L
Lizzi
It's an extension program, but a great alternative for students in the bay area (Nor-Cal).
www.unex.berkeley.edu/sciences
www.unex.berkeley.edu/sciences
I have seen midterms from many other schools, ie UCLA, UCI, USC, and their tests are complete jokes compared to ours... The sad thing is that med school admissions is just a numbers game and we dont really get enough compensation for how competitive this place is. .
the classes will be listed as uc berkeley extension classes, so i don't think admissions people would know unless uc berkeley extension develops a known reputation for farming their classes out..
I have been looking at post bacs all over the country...with much frustration. I couldn't decide were to apply. I am a recent grad of Reed College in Portland Oregon. Reed is a PhD factory. I graduated with a degree in psych, and then went into biomedical research, treading water until I could figure out how to make my dreams of osteopathic medicine come true. I've been working in a neuroscience lab; I got a publication, but knew all along that research wasn't for me. My post bac decision came about gradually over the last few months. As I learned that Osteopathy was more for me than allopathy, I had just visited Scripps College...great program...small, selective, with a hell of a track record. For me it was great because Western Univ. is right there in Pomona, but it was a little late in the game to apply, plus they wanted a GRE score, and that meant delaying my start date a whole year. So I sent my resume and thesis to the director at UCB. We spoke at length, and he actually read my thesis, whereas tufts said when you apply don't even send your thesis. The personal attention I received coupled with the impressive and growing course offerings at UCB, gave me pause to apply. I will be starting the program in the fall. For me it feels pretty special getting involved in something at ground zero. Every program has to start somewhere. To assuage any fears: all classes and Profs are approved by the Berkeley senate, and not by the extension school. If any currently enrolled students happen to read this, please post to the thread. We should be communicating!
Someone mentioned early on about community college. Berkeley extension isn't a community college. Admissions Committees know about Berkeley Extension and it has a solid reputation.
I've done a little over half of all the premed requirements here.
Classes are expensive and teachers are a crapshoot. Some amazing, some awful. Many are in between.
This is the program for working professionals. You have to be an independent learner, and you have to have your **** together overall. Typically the students I have met are high-caliber, accomplished career switchers. Many former bankers, consultants, lawyers. Folks with MBAs. I don't think this program is geared much to folks who just want to increase their GPAs to increase their chances of getting in, but surely I've met those, too.
Classes are all 1x a week, except for the accelerated summer term. This means the professor goes over a ton of material in one class, or doesn't even get to it all. You really have to be independent, dedicated, and focused if you're going to do well in these courses.
But students have had excellent acceptance rates. I know of numerous people who ended up at UCSF, for example.
I can't speak to advising because I never formally applied to the program to get it. I just enroll in courses one after another. I might apply and enroll in a bit, because they do offer a group letter on behalf of the faculty for each student in the program.
But that's not required. I already have a letter coming from my chem professor.
Classes are all over the bay. I've taken the majority of my courses in Belmont, CA, but have had many in Berkeley, too, and this term I finally have some in SF, where I live.
Hopefully this adds a bit of color to the school for folks thinking about it.