Premed almost completed in undergrad, now what?

[k4ffy]

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Hi guys,
I have an uncommon situation. I was interested in medicine from when I first went to undergrad, but I had to give up on my premed courses halfway through because my main major was very intense and time-consuming. Now, after being out of school for about a year, I want to go back and finish up my premed and apply to med school. I have been looking at post-baccalaureate premedical programs, but these seem mainly designed for students who have had little or no science experience in their undergraduate educations.
Out of the basic requirements for applying to med school, I have already completed the following:
1 year of general chemistry
1 year of physics
1 year of calculus
1 year of english
physics lab
1/2 year of organic chemistry

which leaves me with:
1 year of bio
1/2 year of organic chemistry
chemistry lab
biology lab
orgo lab

Also, I dont want to waste any more time, and would ideally like to start medical school in the fall of 2007.

so my question to you guys is, should I just take the classes I need at a local school without entering into a post-bac program, and volunteer/shadow a doctor on the side?
What would be my best bet.

I live in Manhattan.

 

[PhDtoDO]

Hey,

I have several friends who did postbacs....none of them got in after completing them...but one was streamlined to a specific school so after they don't accept you, you do the amcas and she's in my shoes...up to her ears in secondaries.

Some postbacs let you have lots of freedom to take whatever classes you want. Some are really structured and hard...like taking all of your hardcore first year classes for letter grades instead of pass fall like the med students.

I think if I were going to spend money like that, I'd find a one year masters and add in those extras at the same time. I have a masters in public health and tropical medicine...which can range from business administration like my boyfriends masters (MPH) and mine, in tropical medicine (MSPH...masters of science in public health). You can do it in one or two years..easily in one. I really liked it and they have them all over.

Just from the experience of friends...both of which already had their masters...graduated from Tulane SPH with me...I don't think its worth it.

There are 3 different programs at tulane that are good and I've known tons of people who finished them and got into med school at tulane or elsewhere.

The Anatomy program...take all the first year med classes accept to the social science warm and fuzzy one while you apply to med school...I got in but decided to go to grad school instead. Still wonder where I'd be if I had done it

The Pharmacology masters...totally for premeds...like a postbac but you get a degree for all your blood sweat and tears and MONEY

And some kind of Cellular and Molecular masters at the uptown campus...yes, my house is underwater...but chances are the application process to go to tulane should be shy a few applicants and dry by then I had many of these students in the lab I taught and several of them graduated in my boyfriends med school class in June

I'm sure they have stuff like this in your town. I just feel like my excellent future doctor friends who did postbacs got screwed...out of a lot of time and money.

Also...taking these classes and working in a clinic or lab is fine too...I've known plenty of MEDICAL STUDENTS who did this.

Hope this helps


Older but not necessarily wiser -

-s

 

[MiesVanDerMom]

I'm in the same situation. I took half my pre-reqs as an undergrad, stopped being pre-med, and now am returning. I am taking my classes on my own at a local university. Opinions vary as to what med schools want: formal post-bacc, masters, doesn't matter. My only option, financially and otherwise, is to take them on my own so that's that. Plenty of people do it and I am not worried. Best of luck to you

 

[unfrozencaveman]

I think columbia will let you into their postbacc program and let you finish up what you started (could very easily be wrong). But they have an excellent program with linkages- so you dont have to have a glide year if you like the schools to which they are attached.