UPenn Post Bacc Program

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
brainimaging said:
does anyone have anyyy info on how many seats the program has left??? also, on the website, sampling course schedule link didn't work.
anyone have info on how long this program takes? because i'm assuming there will be a gap year if this program is for 1 year.
Click to expand...


I am not sure about how many are left. When I went to my advisory meeting, I picked up a brochure in the office because it had info on all pre health tracks. It says that annual admissions for this program is 60 -75 students. It also says that the SSP requires one to take a minimum of 8 courses, which most split 4/4 over the year. Both the SSP and Pre Health students are eligible for a Certificate as long as one's GPA and MCAT meets the requirements.
Members don't see this ad.
 
ali20685 said:
Both the SSP and Pre Health students are eligible for a Certificate as long as one's GPA and MCAT meets the requirements.
Click to expand...

ali - i remember hearing that at my interview. Do you remember what the criteria for that were?
 
It does not mention the specific criteria for the cert, but it does say that there is a core certificate and an advanced certificate. It also states one must have an outstanding GPA and MCAT/DAT score. The advanced certificate for pre-health involves taking 4 upperlevels according to my advisor, who is also the head of the program. I am sure that this cert will be continually mentioned since it is new and the office seems to be extremely enthusiastic about the certification.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
hey guys! i'm still working on writing my resume
and i don't really have a template to get ideas from
so i have
education/work experience (jobs/research)/activities/volunteer
and i was wondering where does shadowing fall under??
i think i'm spending wayyy too much time on this =) thanks!!!
 
Eh im not sure what heading it falls under. it would be fine under volunteer as im assuming you didnt get paid. Work exp would work too i suppose
 
brainimaging said:
hey guys! i'm still working on writing my resume
and i don't really have a template to get ideas from
so i have
education/work experience (jobs/research)/activities/volunteer
and i was wondering where does shadowing fall under??
i think i'm spending wayyy too much time on this =) thanks!!!
Click to expand...


I put my shadowing under the volunteer work, since it is so similar.

Have any of you done research related volunteer or jobs? If so, what did you do and how did you get it? I feel like I am doing a lot of clinical type volunteer, but I feel if I do research type stuff as I continue doing the clinical it will help my med school apps.
 
brainimaging said:
hey guys! i'm still working on writing my resume
and i don't really have a template to get ideas from
so i have
education/work experience (jobs/research)/activities/volunteer
and i was wondering where does shadowing fall under??
i think i'm spending wayyy too much time on this =) thanks!!!
Click to expand...

I was lazy so I just lumped all of my work and shadowing experiences/activities under the heading of "Experience and Activities."

ali20685 said:
I put my shadowing under the volunteer work, since it is so similar.

Have any of you done research related volunteer or jobs? If so, what did you do and how did you get it? I feel like I am doing a lot of clinical type volunteer, but I feel if I do research type stuff as I continue doing the clinical it will help my med school apps.
Click to expand...

Same situation here ali. Hopefully there will be some research related stuff available during next summer
 
For those of you interested in the certificate, the Penn site just placed the requirements to receive one.

Pre-Health: 3.0 or better GPA, B or better in each course, MCAT: 30 or higher. (advanced cert. requires extra courses listed on the site)


SS: 3.0 or better GPA, B in each course, MCAT: 30 (Advanced cert requires a 3.5 GPA and extra coursework)

There is now a whole section on this on the Penn site.
 
Hi everyone,

I am afraid I do not understand the tuition costs associated with UPenn's Special Sciences program. Could someone kindly spell out around how much it costs to attend the program and take an average amount of classes (for one year)? Your help is much appreciated.

Yours,
Refugee
 
I applied to Penn's Pre Health program. Do the have a linkage program? I wasnt able to find any information about linkages on the website, although, I thought I had previously.
 
The pre Health program has several linkages. Your eligibility would depend on your program and the guidelines are different for each school. Some schools will only allow linkage if you do the one year program. Some offer linkage to 1 or 2 year post bac students. If you get into penn's program or have already been accepted then you can find info under the current students' section of the web site.

