What exactly are post-bac programs?
Joy Williams
Unfortunately, the term post-bac is commonly used to describe such a wide range of experiences, which causes confusion.
In the strictest sense, a pre-medical post-bac program is specifically designed for non-science majors to complete required pre-medical science courses and to be evaluated by a pre-medical committee in preparation for application to medical school.
In the broadest sense, the term “post-bac” is used to describe any program after the undergraduate degree designed to support the transition from undergraduate to professional school. The term is even more loosely used to describe what an individual does (following college and prior to admission to graduate or professional school if those activities or program(s) are believed to enhance the person’s credibility as a candidate for medical school.
The term “post-bac” is used to describe a broad range of programs including degree-granting, non-degree, and certificate programs. The courses offered can be for undergraduate or for graduate credit, both, or neither. If that is not enough to make you dizzy, consider also that some programs are well established and some are recently developed. Some programs are large, admitting 200+ students per year, and some are small serving fewer than ten students each year. And, whether well established or more recently developed, “post-bac” programs change as needed, consistent with changes in funding, to better meet the perceived needs of the sponsoring institution and/or the populations served, and to better prepare participants for changes anticipated in medical education. (This means it is possible that the post-bac program you heard about yesterday may differ from the program as it exists today. Ask. Make sure the information on which you act is current and reliable.)
Loretta Walker
Post-bac programs are designed to enhance your undergraduate academic record. There are several types available based on your particular need. There are post-bac programs that offer undergraduate course work to meet the medical school prerequisites. Other post-bac programs offer a variety of graduate school courses that may lead to a master’s or Ph.D. degree; these are usually not structured. A third type of post-bac program provides structured curriculum of courses established specifically to enhance the medical school candidate.
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Do any post-bac programs have relationships with local medical schools? How does that work? If I participate in a post-bac offered through a medical school, will they consider my application to that school more favorable?
Joy Williams
Yes. Some medical schools do have affiliated post-bac programs. Doing well in an affiliated program can garner more attention for your medical school application.
Medical schools with affiliated post-bac programs list that information in Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR™), published by the Association of American Medical Colleges.
Loretta Walker
Yes. Some medical schools have created post-bac programs that they specifically use as a “recruitment” tool to fill their medical school classes. Post-bac programs at a school without a medical school may also have agreements in place with a local medical school regarding some of the students that participate in the program. In all cases, there are usually VERY specific guidelines for matriculation.
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I’ve heard that post-bac programs can improve a student’s chances of getting into medical school. How helpful are they in preparing for and applying to medical school?
Joy Williams
That depends. If you know that your academic credentials meet or exceed the baseline of your target institutions, and if your motivation for medicine is clear and apparent and your recommendations are strong, I would not recommend a post-bac program. I would direct you to your school’s pre-professional advisor for any help you may need in preparing your medical school applications.
On the other hand, if your premedical science GPA is more modest, participation in a post-bac program could enhance your credentials, help prepare you for success on the MCAT® exam, and provide guidance with respect to selecting medicals schools where you might be considered competitive for admission.
Loretta Walker
Many medical schools review students’ undergraduate records first, and not all medical schools take post-bac work into account. Be sure to inquire as to how the school you are applying to might evaluate your record. Post-bac programs can enhance a student’s application to medical school by strengthening your science background and/or preparing you improve your MCAT score.
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How does doing a post-bac program benefit or not benefit an aspiring medical student? Are students who enter post-baccalaureate programs more likely to get into medical school? *
Joy Williams
I am not certain about this, but I believe the majority of students entering medical schools in 2008 are not matriculating from or following a post-bac experience. It is not the post-bac experience that improves your chances of being accepted to medical school. It is the credibility of your pre-medical preparation, including performance in your pre-medical science and upper division science courses, performance on the MCAT® exam, your life experiences, the credibility of your recommenders, and the strength of their recommendations.
Loretta Walker
When a student can show a full year of post-bac work, where he/she has done very well academically, this should work to his/her benefit in the application process. Based on my experience, post-bac programs that are specifically designed to help candidates to improve their medical school application are most successful in gaining an acceptance.
*From the editors: To learn more about the potential benefits of post-bac programs, please read Kevin Grumbach and Eric Chen’s article, “Effectiveness of University of California Postbaccalaureate Premedical Programs in Increasing Medical School Matriculation for Minority and Disadvantaged Students.” JAMA. 2006; 296: 1079-1085.
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How do medical schools evaluate students who have completed a post-bac program? Do they judge applicants differently if they participated in a science-focused post-bac as opposed to an MCAT® exam-focused post-bac or some other focus?
Joy Williams
All medical schools evaluate the applicant’s qualifications for success in that school of medicine and consider cognitive as well as non-cognitive attributes. If an applicant is “deemed” qualified, where and how the applicant prepared is probably not as significant as the outcome: qualified.
Loretta Walker
In my opinion, post-bac programs that prepare students to improve their MCAT® exam performances and/or allow exposure to medical school courses, where the student is graded in comparison with the current medical school students, give the better advantage. Medical schools evaluate these applicants based on their improved MCAT scores. Medical schools also consider how well post-bac students performed in the medical school course work, and they make decisions as to how this performance might continue as the student matriculates to the medical school curriculum.
If you are participating in a post-bac program it will be extremely important to perform well in your course work. It is here that you must show maturity, mastery of the information, and your “passion” for the study of medicine. It’s not enough to say you are passionate about medicine; instead, this is just one way in which you demonstrate that passion.
