Quality of a post-bac program

[Lanced]

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I was a non-science undergrad major and am planning on entering a post-bac to complete my pre-reqs.

My question is this, do medical schools view you any differently if you had taken your pre-reqs at Harvard extension vs. San Jose State University vs. Mills College, etc.?

Other than teaching and advising quality, is there any discernible difference in where you do your post-bac? I have heard that you will be viewed as a student of your alma madder (where you completed your degree).

Anyone have any experience in this area?

 

[ussdfiant]

alma madder (where you completed your degree).

Usually I don't correct spelling, but I think this is important. The phase is "alma mater".

 

[Lanced]

Thanks for pointing that out, I am too careless on forums. Any feedback to the question?

 

[calbear15]

Usually I don't correct spelling, but I think this is important. The phase is "alma mater".

As long as we're correcting spelling... I think you meant "phrase" not "phase".

 

[youthman]

Too funny!! I think you will get both yes and no replies, with experiences to back up both. So in the end the best answer is probably, "it depends."

 

[Pemulis]

I know of someone who went to UPenn undergrad, studied engineering, had a good gpa, then went to a "no-name" college to do their post-bac work. They got a 4.0 gpa while there, scored over 30 on the MCAT, applied to over a dozen schools--and didn't even get a single interview.

I'm sure someone out there will have a different perspective, but my pre-med advisor told me this story as a cautionary tale when I was considering post-bacs. He felt very strongly that it does matter where you go. Just passing it along.

 

[dok101]

"I know of someone who went to UPenn undergrad, studied engineering, had a good gpa, then went to a "no-name" college to do their post-bac work. They got a 4.0 gpa while there, scored over 30 on the MCAT, applied to over a dozen schools--and didn't even get a single interview."

That sounds very discouraging. Even if this person had minimal EC's, I'd think they'd at least have some interviews based solely on the post-bac grades and MCAT. Your post is really making me think twice about my decision to do my post-bac work at a "no-name" state school.

 

[Pemulis]

That sounds very discouraging. Even if this person had minimal EC's, I'd think they'd at least have some interviews based solely on the post-bac grades and MCAT. Your post is really making me think twice about my decision to do my post-bac work at a "no-name" state school.

Well, keep in mind that this is just one person's story. I've also met people on this board who went to community college or whatever and got in. I think a lot of it depends on what state you're in, and where you're applying. But the general rule stands; med school is tough--not impossible, but tough--to get into. You should probably err on the side of doing everything possible to strengthen your app.

By the way, I should clarify that when I say "no name", I mean no-name. I don't mean, say, a reasonably well regarded state school. In the case above, the student went to a little private college which nobody outside of New Jersey has ever heard of. In my case, I was considering going to a lesser known state school before my advisor gave me this advice. Don't think you need to go to Harvard or Penn for your post-bacs; just go somewhere that most people have heard of and that doesn't have a reputation as being an academic cream puff.

 

[rn2md10]

I know of someone who went to UPenn undergrad, studied engineering, had a good gpa, then went to a "no-name" college to do their post-bac work. They got a 4.0 gpa while there, scored over 30 on the MCAT, applied to over a dozen schools--and didn't even get a single interview.

I'm sure someone out there will have a different perspective, but my pre-med advisor told me this story as a cautionary tale when I was considering post-bacs. He felt very strongly that it does matter where you go. Just passing it along.

So do you know this person or was it your premed advisor that relayed this story to you. Somehow I doubt a person with such quality statistics could not score one single interview.

Strange if true.

 

[Pemulis]

So do you know this person or was it your premed advisor that relayed this story to you. Somehow I doubt a person with such quality statistics could not score one single interview.

Strange if true.

No, I don't personally know this person. But the premed advisor who told me this did personally know this person, and I know him pretty well, so I have no particular reason to doubt its veracity.

 

[lightnk102]

I think you should ask the post-bacc about what kind of support is provided for its students. Regardless of whether it has a "good name" or not, you will need recommendations from people in your post-bacc program, support from the administration to write your committee letter (or dean's letter as its called in some places), and advising from the post-bacc advisors who probably have sent dozens of other kids in your situation to med schools before. In my experience, a post-bacc with a recognizable name (doesn't have to be ivy) tends to provide you with that support. For example, Bryn Mawr is known for doing an excellent job with that. Doing your post-baccs at a community college means you won't have that sort of support.

As for the alma mater issue, in my opinion, they consider you alumni of your original 4-year degree school. It doesn't make sense for them to consider you alumni of your post-bacc. Otherwise, someone could go to community college, go to Harvard's Extension School (which doesn't seem to have all that stringent admission requirements) and then be considerd a Harvard grad. For what it's worth, at med school interviews, my nametag had my name, and my 4-year undergrad instition underneath it (I did my post-bacc SMP at Boston U).

 

[Law2Doc]

I know of someone who went to UPenn undergrad, studied engineering, had a good gpa, then went to a "no-name" college to do their post-bac work. They got a 4.0 gpa while there, scored over 30 on the MCAT, applied to over a dozen schools--and didn't even get a single interview.

I'm sure someone out there will have a different perspective, but my pre-med advisor told me this story as a cautionary tale when I was considering post-bacs. He felt very strongly that it does matter where you go. Just passing it along.

This assumes that the "no name" college was the culprit. But how do you know this person didn't eg.: Only apply to the top 12+ schools, lack med related ECs, have a PS that didn't suggest a reason or sincere desire to study medicine (or may have been put together sloppilly), have a very unballanced MCAT (i.e. over 30, but a 5, 13, 13), have horrible LORs, have an enormous number of W's, incompletes, etc. in their "good GPA", or some skeleton in their background (a criminal record, expulsions, suspensions, etc.)?
Point is, from the info given, a "no name" college is really only one possible reason one could point to as to why someone with a good GPA from a good school might not get in. So without knowing more, we must take this cautionary tale with a grain of salt.
That being said, it is probably safer to stick with the known commodities unless there is no alternative.

 

[LaurieB]

I was given advice to avoid community colleges and "easy" liberal arts colleges. The impression I got was that I should choose a place where my grades would be meaningful or at least would be percieved to be meaningful. This doesn't really answer your question about "name," but it may help guide your thinking.

Good luck!
Laurie

 

[Pemulis]

I was given advice to avoid community colleges and "easy" liberal arts colleges. The impression I got was that I should choose a place where my grades would be meaningful or at least would be percieved to be meaningful. This doesn't really answer your question about "name," but it may help guide your thinking.

Good luck!
Laurie

Laurie's advice is dead-on. This is exactly what I've been told, too.

As for Law2Doc's comments, you are right to question anything you read online, my post included. And I concur; take my story with a grain of salt, because there are counter stories too. I'm only passing the story on; do with it what you will. That said, it's not my opinion that the "no name" school was the culprit; it was my premed advisor's opinion, and he personally knew and had worked with this student. Further, he offered this as only one example. He said he has come across this phenomenon on other occasions as well.

I would just say that in the end, you will be competing with a lot of other people for a seat in med school. Committees have so many applications, that they literally look for excuses to throw some out. Don't give them any extra reasons to do so to yours.