The linkages at Penn include the following Med Schools: Penn, U of Pitt, Drexel, George Washington, Jefferson, Mt. Sinai, Temple, and RWJMS. The other day I also received an e-mail that PCOM has now finalized a linkage agreement with Penn as well.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Slight bump but also what classes and how many is everybody taking?

I just registered for physics, histology, and developmental bio
 
robflanker said:
Slight bump but also what classes and how many is everybody taking?

I just registered for physics, histology, and developmental bio
Click to expand...

damn didn't know we could do that now, i have yet to call the office to set up a phone appointment, i've been debating between UPenn and another program. in your meeting did ms. cardy suggest classes, or was she open to ur opinions on what to take?

anyone have any luck with apartments, i've been looking and it seems that everything is owned by signature community.
 
Banu - I had to fight with them. They weren't very open to the phone option but I told them I wasn't coming down on a week day until August due to summer committments. You don't really need the appointment, I signed up for all the ones I wanted to on the system. You don't really need the advising appointment. And my appointment wasnt with Sally Cardy it was with Dr. Ukachukwu.

I am headed to Philly at the end of the month for apartment hunting
 
HEyyy!!

I've registered for my classes already have found it surprisingly easy compared to my undergrad college. I went on facebook and asked for a lot of advice with different classes/teachers/..etc.

I was just wondering how many of you on here are going for sure to UPenn special sciences in the fall?? 2009-2010

I wanted to start a facebook group or something because I'm looking for a roommate or just to meet some of the other people in this program???
 
Hey everyone! I recently interviewed, and as of yesterday, it's official! I'll be a student in the specialized science program this fall. I like the idea of a facebook page for the program, I know that Penn does have a post-bacc society page (its a group you have to request to join) on fb but that is it. A sep. page or group devoted to specialized science students seems like a great way to meet others with common interests/situations....especially for those of us who are newly affiliated with the program!
 
I'll be spec. sci fall too! Been in philly now for 4 years and have lived in diff. areas. Feel free to ask me whatever...glad to help!
 
Hey!

I'm going to start a Upenn Special Sciences facebook....

just type in Upenn speciall sciences fall 2009 and you should be able to find it...

Everyone who is coming this fall....please join!! :)
 
glad to hear more people are signing on to head to philly this fall! what seems to be the norm in terms of classes that people take, i know i want to take the ER class, but the other ones I'm unsure about.

i'm gonna try to run around philly looking for apartments around july, dendrite know of any good apartment complexes you would recommend?
 
signed up for some classes last night, so far have: histology, developmental biology, and cancer cell biology

anyone have any luck in getting into the clinical ER class? i know you have to email the professor, just wondering if anyone's doing it, or has heard good things about the class?
 
Banu - i emailed him, and he mails you something back. We have to go to a meeting in August to sign up for it
 
Hello,

Would anyone happen to know where the LPS classes tend to take place (e.g. Chem 001, 053, Biol 101 etc.)?

I'm currently still looking for an apartment and I figured knowing where my classes will be would be a good place to start :p. Thanks!

On a slightly similar note, does anyone know anything about the Courts Apartment or the Chestnut Hall Apartments? Are they a good place for would-be students to rent from? Thanks
 
hey guys! i just recently interviewed for the fall special sciences(last monday), i was wondering how soon after we are supposed to find out? and do we find out by mail/phone/email?? thanks in advance
 
1) I dont think you need to have the MCAT but I think you have to have either that or the GRE

2) about 2 weeks till you find out
 
ok thanks- do you know if you find out by mail or email?

by the way, unlike a masters program, you do not need to have taken your GRE/MCAT... just a bachelors degree.
 
You get an email saying a decision is available and you can logon to the system and check it.
 
