Great set of questions. I can tell you are definitely a non-trad post-bacc student. Good for you, and welcome aboard. Your questions are below in italics format, mine answers are below them
1. What was/is the duration of the post-bacc program?
Horrendously long. I started in 2004 and got accepted in 2012. On the opposite side of the spectrum, I got my BS Degree in 4 years, I did a double major and double minor, worked 20 hours a week for college work study program, plus I was very active in campus ministry, visited nursing homes, play guitar for charitable events, etc. I don't know how I did it, but pulling post-bacc was far more difficult.
2. What classes were taken in each semester? Please provide feedback on the specific courses as well.
I stuck to the basic requirements and that was it. I saw so need to take more than what MD schools required. For those schools who I felt were being unreasonable, I did not apply to them. My CV was plenty long as to what i brought to the table. My pre-reqs in my mind were more than sufficient for them to make a determination. And i was right.
3. Do you work full/part-time ? If full-time, how much time did you spend studying if you took more than 1 class a semester?
that's why my post-bacc was so darn long . I worked full time in a high-paying, demanding corporate job that sucked the life out of me. I registered for classes and dropped courses a few times. I had to repeat courses, threw alot of money at the school I attended (a state school), and was given alot of latitude by the Dean as a non-degree seeking student, getting over-rides to full classes and labs, etc Pulling a full time corporate job was thankless while doing post-bacc. Plus I had a family, house mortgage, had to entertain alot as a professional, etc. In some ways Post-Bacc was harder b/c I was juggling a thankless corporate monster that always wanted more, while I had to keep quiet about going to school. My bosses knew i was going to school but they made it impossible for me by sending me on trips often, ribbing me about going back to school at my age, and teasing me. they were *******s. Guess who is laughing now?
Medical school is "harder" in the sense of the volume of information and the stress. But all I do now is study and go to classes.
Post-Bacc was much harder b/c I had to be an adult and be part of society. MD school is surreal: you unplug from society, don't work a real job (if any), you don't keep up with current events, don't socialize much...it's like being a monk living in a cave. It is unrealistic in my opinion.
4. How many hours of volunteering/shadowing were you able to do weekly?.
Over the course of my life. I think that is why schools accepted me, other than meeting their requirements. Unlike many medical school applicants, I did not do volunteer work to prove something. I did it b/c it came from within. It was innate. I did it b/c of me, not to complete a tick off a list. By the time I applied to MD schools, I had a wealth of community involvement, activism, go-get 'em stuff, that my response to MD schools that did not accept me was "it's your loss". When I did choose a school, registered and went to and from classes my first semester, I was stopped by one of the physician professors in the school library. He was on my interview committee. He told me he was very impressed with my community activism, maturity and pushed for me b/c he wanted me to influence the younger students. Initially I was flattered. In time I came to see his wish as a burden. In a matter of months I adopted the attitude that if the young students wanted to get to know me, I was here for the asking. But i was not going to go out of my way to disciple, mentor nor influence them. They would have to seek it and demonstrate why I should invest time in them. I am not in MD school for them; I am here for me
If you have completed your post-bacc and have applied to medical school or have already been accepted, please answer the following:
5. At what point during your post-bacc studies did you start studying for the MCAT?
day one. But it was haphazard for reasons already stated above. I sat down in earnest 3 months prior to my MCAT. It did the job for me.
6. Do you have any tips/course sequence recommendations that you would like to share?
I lived and swear by Exam Krackers. Those bozos are pretty funny and right on the money.
I used to listen to the Audio Osmosis recordings over and over in the gym, while driving, at the grocery store, or walking the dog.
But that's just what worked from me and it probably will not work for you since we are all very different.
keep at it. You'll get it all figured out eventually. It is not easy. And I have no regrets whatsoever. Life is grand.
We are waiting for you
salut!
