the GRE to show I am not weak in math? Or is the Praxis worth anything?)
-Lots of EC's regarding music (leadership roles in chamber music, orchestra, music sorority, MENC, etc.). Also a scholarship and a few awards. As far as medically-related at all... nothing except being a committee member for relay for life.
-Spanish minor. Lived in the Spanish immersion house and did a few other EC's regarding this.
-Job at school in the language building that involves technology
-Just started shadowing this summer. Shadowing 2 different doctors.

Of course financial reasons are a big deal. I would have to take out loans and get financial aid and all that. Plus, I would love to do a postbacc that is nearby (Goucher, JHU, something in DC) but I don't know if I would get into these programs.

So if you could answer any of these questions, I will be so thankful!:
-Would I get into a postbacc such as Goucher, JHU, Georgetown, or American?
-I know this is a terrible question... but what would you do if you were me?
-If I don't do postbacc and do the state school route, will med schools look down on me for starting so late? Would I compare to people that have been premed all 4 years and really active about it?
-For those of you that did postbacc programs, do you think they were worth the financial strain?

Thank you so much! Sorry that was long. I appreciate your help!

 

[drizzt3117]

I would take the GRE, do well, and consider the programs in your area (JHU, Goucher, BM)

 

[kdwhite525]

Thanks for the reply drizzt!

Does anyone else have any other suggestions or advice?

Thanks everyone 🙂

 

[nosleep2nite]

I would contact the post-bac admissions offices at the schools that you are interested in, and even set up a meeting to speak with someone in person if you can, and take your resume, transcripts, etc and see what they have to say. You should ask them directly the questions that you posted on here. I would also try and get in touch with medical admissions at schools that you are interested in and talk to them about your situation as well. I think that no matter what anyone says on here, you HAVE to make sure that you are doing things according to what the programs that you are vying for find acceptable give your situation. Plus, it doesn't hurt to start speaking to them now and show your interest.

That being said, I personally don't think that you would necessarily be at a disadvantage for attending a state school for your pre-reqs even if you are a late game-changer. I am sure that not everyone, from day 1 knows they want to go to medical school and since you are still in school and haven't graduated, if staying at your state school and completing the pre-reqs is easier then I say go for it!

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I am under the impression that post-bac programs for students that don't have a science background at all are a viable option in instances where a person has a bachelors degree of some kind and wants to go back to school? Being that you are a junior and still have a year to go, if you are truly interested in medicine, perhaps you should just start taking the necessary pre-reqs right away? Again however, I think before you make any drastic decisions, you should really speak to admissions and see what they have to say.

As a side note, your medical school application will depend heavily on your MCAT score and your science GPA and probably a really well written personal statement outlining your desire to go into medice after focusing on music for all of these years. It's not bad that you weren't a science major to start off with, but you should talk about "why medicine" in your personal statement and perhaps what cemented your desire to pursue a medical career. I would also try to get some medically oriented ECs under your belt (great that you are starting to shadow doctors, perhaps also volunteer at a local hospital) because you need to show that you have exposure to the medical field and have some level of consistency; i.e you didn't wake up one day and randomly decide to go to medical school without having anything to showcase or support your interest. Plus, you will want to have things to talk about in your application as well as during interviews since they will ALWAYS ask what sort of "medical/healthcare" experience you have.

Also, in terms of the post-bac, it's a great idea if you can afford it, feel that you will be able to handle a heavy science course load, versus incorporating science classes along with your music classes in your undergraduate degree.

Personally, based on the assumption that you have never taken science classes before, I would contact the post-bac programs and ask if they will still admit you if you have taken one or two science courses, but not all of the pre-reqs by any means and then take a class or two within your undergraduate degree and see how you do. If you end up doing well, then perhaps doing a post-bac with a heavy science course load won't be a problem. If you end up doing poorly (like Cs) then I would stay and complete the pre-reqs through the undergraduate institution and leave the post-bac as a future option in case you end up not doing well overall in the pre-reqs. That way, you have a buffer in case you really mess up and need to boost your science GPA. For example, if you finish your pre-reqs and take the MCAT and your science gpa is not competitive enough for medical school, then you will hopefully be eligible with your MCAT score and completion of pre-reqs to a post bac that will boost your GPA. At that point, you will hopefully do much better because you'll have a few years of science courses under your belt and will know how to study for them.

I would also visit a counselor at my undergrad institution and try and figure out how long it will take you, if you did do the pre-reqs there vs. doing a post-bac. If you aren't bothered about the timeframe, then it doesn't really matter, but it's always something to keep in the back of your mind as well.

Good luck with whatever decision you make!

 

[jslo85]

Hello everyone. I can't decide whether to complete my premed classes at a state school or through a postbacc program. I'm sure this is a commonly asked question, but I am so torn, so I would really love some input from people!

I am a junior at the University of Maryland, College Park. I am a music education and cello performance major. I have been considering medical school throughout my entire college experience, but I have been so busy with my degree (20 credits per semester to get this degree at my school), so I haven't had time to take any of the premed science classes. I am now realizing I need to get my act together if I want to go to medical school.

