- Today we'll talk about Post-Baccalaureate
programs for premeds.
If you've decided to pursue a career in medicine,
but are not yet a competitive applicant,
you're probably aware that Post-Baccalaureate programs
can help you improve your candidacy for medical school.
But how do you know if attending
a Post-Bacc program is right for you?
I'm Dr. Mindy Hoffmann, a medical school admissions expert
at Shemmassian Academic Consulting.
In this video, I'll describe the ideal candidate
for Post-Baccalaureate programs, and go over
the different considerations you should make
when deciding whether to apply.
We'll also talk about special masters programs,
and whether these programs are looked
upon more favorably by admissions committees.
Then I'll share helpful admissions strategies
so that you can get into your ideal program.
Let's get started.
What is a premed Post-Baccalaureate program?
Post-Baccalaureate programs are one to two-year programs
designed for students who already have
an undergraduate degree, and want to enhance
their application to become more competitive
to medical school.
Through Post-Bacc programs, students have
the opportunity to either take the prerequisites they still
need to apply to medical school,
or retake the courses in which they earned low grades.
Many programs also provide students with MCAT support,
and opportunities to obtain the requisite,
clinical, and research experiences for medical school.
It's important to note that in Post-Baccalaureate programs,
you'll be taking undergraduate-level courses.
This means that the grades you earn in Post-Bacc courses
will count towards the undergrad GPA
that will be reported on your medical school application.
Remember, in general, when applying to medical school,
you'll want your GPA to fall within the range
of accepted students at your target school.
If your GPA falls below the range for most
of your target schools,
this could be a great option for you.
However, you'll also need to be mindful
of the number of undergraduate credits you have.
The more undergraduate credits you have accumulated,
the less of an impact your Post-Bacc courses
will have on your GPA, even if you achieved high grades.
An additional benefit that Post-Bacc programs provide
is the opportunity to develop relationships
with professors who can write
strong letters of recommendation.
If you've lost touch with professors from undergrad,
this could help strengthen your candidacy,
since these letters will reflect your
most recent academic performance.
Career Changers versus Record Enhancers.
Most Post-Baccalaureate programs fall
into one of two main categories,
the career changer category, or record enhancer category.
Career changer programs are designed for students
who arrived at the decision to apply
to medical school late in their undergraduate careers
or after graduation.
These students tend to be non-science majors,
and typically haven't taken the prerequisite courses,
such as physics and organic chemistry.
Record enhancing programs are designed
for students who were premed during college,
but underperformed in their undergraduate courses,
usually the sciences.
A school's website will indicate whether
a program is designated for career changers
or record enhancers.
Special Masters Programs
or SMPs, are similar to Post-Baccalaureate programs,
in that they're also one to two-year programs designed
to help you become a more competitive
medical school applicant.
However, there are several key differences
between SMPs and Post-Baccs.
The first difference is that you must complete
all of the medical school prerequisites in order
to apply to an SMP, so this will not be an option
for career changers who haven't
completed med school prereqs.
The second difference is that SMPs
are master's degree-granting programs,
which means you'll be taking graduate-level courses
alongside medical students.
The grades you earn in these courses
will not count towards your undergrad GPA
that's reported to medical school.
Instead, the grades you earn
in SMP courses will count towards
a separately-reported graduate GPA.
SMP courses are typically just as rigorous
as medical school courses, and therefore,
give AdComs confidence in your ability
to perform well as a med student.
Many SMPs also require students
to complete a research thesis.
This can be beneficial if you lack research experience.
Students often ask me, which program is better?
A Post-Bacc or an SMP?
But the truth is, the answer completely depends
on your unique circumstances.
If you're a premed who has all of the med school prereqs,
but can't decide between a Post-Bacc
or an SMP, the main consideration should
be your GPA in conjunction with your MCAT.
Let's take a look at some example scenarios
in which the best choice might not be clear.
John was an engineering major in college,
and after earning his bachelor's degree,
decided that he wanted to go to medical school.
His GPA is a 3.1 and he hasn't yet taken the MCAT.