To those who are looking for rentals in Philly, I'd say try to find something private over a complex....just my preference based on my experience here. As someone who has lived in complexes, rowhomes, and condos, I can say there are distinct advantages to renting from a private landlord. Many complexes in Philadelphia are over priced, but given the state of the economy I have noticed some deals out there. Many reduced rent or security deposits and waived application fees. Thats the good news. There is a wide range of prices in center city, from dirt cheap to luxury. Use craigslist to get an idea of what to expect...this is also the main way we find rentals around here. Secondly, try www.4wallsinphilly.com for available rentals and phillyaparmentco.com Also, drive around neighborhoods if you can and look for signs "for rent". One of my good friends scored an awesome apartment that way. Also, to anyone looking in Powelton Village area, many of those apartments are owner occupied, meaning you are basically renting the upstairs to someones home. That would obviously not work well for some people. Also, be cautious of location in Univ. City. Stay as close to campus as possible.....stay away from Baltimore Ave. and anything past 50th st. It is dangerous there and that is not the least bit of an exaggeration. Watch the news....southwest/west philly is the rough part of town. Hope this helps you!
 
dendrite10 said:
Stay as close to campus as possible.....stay away from Baltimore Ave. and anything past 50th st. It is dangerous there and that is not the least bit of an exaggeration. Watch the news....southwest/west philly is the rough part of town. Hope this helps you!
Click to expand...

Thanks dendrite!

Also, would you happen to know anything about Stratum by any chance (http://www.the-stratum.com/amenities/stratum/)? First time renter here, so I'm pretty much oblivious as to what I'm doing. I'm also apparently a sucker for fully furnished apartments :/ Thanks!
 
Last edited:
Nuggles, I have heard of them, I can see the attraction to such a place...I mean, it's pretty swank. If you can afford it, by all means....just be ready to fork out 1700+ a month for a 1bd...that is according to their published prices. Domus is another similar property close to Penn.
 
Hi,
I'm still working on the apps..and i was wondering,
did you guys answer these two Qs??

If you believe your transcripts and other records do not present an accurate picture of your ability, please explain.

Is there other information about yourself that you consider important that has not been covered in the previous questions?

they both sound like 'optional' questions to me-- and i heard that optional really means optional. =P so i just wanted to know what you guys made out of these questions.

also, if you don't mind sharing,
what were the interview qs???
 
Interferon Gamma: I was accepted to special sciences with no GRE or MCAT. I sent my SAT to fulfill the test score requirement. But, that being said they may require you to send the MCAT IF YOU HAVE TAKEN IT. My situation is that I never had taken the tests. When I had questions about a different admissions requirement, I sent an email to lps and an ad comm staff person promptly replied...you may want to consider doing the same to get the clarification you need.

Brain Imaging: I replied to all seven essays in as much detail as possible, including the two that you mentioned. My impression was that all of the essays were required. Make sure you put thought into your essays.

Though it really wouldn't be fair to reveal actual interview questions here, let me just say that my interview seemed relaxed and included a group tour of campus. Formal Dress. Remember, this is an Ivy League school and you will want to show that you belong there.
 
brainimaging said:
Hi,
I'm still working on the apps..and i was wondering,
did you guys answer these two Qs??

If you believe your transcripts and other records do not present an accurate picture of your ability, please explain.

Is there other information about yourself that you consider important that has not been covered in the previous questions?

they both sound like 'optional' questions to me-- and i heard that optional really means optional. =P so i just wanted to know what you guys made out of these questions.

also, if you don't mind sharing,
what were the interview qs???
Click to expand...

Hi Brainimaging,

I was actually in the same dilemma as you when I was filling in my application. In the end, I opted to give a short (one-sentence) answer for the "transcript" question and a small paragraph (6 sentences) for the "other information" question. I completely agree with dendrite in that it's all about giving these questions a lot of thought, if you feel like your application is a good representation of who you are, then the length shouldn't matter too much. Or at least that's how I feel about the matter. The most important thing is to come off as being genuine; if you have decent grades, you shouldn't force yourself to "fill in space" in the "transcript" question, for example. So, if you do write more, make sure you're doing it because it adds to your application, and not because you're not a fan of white space!

As for the interview, I did mine over the phone and to be honest, it was very short (the whole interview lasted roughly 10 minutes). I remember being extremely nervous about the interview and it definately hurt my performance. In hindsight, I should have been a lot more relaxed; my interviewer was very nice and non-confrontational and most of the questions he asked were fairly 'standard' questions. For example, when are you planning to apply to medical school? Why do you want to pursue medicine now? etc. Apart from that, just be prepared to discuss any aspect of your application. Nowhere during my interview did it feel like he was trying to 'trap' me (which I had initially feared!). Hopefully this helps and good luck with your application!


