So, about these post bacc programs.......

[justin_od]

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do u have to apply again this summer? I heard that at Finch, most or almost all of their post-bacc students get into med school there. Do u have to reapply through AMCAS? Thanks

 

[medicine2006]

I am 99% sure you have to reapply thru AMCAS for Finch. It is not an automatic thing. When I was deciding which post-bac to go to I believe that all of them I researched had you reapplying officially thru AMCAS. Also just a note; it is true lots of Finch post-bacs get into Finch but very very few if any get multiple acceptances. So unless you are totally satisfied with Chicago Med I reccomend another post-bac program like MCPHU.

 

[HippocratesX]

I just asked this in another vkrn's thread, but...how does one get into a postbacc program w/o the required gpa for admission into the program. Most of them are like 3.0-3.3. I haven't seen anything lower than a 2.8. Isn't that the point of a postbacc program anyway???? To help you realize the mistakes you made and guide you in correcting them thru study habits, mcat help, etc? Anyone with information please help.

 

[NE_Cornhusker1]

Most of these programs are MS programs and not post bacc programs. Just about every graduate school I have seen has minimum GPA and MCAT/GRE requirements.

I think it is more the philosophy of these programs to allow you to compete along side against first year medical school students and you allow you to prove that you can 'hack it' in medical school. The MS is just a piece a paper you can hang on your wall to show for your work and ridiculous cash outlay. The downside is that if you f-up in the program your chances from getting into a US medical school go from slim to non-existent.

If you have a degree and have your heart set on one of these programs and have a 2.8 it will take about 2 semesters of a 4.0 GPA to get above a 3.0. Yeah a year of basket weaving classes and floral design might not be all that appealing to a science major but the potential long term reward (MD)is. Peace.

 

[medicine2006]

Hippo,

I say in your case I say try working in a lab of an influential professor of a medical school. Try to get an inside track this way.

 

[HippocratesX]

medicine2006,

What do you mean? I'm sorry, I didn't quite understand what you were saying. How does working for an influential professor in a medical school help my chances of getting into a postbacc program? Though, if in some way it can, I already have much research experience because I took a year off and worked full time in a neuropathology/histology lab at my undergrad institution's medical school.

 

[HippocratesX]

NE_Cornhusker1,

Thanks for the advice. Actually I was considering doing a postbacc close to where you are in NE (except at Creighton).

 

[Kasey]

The really good post-bacc programs are really as hard, or harder than to get into med school. They are looking for people with excellent GPA's, but non-science majors, some want good SATs, plus some clincal volunteer work to boot. I know the Goucher program in Baltimore get something like 700 apps for about 30 spots and JHU which just started has similar stats at this point. But there are some that will let you enroll if you meet their minimum criteria if you can foot the bill. O applied at the above mentioned programs with over a 1400 SAT and a 3.3 GPA from a top music conservatory and while I got interviews, I didn't get into either to give you an idea. They aren't looking for people that need to bring up their GPAs, they're looking for people that need to complete the pre-reqs and already have a stellar background. I was definitely hurt by my lack of clinical experience. Goucher's program boasts an overall admit rate of something like 95% and no one in the past few years hasn't made it as I recall, so you can see the standards are pretty high. I think with having to bring your GPA up that much to be competitive for admission to med school, if possible you should try to get into your state school if it's good and if they're big they often had a post-bacc pre-med advisor and it will save you some money since med school is hellishly expensive. You'll get all the benefits of being a regular pre-med student atthe school, and while it will probably be harder to gain admission this way, I think it's a good alternative to the private programs that will admit anyone if you're not able to gain admission to the really good post-baccs.
I hope that didn't come off as harsh, but I'm going through the same thing!
-K

 

[medicine2006]

Hippo,

Don't mind my previous post I was just posting anything because I was close to being a senior member. Sorry about that. Good luck man.

 

[Future_Doc]

Many state schools offer Post-bacc opportunities without a "post-bacc program" - meaning there are essentially an unlimited number of slots, there really isn't any competition to get it. The final results are pretty much the same - the GPA you earn factors into your overall GPA, but also, ADCOMS have a separate GPA to look at to see your improvement.

Worked for me!