In this case, because John's GPA is low,
he should enroll in a Post-Bacc program,
and achieve at a high level in his coursework.
Because he has not yet taken the MCAT,
a Post-Bacc program that provides students
with MCAT support would be ideal.
Here's another example.
Anita is a bio major with a 3.7 GPA who graduated
from college four years ago.
She recently scored a 502 on the MCAT.
In this case, Anita has completed all
of the med school prereqs with high grades.
However, her MCAT score is on the lower side
for USMD programs.
Additionally, it's been several years since she graduated
from college, and AdComs will have a difficult time
determining whether she's academically
prepared for medical school.
Because Anita's GPA is high enough for med schools,
a Post-Bacc program would not improve her profile
in a meaningful way.
In her case, it would make more sense
to enroll in an SMP, and retake the MCAT
to show recent high performance.
Linkages, an advantage of doing a formal Post-Bacc or SMP
is that some programs have what are called linkages,
or agreements with medical schools to admit
or interview qualified students.
For example, Columbia University Post-Bacc Program
has linkage agreements with over a dozen schools,
including NYU medical school and Weill Cornell.
You'll need to meet certain GPA
or MCAT and course requirements
to be eligible for linkage acceptance.
A key advantage to attending a program
that has a linkage agreement in place
is that students can matriculate
into partnering medical schools
the fall after completing the Post-Bacc,
which eliminates the need for a glide year.
Programs with linkage agreements tend
to be more difficult to get into.
But once you're in, it can increase your odds
of getting in to medical school.
Considerations, the AAMC lists 233 Post-Baccalaureate
programs on its site.
With so many to choose from, how do you decide which one
is right for you?
You'll want to look at a program's cost,
length, and your eligibility.
Post-Bacc programs are costly, and typically run
in the tens of thousands of dollars.
Beyond that, what does the Post-Bacc program offer to you?
If you're just starting on your premed journey,
would you benefit more from a structured program
that provides support to students like you?
Are there several courses in which you struggled,
and would it be possible to retake these classes
on your own through an extension program?
Post-Baccalaureate programs are expensive
and oftentimes, the DIY, or do-it-yourself approach,
can save you thousands of dollars in tuition costs.
Post-Baccalaureate programs for premeds, how to get in.
If you have a low GPA, don't panic.
Remember, Post-Bacc programs are specifically designed
to help students with low GPAs.
If you meet the minimum GPA requirements,
consider yourself eligible for a program.
Next, you'll want to write a compelling personal statement
to convince them that this program
is the missing piece of the puzzle that you need
to get in to medical school.
As a bonus, writing the personal statement
for Post-Baccalaureate programs will give you great
practice for medical school application season.
In fact, you might even be able to recycle your essay
for your medical school application.
Like the medical school personal statement,
you'll want to discuss how your experiences
and how your unique qualities make you qualify
for a career in medicine.
However, for non-traditional students,
you'll also want to describe how your non-medical
experiences have led you to medicine.
In addition to the personal statement,
there are two other common essay prompts
that you may encounter when applying to post-bacc programs.
The first is the "Why Us" essay prompt.
Post-Bacc programs know that you're applying
so that you can improve your application for medical school.
What they want to know is, what elements
of their program align with your own interests in medicine?
The second prompt you might encounter
is the academic performance essay,
which will ask you to list your academic deficiencies,
reasons why you underperformed,
and whether you've made the appropriate changes
to set yourself up for success in medical school.
The key here is to be completely transparent
without making excuses for yourself.
Final thoughts, attending
a premed Post-Baccalaureate program
is a tried and true way
to gain acceptance into medical school.
But it's still a highly personal decision
that will require you to evaluate all of your strengths
and weaknesses as a medical school applicant.
If you can convince Post-Bacc admissions committees
that you will be successful in their program,
you'll be one step closer to achieving
your medical school dreams.
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If you'd like to learn more about medical school admissions,
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"How to Get in to Medical School",
which contains all of the strategies we use
to help students get into top medical schools,
like Johns Hopkins, Mayo, and UCLA.
All right, thanks so much for watching, see you next time.