Pre-Med Post Bacc Question

[Blush]

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Hello!

I am new to this forum and I had a couple of questions about the pre-med post bacc programs. My story is as follows:

-Graduated with a 2.511 gpa (a couple of bad semesters freshman year and fall semester of senior year)
-26, three years out of college
-Wanted to go on and pursue a graduate degree, found out a 2.511 is not favorable for most colleges
-Looked into nursing, but nursing is not for me
-Came across post-baccalaureate programs for applicants trying to improve their chances of getting into medical school and here I am.....

My questions are as follows:

1) Does completing an approved AAMC program give an applicant better leverage when applying to medical school?
2) Which schools offer linkage programs?
3) By completing a post-bacc program, will those grades be factored into my previous undergraduate grade point average or will they be counted as a seperate gpa that I could use to apply to med school in lieu of my UG GPA?
4) With my current gpa, will I have a difficult time getting into post-bacc pre med programs?
5) Is Manhattanville College a good place to do a post-bacc program? Has anyone attended that school?
6) Has anyone been a similiar situation, meaning 2.3-2.8 range, as me and what steps did you take to improve your gpa and get into medical school?


Any and all direct answers to the above questions would be greatly appreciated and helpful. I look forward to your responses. Thanks!

 

[DrMidlife]

1) Does completing an approved AAMC program give an applicant better leverage when applying to medical school?

There isn't any approval. AAMC just provides a list.

2) Which schools offer linkage programs?

The ones that don't look at apps with sub-3.0 GPAs.

3) By completing a post-bacc program, will those grades be factored into my previous undergraduate grade point average or will they be counted as a seperate gpa that I could use to apply to med school in lieu of my UG GPA?

Sorry, but your cumulative GPA is your fate. The top-line number on your app will be your overall cumulative GPA that includes every undergrad class you've ever taken. There will also be a line that separates out your postbac GPA. If you pursue DO, in that system repeated coursework "forgives" old grades.

4) With my current gpa, will I have a difficult time getting into post-bacc pre med programs?

Yeah, structured postbacs aren't a good fit for you. You need to demonstrate that you can get A's before you can demonstrate that you're good material for med school - and the structured programs are looking for folks without baggage.

But structured programs are the minority. You can take additional undergrad coursework until the day you die at a vast number of institutions.

5) Is Manhattanville College a good place to do a post-bacc program? Has anyone attended that school?

Nobody here really seems to know, but when you search, use the strings "manhattan" and "manhatten" and also look in the allo forums and on mdapps.

6) Has anyone been a similiar situation, meaning 2.3-2.8 range, as me and what steps did you take to improve your gpa and get into medical school?

People have done it (look for TexasTriathlete, and I'm not much different.) I recommend finding out what a DO is. I don't recommend thinking about the Caribbean. If there's anything other than medicine that you'd be happy doing, for the love of all that's holy do the other thing.

You need to get up over 3.0 to be taken seriously, unless you're URM or have an insanely compelling story with epic academic redemption. In your case I'd assume you need to do a 2nd bachelors degree, because you need to take a TON more undergrad coursework, and without being enrolled as a degree-seeking student, you're typically not eligible for financial aid or registration priority. I'd also assume that you need to spend about a year at a community college, to warm up, to get some A's, and to give yourself a story that will get you admitted at a school that will let you do a 2nd bachelors. Don't take prereqs at the CC: take math and English and some humanities. If you can't get A's, that's great information; if you do get A's, that's permission to keep going. Way down the line there are SMPs to help finish the job.

Best of luck to you.

 

[Blush]

Thank you, however I don't believe that it is impossible to get into medical school if you didn't do so well in your undergraduate degree. The primary purpose of post bacc and smp programs are to assist students who are not competitive applicants enhance their application profile. I would like to know with my gpa, what methods should I take in order to increase my chances of getting into a school. I appreciate your response, being that you are the only person who has responded, so far. I would also appreciate more responses from individuals who have had a low undergraduate gpa and made it into medical school. I understand that I am not an ideal candidate, hence the reason for my post, but I have been accepted to two very good, actually great schools with a 2.5 gpa. My aptitude is not a question, I am a very smart person, but I do realize med school works a little differently and when I came across the post-bacc programs, I wondered why they were put into place and how could I use them to my advantage in order to enter medical school within the next two years. Again, I look forward to hearing from those who have been in a similar situation and made it into medical school.

 

[DrMidlife]

I didn't say anything about it being impossible; I just told you how to do it. If you find an easier, faster way, by all means have at it.

 

[hung]

search the forum for posts by "junebugUF". http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=4371729&postcount=632
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=4363688&postcount=628
this forumer made it into a US MD school after many years. it is going to take a couple years for the MD route. possibly shorter for the DO route. maybe even shorter for carribean.

 

[NewmansOwn]

Midlife's post is excellent.

You didn't specify, but I'm assuming you haven't taken the prereqs or the MCAT yet?

People have gotten into medical school after recovering from bad situations such as yours so by all means go for it, but it's going to take you around 4 years to do so -- maybe 3, if you get a series of very lucky breaks. Your goal of entering med school (in the US, at least) within the next two years will be impossible to achieve. You may consider yourself very intelligent and possessed of strong aptitude as you indicate, but unfortunately no one with admission power will believe you until you prove it and that will take some time.

Some might disagree, but I'm of the general opinion that if you're not a good candidate for the top formal programs, you're better off just taking classes a la carte at whichever university is cheapest for you. A lot of colleges know that postbacs can be real money makers and set up "formal programs" that are honestly nothing more than scams -- you'll receive zero support, outdated advice and likely no valuable committee letter and all you'll have to show for it is a certificate saying you've completed their budget-ass program. A formal program that accepts applicants with a 2.5 might fall into this category and you should be wary.

Far better to find a good state university and get in touch with the premed advisor there. That person, while surely busy, will have up-to-date information and advice that has worked for students in the past. He or she will also be able to put you in touch with professors who may be doing interesting research or volunteer directors. Additionally, the courses will be cheap which is nice because you'll need to take a lot of them.