Also dendrite, thank you for your replies, they've been immensely helpful!
 
Last edited:
thanks so much for your inputs!
i spent a lot of time on #2
Describe the path that brought you to your current interest in the health professions. Give a brief personal history, describing your previous career (or career goals), explaining why you have decided to pursue professional training in the healthcare field. This should include a description of previous experience in health care; please be specific about the amount of time spent (either paid or volunteer)

and it's soooo long- 2 pages.12 font.single spaced. :(

yea, i'm a bit confused about what #6 is asking.
 
brainimaging said:
thanks so much for your inputs!
i spent a lot of time on #2
Describe the path that brought you to your current interest in the health professions. Give a brief personal history, describing your previous career (or career goals), explaining why you have decided to pursue professional training in the healthcare field. This should include a description of previous experience in health care; please be specific about the amount of time spent (either paid or volunteer)

and it's soooo long- 2 pages.12 font.single spaced. :(

yea, i'm a bit confused about what #6 is asking.
Click to expand...

Hi again brainimaging,

I think that you might be overthinking question #6 a bit. The majority of people (myself included) have led generally unexciting lives, and I'm sure the people reading your essay will understand that. They don't expect that all of their applicants will have some deep and profound moment to share (and to be honest, even if they did, that moment would probably have been mentioned in #2, #3 or #5!). So don't feel stressed out if you can't think of something new and dramatic to say for #6! Sometimes, even very little things can show significance.

To give you an example of this: when I applied back in early-March, I actually had not graduated yet from college. At that time, I was afraid that that might delay my application from being reviewed, so for #6 I briefly mentioned my situation and said that as soon as I graduate from college later in the month, a complete transcript will be sent to their office. This was important to my application and hadn't been mentioned anywhere else.

After that, I mentioned that I really had nothing else to add, because I believed that all the other questions had covered everything I wanted to share about myself. I finished #6 by letting them know that even though my decision to change careers was made fairly quickly, that I have nevertheless put a lot of serious thought into it and that I was willing to work hard in order to succeed. And then I thanked them for their time and that was it.

My response to #6 only took 105 words. It was short, simple and perhaps even a bit boring. If it's any help at all, try thinking of question #6 as being your 'closing argument' as to why you should be accepted into the program (and please, no "accept me because I'm smart!" :)); after all, your response to question #6 is going to be the last thing that makes an impression on the reader.

Hopefully this helps take some of the confusion out of the question! Just remember that noone expects you to write about how you fight crime at night and cure cancer during your afternoons (though if you did, it certainly won't hurt to mention it :p)! So don't stress out too much!

And also, another thing to think about is your response to question #2. While I am sure that there have been successful essays that are a few pages long, you need to be sure that everything you mention in the essay has significance. If your essay is long because it contains a lot of 'clutter,' my advice would be to delete the fluff--it will only take attention away from the things that really influenced your decision to pursue medicine (and that's something you definately don't want!). And even if everything in your essay is important, do try to shorten it a bit; if you yourself think that the essay is already too long, chances are, the reader will too! Just my thoughts and good luck again :)
 
Last edited:
For question #6, I actually took an entirely different route from the medical one. I ended up writing about anachronism and how it pertains to my life. I felt like this essay should be fun and revealing of the person that you are or have become. All of the other questions focused so much on academics that I felt like discussing a different side to myself would be beneficial. All of my essays ended up being about a page long, except for the one that needed a direct yes or no answer to it.
 
thanks so much for your input! i worked on apps all day :( and i did write few sentences for #4(If you believe your transcripts and other records do not present an accurate picture of your ability, please explain.)-i explain a dip in grades during one term.

and for #6, I wrote about what I'm doing this summer-and why I didnt apply to med school (bcuz i need to boost up gpa)

i'm only sending SAT scores because i haven't taken MCATs/GREs- did any of you guys just send in SAT scores as well? mine's pretty low/average-

i'm going to have my friend read over it and hopefully send in w/n next 2 days =( wahhh i'm getting nervous.
 
