What is Exact definition of "post-bacc" ?

[Nasem]

when you fill out the medical application, I know there is an undergrad section and a post-bacc section...

I'll start by saying what I THINK a post-bacc is... if I am wrong, please correct me...

A post-bacc class is any undergrad level course you take after obtaining your B.S degree (is this correct?)

So for example, right now (since January 2007), I am attending MSU as a 2nd-degree bachelors student (chemistry student), but my main goal is to not obtain a chemistry degree, but rather just to take my pre-meds (general chemistries, organics, biologies, all thier labs, and few upper division sciences), can I consider these course as "post-bacc" in my application?

By the way, I've initially obtained my B.S degree in Computer science with minors in Math back in 2004 @ Detroit Mercy (all those courses would count in the UG section of the application)

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[Lacheln]

when you fill out the medical application, I know there is an undergrad section and a post-bacc section...

I'll start by saying what I THINK a post-bacc is... if I am wrong, please correct me...

A post-bacc class is any undergrad level course you take after obtaining your B.S degree (is this correct?)

So for example, right now (since January 2007), I am attending MSU as a 2nd-degree bachelors student (chemistry student), but my main goal is to not obtain a chemistry degree, but rather just to take my pre-meds (general chemistries, organics, biologies, all thier labs, and few upper division sciences), can I consider these course as "post-bacc" in my application?

By the way, I've initially obtained my B.S degree in Computer science with minors in Math back in 2004 @ Detroit Mercy (all those courses would count in the UG section of the application)

If you aren't going to eventually receive a second degree, they count as postbacc. (I'm assuming you're registered as a 2nd degree undergrad in order to get class priority, loans etc?)

 

[Nasem]

If you aren't going to eventually receive a second degree, they count as postbacc. (I'm assuming you're registered as a 2nd degree undergrad in order to get class priority, loans etc?)

Yep, plus, MSU doesn't have a formal post-bacc degree, and since most of the pre-med courses are chemistry based, I figured, why not

and your right, I am not pursuing a 2nd degree, just taking a few classes here and there

 

[gman33]

If you aren't going to eventually receive a second degree, they count as postbacc. (I'm assuming you're registered as a 2nd degree undergrad in order to get class priority, loans etc?)

This isn't correct. Any UG classes taken after your first degree count as postbacc.

Here's the wording from the AMCAS manual:

Assign Post Baccalaureate (PB) status to any undergraduate
level course work you enrolled in:​

•​

After receipt of your initial BA/BS degree.​

•​

While enrolled in a graduate program, if course work is
not applied to a graduate degree.

http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/amcas2009instructionmanual060408.pdf​

 

[Lacheln]

This isn't correct. Any UG classes taken after your first degree count as postbacc.

Here's the wording from the AMCAS manual:

Assign Post Baccalaureate (PB) status to any undergraduate
level course work you enrolled in:​

•​

After receipt of your initial BA/BS degree.​

•​

While enrolled in a graduate program, if course work is
not applied to a graduate degree.

http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/amcas2009instructionmanual060408.pdf​

Hmm. That is interesting because I know of two people who listed their second major grades as undergraduate (and AMCAS didn't change it), even though they had already received their first SB before taking some of the classes. The work wasn't discussed as postbacc either during their interviews. I can see why you say it's incorrect based on the definition above, but it strikes me as one of those things with potential grey areas. I guess you'd have to call AMCAS with the details to make absolutely sure.

 

[gman33]

It probably doens't make any real difference. If the school wants to look at more recent coursework, they can just look at your transcript. My feeling is they are more concerned with your overall UG GPA and BCPM, than any breakdown between UG and postbacc.

OP - This distinction doesn't matter in your case since you are not pursuing another degree. The question usually comes up in reference to formal vs. non-formal postbacc programs.

 

[nontrdgsbuiucmd]

It probably doens't make any real difference. If the school wants to look at more recent coursework, they can just look at your transcript. My feeling is they are more concerned with your overall UG GPA and BCPM, than any breakdown between UG and postbacc.

OP - This distinction doesn't matter in your case since you are not pursuing another degree. The question usually comes up in reference to formal vs. non-formal postbacc programs.

In some schools it may make some difference, one I can think of looks separately at applicants'

1) undergrad grades
2) grad grades
3) post-bacc grades

from the posts above, there may be flexibility in what a course is considered, ug or post bacc?

In my experience, all my non-degree science courses (after earning a BA) were considered post-bacc by amcas, AND the six or so non-degree, undergraduate business courses that I'd taken at several schools after completing undergrad studies also counted as post-bacc gpa.

 

[Lacheln]

In some schools it may make some difference, one I can think of looks separately at applicants'

1) undergrad grades
2) grad grades
3) post-bacc grades

from the posts above, there may be flexibility in what a course is considered, ug or post bacc?

In my experience, all my non-degree science courses (after earning a BA) were considered post-bacc by amcas, AND the six or so non-degree, undergraduate business courses that I'd taken at several schools after completing undergrad studies also counted as post-bacc gpa.

What school are you thinking of (out of curiosity)?

I'm thinking chronology is something they look at, whether it's over your ug career or through postbacc as well. It seems like an upward trend over ug would be viewed similarly to great postbacc grades. Either way, you can definitely show that you are ready to go now even with some early stumbles.

 

[Law2Doc]

In some schools it may make some difference, one I can think of looks separately at applicants'

1) undergrad grades
2) grad grades
3) post-bacc grades

from the posts above, there may be flexibility in what a course is considered, ug or post bacc?

In my experience, all my non-degree science courses (after earning a BA) were considered post-bacc by amcas, AND the six or so non-degree, undergraduate business courses that I'd taken at several schools after completing undergrad studies also counted as post-bacc gpa.

It really makes no difference because all med schools pretty much look at ug + ug postbac (a combined category on AMCAS) as your "GPA" for application purposes. So whether you list a second degree wrongly as ug, or list it at postbac, it still feeds into the same number. Graduate by contrast tends not to be looked at the same way, and doesn't enter into the calculation of GPA the med schools will look at. Grad school GPA can hurt you, but probably can't help you. SMPs (often called postbac on here but really a very different animal because they are graduate) may show a med school whether you are capable of doing well in the med school caliber graduate courses, but the GPA itself won't have much impact and won't affect your GPA for med school as an undergrad postbac (formarl or imformal) would.

 

[Nasem]

It really makes no difference because all med schools pretty much look at ug + ug postbac (a combined category on AMCAS) as your "GPA" for application purposes. So whether you list a second degree wrongly as ug, or list it at postbac, it still feeds into the same number. Graduate by contrast tends not to be looked at the same way, and doesn't enter into the calculation of GPA the med schools will look at. Grad school GPA can hurt you, but probably can't help you. SMPs (often called postbac on here but really a very different animal because they are graduate) may show a med school whether you are capable of doing well in the med school caliber graduate courses, but the GPA itself won't have much impact and won't affect your GPA for med school as an undergrad postbac (formarl or imformal) would.

I thought you get three seperate categories... One for pure UG GPA, another for pure post-bacc GPA, and a third with a combined UG + postbacc...

Thats how wayne state explained it to me...