Here is some information about me:
-3.83 GPA (with 118 credits entering senior year)
-SAT's: V: 760, M: 590 (I know math is weak. I am honestly not bad at math, I just had terrible high school math teachers! I did well in the math section on the Praxis though. Maybe I should take the GRE to show I am not weak in math? Or is the Praxis worth anything?)
-Lots of EC's regarding music (leadership roles in chamber music, orchestra, music sorority, MENC, etc.). Also a scholarship and a few awards. As far as medically-related at all... nothing except being a committee member for relay for life.
-Spanish minor. Lived in the Spanish immersion house and did a few other EC's regarding this.
-Job at school in the language building that involves technology
-Just started shadowing this summer. Shadowing 2 different doctors.

Of course financial reasons are a big deal. I would have to take out loans and get financial aid and all that. Plus, I would love to do a postbacc that is nearby (Goucher, JHU, something in DC) but I don't know if I would get into these programs.

So if you could answer any of these questions, I will be so thankful!:
-Would I get into a postbacc such as Goucher, JHU, Georgetown, or American?
-I know this is a terrible question... but what would you do if you were me?
-If I don't do postbacc and do the state school route, will med schools look down on me for starting so late? Would I compare to people that have been premed all 4 years and really active about it?
-For those of you that did postbacc programs, do you think they were worth the financial strain?

Thank you so much! Sorry that was long. I appreciate your help!

You're a pure non-traditional in that you haven't taken any science pre-reqs and you have a high GPA both of which qualify you for looking at the top tier post-baccs such as Goucher, JHU, Scripps, and Bryn Mawr if you have a strong standardized test score which as Drizzt said, GRE since you didn't do too well on the SAT.

Obviously you can do an informal post-bacc on your own to take the pre-requisites and this may be a cheaper option if finance is a problem and it also allows you to stay within the area you're comfortable in and could probably conduct clinical experiences in the area by yourself.

The other option like mentioned above is the formal post-bacc programs. You're not restricted to those, there are others like Mills, USC, Columbia, HES, SFSU, Wash U, UVA, UConn, Temple, etc. but you really will need a strong GRE score. The advantages of this route are many of the programs (namely Goucher, JHU, Scripps and BM) are very well known pre-med formal programs and thus hold linkages to many other medical schools for their students. They also boast virtually a 100% acceptance rate after completion of the program for a good reason as other schools recognize the general high caliber of students coming out of said programs. Other of the less well known formal programs also have their advantages such as Temple has a guaranteed acceptance if you meet their requirements during the program, UConn (option A track) heavily prefers the students in its program, HES offers sponorship and is quite affordable, etc.

If you feel absolutely confident in your own abilities and would like the flexibility of an informal post-bacc (also cheaper) then I'd do it where you feel most comfortable. Any 4 year university will do. If you want a slight change of scenery, HES is a legit option that's quite cheap and has had a good reputation for getting non-traditionals into medical school. If you wish to go to a rigorous top tier formal program, I'd personally choose either Scripps, Goucher or JHU.

Just make sure when you apply (this coming cycle) to take time to study hard for your GREs and with your score in hand, you should have a much better idea of what options are available and which aren't. Do some research as well on all the different programs to find out which one is most appropriate for yourself.

Good luck

 

[deleted248403]

Jslo left out upenn of his list but than that, what he said

 

[ScrubsandGloves]

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I am under the impression that post-bac programs for students that don't have a science background at all are a viable option in instances where a person has a bachelors degree of some kind and wants to go back to school? Being that you are a junior and still have a year to go, if you are truly interested in medicine, perhaps you should just start taking the necessary pre-reqs right away?

Yeah, this is essentially correct. There are two types of Post Bac programs though. There are career changers and then there are "grade enhancers".

The OP falls into career changer. You can stick around at your undergrad and start taking your pre-reqs, but some state schools are kicking students out after a certain number of units. I know UCLA did that with me unless I had a really good reason. You'll have to see if you can stay longer than 4 years or try and finish your science pre-reqs in the time you have left and still do well.

It's not bad that you weren't a science major to start off with, but you should talk about "why medicine" in your personal statement and perhaps what cemented your desire to pursue a medical career.

Speaking as a non-traditional student myself, I do not believe it to be a disadvantage. I was a history major at UCLA and after working a couple of years, decided to try to get into medical school. Your undergraduate GPS is pretty stellar and your experience would make your personal statement and life story during an interview that much more interesting and memorable. Both very good qualities.

but not all of the pre-reqs by any means and then take a class or two within your undergraduate degree and see how you do.

Sound advice. I was one of the reviewers for incoming applications at my Post Bac program and we certainly looked for students who show they can handle the sciences. Earning an A in an Intro to Bio class or maybe regular 1st semester Bio looks very good for Post Bac programs. Add that to your current good GPA and you should be good.

Lastly, I would say if you can stay at your undergrad and take your pre-reqs there, then go with that route. It saves a lot of money. But if you want a completely fresh start where you can focus solely on sciences and get specific medical school advice and help, then a Post Bac program is what you want.

As for me, I went with the Post Bac route because I already graduated. But it was worth the financial strain because the closeness and support given in such a program was great!

Good luck!

 

[drizzt3117]

I think as a non-science major, especially one with a high GPA, you'll get really good mileage out of a post-bacc program for a number of reasons. You won't have done a lot of the things that premeds have done to make themselves better applicants, so getting the support of a great PB program like BM, Goucher, or JHU will help you be a more competitive applicant. Also, especially at BM/Goucher you won't be doing the weed-out courses that you'll find at a school like Maryland.

 

[murfettie]

but at state schools, the undergrads are so easy to beat in a curve.