To anyone on this thread:


Do you believe it would be stupid to pass up UPenn's special sciences program for BU Master's in medical sciences or would you consider them evenly matched?



UPenn would save me about 25K also. However my I have a lot of undergrad credits so how weight can the post bac at UPenn have?
 
I only sent my SAT scores as well brainimaging. And ali, that must've been a very fun essay to read!!
 
I've been looking at the pre-health core program recently and am slightly confused by how the application timeline would work for me. I saw that it says applicants "have earned a bachelor's degree at least one year prior to applying," but from what I've read here it sounds like some of you will be entering the program directly from undergrad? Any info on this would be much appreciated; I'm pretty new to all this post-bacc business and am still trying to get a handle on how things work. :oops:
 
PetitAllegro said:
I've been looking at the pre-health core program recently and am slightly confused by how the application timeline would work for me. I saw that it says applicants "have earned a bachelor's degree at least one year prior to applying," but from what I've read here it sounds like some of you will be entering the program directly from undergrad? Any info on this would be much appreciated; I'm pretty new to all this post-bacc business and am still trying to get a handle on how things work. :oops:
Click to expand...

I'm guessing they just mean that most of their applicants have worked for a year or two after college before deciding that medicine is right for them. But heading into the program straight from undergrad is definately possible as well (I just graduated a few months ago). Hope this helps!
 
Nuggles said:
I only sent my SAT scores as well brainimaging. And ali, that must've been a very fun essay to read!!
Click to expand...


I really enjoyed writing it because I felt like it was one thing that was unique about myself. Who knows if they even truly read the entire thing, but I was excited about it.

Brain Imaging, I used my SAT scores because I did not have GREs or MCATs for applying to the pre health program. My scores were not fantastic, which is why I wrote about how they do not portray an accurate portrait of my academic abilities.

Petit Allegro, I just graduated last december and was accepted in April. At first, I hesitated to apply because of that as well, but I decided to take a chance. I would not let this stop you from applying. Good Luck!!
 
hey everyone! so i just found out about being accepted..... so my next issue will be finding out where to live- anyone have any suggestions?? i really dont want to stray too far from campus!
 
Yeah, so for people trying to get their living arrangements together, check out those websites and also craigslist...that should be a great way to find an apartment in your neighborhood of choice. Its understandable that you'd want to stay close to Penn if you are someone unfamiliar with the city. But let me say that almost anywhere in center city is safe and easy to navigate via the trains. I have lived in Old City and have friends that live in Bella Vista (Around Broad and Pine), both have TONS of great places to dine and fantastic nightlife. Rittenhouse is also very nice, if a tad pricier to live and also even closer to University City. I actually have lived in Manayunk/Roxborough for the last 3 years and love it here....I'd highly recommend it to anyone who likes to live close to the city without hearing motorcylces or SEPTA buses constantly. Its only about a 15 minute ride to Penn and there's a lot to do here. There is also a couple ways to take the train into the city from here. Plus Dining, Stores, Nightlife, Etc....caters very well to twenty somethings. FYI, I also play in a co-ed sports league in Manayunk which is a ton of fun and great way to meet people for those who may be interested! So are people going to be part-time/full-time in the fall? Someone asked a question about where classes were and I remember from the tour that many of the biology courses are in the Robert Wood Johnson Pavilion or Leidy (same area in hamilton walk) and I believe the physics courses are held on S. 33rd St. in Rittenhouse and Chemistry is on S. 34th st.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Next unread thread

Similar threads

Jose Garcia
Post Bacc Programs in TX
Replies
0
Views
274
Jose Garcia
Jose Garcia
N
CCNY Post Bacc
Replies
0
Views
214
nadeeyah
N
T
UPenn LPS Specialized Studies Post Bacc Program
Replies
3
Views
948
mb255
M
M
UPenn Specialized Studies Program
Replies
1
Views
493
haribobears
H
A
northeastern post bacc success
Replies
2
Views
395
april2017
A
Top