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I currently have a 3.1 GPA as a senior graduating in May 08 in biology, minor in chemistry. I am interested in attending either medical or dental school in the future. Should I consider doing post-bac program?
Joy Williams
Perhaps a summer program that provides exposure to medical and dental careers and offers the potential for a mentor might help you decide whether you are more attracted to dentistry or to medicine. If you do decide to apply to post-bac programs, I would think a program affiliated with a university that has a dental school and/or a medical school would be wise. The median science GPA for medical students accepted in 2006 was approximately 3.6.
Loretta Walker
With respect to medical school, yes, you should consider doing a post-bac since many schools consider a 3.1 GPA to be low….Most schools want a GPA of 3.5 or better. This is not to say that candidates with your profile have never been accepted—because some have been. If you want to be one of the stronger more competitive applicants you should do a post-bac program specifically designed to enhance your application to medical and/or dental school.
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I’m thinking of applying to a post-bac program offered through a local community college. Is it a good idea to do a post-bac offered through a community college?
Joy Williams
No. You need to earn grades and have your performance evaluated in an environment that more closely approximates that of graduate or professional school.
Loretta Walker
You may have financial concerns that might prompt you to go to a community college; however, community college courses are not considered as competitive as from a university or four-year college. There are exceptions, however, based on the proven history of the post-bac program for enhancing your application.
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I’m confused. Do all post-bac programs have the same academic focus, or do each emphasize different things? I’ve heard with some you end up with a master’s degree in science, with others you don’t end up with a degree. I’ve also heard that some focus primarily on getting students ready for the MCAT® exam.
Joy Williams
There is tremendous variation among post-bac programs. Technically speaking, a master’s degree program is usually designed with clearly articulated degree requirements and may require that all of your grades be “Bs” or better for you to be considered for the degree. I do not think there are very many programs focused primarily on getting students prepared for the MCAT® exam. If that’s all that you need, I believe medical students would recommend that you consider a commercial test-preparation program.
Loretta Walker
Each post-bac emphasizes something different. Do your homework! Read the descriptions and ask a lot of questions based on your need to improve. Some post-bac programs emphasize the basic science courses that would lead to a master’s or Ph.D. degree with further study. Others could be certificate programs that have a structured curriculum of courses that specifically enhance your medical school application. And, yes, there are post-bac programs that emphasize MCAT preparation.
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I am currently a post-bac student not enrolled in any official program. I am planning on applying for entry into medical school for Fall 2010. I would like to help create an education plan with classes and other non-academic activities I need to do on my way to applying. This fall, I will take organic chemistry and physics, and I wish to know which other upper division science or other courses you suggest I take to prepare for the MCAT® exams and to get a head start on the first years of medical school. Outside of academia, I am currently volunteering in an ER and for a community health clinic, and I am a receptionist in a psych outpatient practice.
Joy Williams
Your experience in the ER, community health clinic, and psychiatry outpatient practice would convince me that you know something about medicine and health care. In addition to the two courses you will be completing, you might want to consider upper level courses such as biochemistry, molecular biology, anatomy or physiology (i.e., consider the courses offered in the first year of medical school and choose courses with a similar focus). They will not be equivalent to medical courses, but they can prepare you with an introduction to the discipline, a working vocabulary, and an opportunity to solicit letters of recommendation from your instructors.
Loretta Walker
Your volunteer and work experience seem fine, especially if you have been doing it long term or have returned repeatedly to the same job site between semesters/summers. As far as course work, the prerequisites required by medical schools should prepare you for the MCAT®. While you are taking the courses, look through some sample MCAT exams to see which concepts you should know so that you can get help if you need it. As you take additional courses, exposure to courses such as immunology, virology, microbiology, biochemistry, molecular cellular biology, physiology, etc., can start to set you apart from someone with similar MCAT scores and/or GPA but without these kinds of advanced undergraduate courses.
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How do I find the post-bac program that’s best for me?
Joy Williams
You will need to read up on what medical schools require. Next begin with an objective appraisal of your experience to-date, including your strengths and weaknesses. Look for programs that provide opportunities that correspond to your needs. A program affiliated with a medical school is likely to be taken seriously whether the relationship is publicized or not. If the post-bac program has a pre-medical committee, do not by-pass the committee in seeking recommendations for medical school.
Loretta Walker
First you must do an honest assessment of your academic background and MCAT® exam scores. After this, you can explore different post-bac programs through the AMCAS Web site.
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What suggestions do you have for receiving financial aid for a post-bac program? Are there any helpful Web sites or scholarships for post-bac students?
Joy Williams
This is an excellent question. I know of no Web site devoted exclusively to post-bac scholarship listings. However, at Fastweb you can complete a personal profile, and this site will search for scholarships relevant to your profile. The service is free. For a nominal fee ($10) you can get one month’s access to Foundation Grants for Individuals online. You will want to concentrate on the non-profit organizations in your state that give scholarships and grants. A few post-bac programs offer scholarship assistance but only to accepted students. In general, this information is not publicized and the scholarships may be merit and/or need-based. Just ask. Faith-based and civic organizations may offer scholarship grants to active members; a simple inquiry is usually sufficient. Depending on the size of the organization and available resources, the scholarship may be renewable during medical school. Current employers may also offer small grants to help offset expenses.
Don’t overlook the smaller grants and scholarships; they may be easier to obtain, and they do add up. You may be able to cover all of your post-bac tuition and expenses with several small grants or scholarships, but you are more likely to be successful if you are matriculating in an established program and get an early start in your search.
Loretta Walker
The students in the programs that I have dealt with must acquire loans to pay for their courses. I don’t know any scholarship resources.
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