unofficial post-bacc - advantages/disadvantages?

[paradigms]

Since I don't want to assume that it is okay to do this, is it okay to do a DIY post-bacc?
Is there some disadvantage that I am not realizing.. it seems that it would just cost more money (granting that there isn't some admissions guarantee) and my state school is 6400 for the year and it is a pretty good school with a pretty selective committee regarding the committee letter.

The other school that I was thinking of is more expensive, but doesn't have a committee, and instead has only a pre-med adviser. I don't know if it would be easier to get the necessary letter at the second school. The whole getting a committee letter just makes me nervous, and is really why I am asking, I am just stressed. I think that the acceptance rate is a big plus, though.

I am still pretty set on the first school though. I think that it is much more affordable if I in fact need 2 full years to boost my GPA than anywhere in my area. I just don't know if an unofficial post-bacc has some disadvantage unknown to me, which is really my question.

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[hallowmann]

Since I don't want to assume that it is okay to do this, is it okay to do a DIY post-bacc?
Is there some disadvantage that I am not realizing.. it seems that it would just cost more money (granting that there isn't some admissions guarantee) and my state school is 6400 for the year and it is a pretty good school with a pretty selective committee regarding the committee letter.

The other school that I was thinking of is more expensive, but doesn't have a committee, and instead has only a pre-med adviser. I don't know if it would be easier to get the necessary letter at the second school. The whole getting a committee letter just makes me nervous, and is really why I am asking, I am just stressed. I think that the acceptance rate is a big plus, though.

I am still pretty set on the first school though. I think that it is much more affordable if I in fact need 2 full years to boost my GPA than anywhere in my area. I just don't know if an unofficial post-bacc has some disadvantage unknown to me, which is really my question.

Are you a career changer? Honestly, it doesn't matter what you do. Obviously a certificate/degree looks nice, and makes the post-bac money worth it, but I did a DIY post-bac and had no issues with adcoms or at interviews because of it.

The main disadvantage to my post-bac was the utter lack of advising (I had no official advisor or pre-med advisor), but that's what SDN is for. You have the committee though.

 

[paradigms]

Are you a career changer? Honestly, it doesn't matter what you do. Obviously a certificate/degree looks nice, and makes the post-bac money worth it, but I did a DIY post-bac and had no issues with adcoms or at interviews because of it.

The main disadvantage to my post-bac was the utter lack of advising (I had no official advisor or pre-med advisor), but that's what SDN is for. You have the committee though.

Yeah, I actually can receive a second degree, I can also take a year's worth of research credit, which is great. And tbh I know what the process entails pretty well. I ask questions on here as confirmation and somewhat out of nervousness (including my grade replacement question that you responded to haha). This next year entails my MCAT, for which I do not know if I will be ready for, retakes, getting the committee letter which I feel is contingent upon a high a** MCAT and at least a semester of straight A's in retakes and other sciences, and then LOR's and finishing my clinical and non-clinical work (which is much less stressful).

There is certainly the possibility that I will get in somewhere for 2015, but I should expect a year and possibly a summer (which would also have me still applying for 2015), or even two full years, in order to get into the places that I would like. It is this tension between finally graduating undergrad and wanting to move on as quickly as possible, but then realizing that this will quite possibly take time, in order to be comfortably competitive.

The idea of completing a second degree by completing credits through research, which I would hope would also boost my science GPA is an attractive prospect. And I do like research. I would like to do some investigations into an as of yet unknown pathway, but this will take time. Hopefully I would be able to focus on that for the second year, whether that year is a gap year, or a second year for the purposes of applying. I'm very interested in oncology, and so to get a publication on what I would like to research on (for the sake of itself mind you, not solely for achieving getting in anywhere) would definitely be great. I would just be happy with performing solidly in August and then moving on to the fall for these retakes.

Thank you for the input I really appreciate it

No, I am not a career changer. I am just finishing up undergrad

And ah okay, it is good to hear that you didn't have too much trouble with the committee, that's great! And yeah, I don't really think that mock interviews help much lol.

 

[Goro]

It's perfectly OK to go the DIY route. We accept plenty of students with one, and those with SMPs as well, or regular MS's or MPH's.

The only true advantage for the SMP is that it lets us see how you do in "med school lite". We're more taking a gamble on DIY'ers, but those pay off for us.

So, there are no downsides, except if you DIY one course per year. That way, we don't see how you're able to handle a heavy course load. We've wait-listed a number of people who do that.

Since I don't want to assume that it is okay to do this, is it okay to do a DIY post-bacc?
Is there some disadvantage that I am not realizing.. it seems that it would just cost more money (granting that there isn't some admissions guarantee) and my state school is 6400 for the year and it is a pretty good school with a pretty selective committee regarding the committee letter.

The other school that I was thinking of is more expensive, but doesn't have a committee, and instead has only a pre-med adviser. I don't know if it would be easier to get the necessary letter at the second school. The whole getting a committee letter just makes me nervous, and is really why I am asking, I am just stressed. I think that the acceptance rate is a big plus, though.

I am still pretty set on the first school though. I think that it is much more affordable if I in fact need 2 full years to boost my GPA than anywhere in my area. I just don't know if an unofficial post-bacc has some disadvantage unknown to me, which is really my question.

 

[paradigms]

It's perfectly OK to go the DIY route. We accept plenty of students with one, and those with SMPs as well, or regular MS's or MPH's.

The only true advantage for the SMP is that it lets us see how you do in "med school lite". We're more taking a gamble on DIY'ers, but those pay off for us.

So, there are no downsides, except if you DIY one course per year. That way, we don't see how you're able to handle a heavy course load. We've wait-listed a number of people who do that.

Hey, well yeah I am doing at least 12 credits for at least a year, and possibly a higher course load. Even in undergrad, I, from my perspective challenged myself. And it resulted in a lower gpa. The fact that I constantly had to fight grades because professors lost my work did not help at all.

I also have seen my grades jump since switching my major. The past 3 semesters I have seen my gpa stay consistently at a 3.4-3.5, and this has been with at least two semester of 18 credit course loads. The only downside is that I did not take any sciences. The class that I did take I am currently fighting, because once again, the TA lost my labs, and I as of now have a 1 credit organic lab at a D. I have not had any luck over the past four years with this issue. This is a bit besides the point though. But yes, I will be doing at least two classes and their labs per semester.

 

[jedi silva]

So, there are no downsides, except if you DIY one course per year. That way, we don't see how you're able to handle a heavy course load. We've wait-listed a number of people who do that.

In terms of credits, what would you suggest to be the minimum course load for a candidate? Also would the expected course load change for someone that works full time?

 

[Jewels86]

In terms of credits, what would you suggest to be the minimum course load for a candidate? Also would the expected course load change for someone that works full time?

I'm curious about that too I'm a DIY post-bacc too

 

[jedi silva]

shameless bump...

 

[Goro]

I suggest 6-8 credits/semester. We understand the demands of working full time, but merely doling out the coursework 1 semester at a time doesn't show us how you can handle medical school, and we've rejected people who have done this. Time mgt is a crucial skill for a medical student.

In terms of credits, what would you suggest to be the minimum course load for a candidate? Also would the expected course load change for someone that works full time?