POST BACCALAUREATE, OR POST BACC PROGRAMS FOR MEDICAL SCHOOL... AND SPECIAL MASTER'S
PROGRAMS ARE GROWING IN POPULARITY IN THE UNITED STATES... THANKS TO THESE PROGRAMS,
NON-TRADITIONAL APPLICANTS AND PREMED STUDENTS WHO HAD A LOW GPA CAN TAKE THE COURSES REQUIRED
FOR MEDICAL SCHOOL ADMISSION IN ONE TO TWO YEARS… SO IN THIS VIDEO, I’LL TELL YOU
WHAT POST BACC’S ARE ALL ABOUT, FROM REASONS TO CONSIDER A POST-BACC FOR MED SCHOOL, AND
CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS FOR YOUR APPLICATION... AND I’LL EVEN GIVE YOU SOME TIPS ON HOW
TO CHOOSE THE BEST POST BACC FOR YOU… HI! I’M NATALIE STOBERMAN AND I’M AN ADMISSIONS
ASSOCIATE HERE AT BEMO. BEFORE WE GET STARTED, SUBSCRIBE ON WHATEVER SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNEL
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NAVIGATE TO SPECIFIC SECTIONS OF THIS VIDEO THAT YOU ARE INTERESTED IN. HERE’S WHAT
WE ARE GOING TO COVER: WHAT ARE POST BACCALAUREATE PROGRAMS?...
REASONS TO CONSIDER A POST BACC PROGRAM... WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN APPLYING TO POST BACCALAUREATE
PROGRAMS... AND, POST BACC APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS...
AND WE'RE GIVING AWAY $50 AMAZON GIFT CARDS EVERY WEEK TO THE BEST COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS…
SO COMMENT BELOW FOR A CHANCE TO WIN! WE ALSO HAVE SOME STELLAR ADVICE ON WHAT YOU’LL
NEED FOR A SUCCESSFUL POST BACC FOR MED SCHOOL APPLICATION, I’LL TALK ABOUT THAT MORE TOWARDS
THE END OF THE VIDEO SO MAKE SURE YOU WATCH TO THE VERY END… LET’S GET STARTED!
WHAT ARE POST BACCALAUREATE PROGRAMS? POST BACCALAUREATE PROGRAMS ARE USEFUL FOR
STUDENTS WHO HAVE COMPLETED A BACHELOR’S DEGREE, BUT DON’T FEEL THEY’RE STRONG
APPLICANTS TO MEDICAL SCHOOLS, VET SCHOOLS, DENTAL SCHOOLS OR NURSING SCHOOLS… THIS
CAN BE FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS LIKE HAVING A LOW GPA AND UNMET MEDICAL SCHOOL PREREQUISITES,
OR NEEDING EXTRA TIME TO GAIN VALUABLE CLINICAL OR RESEARCH EXPERIENCE FOR MEDICAL SCHOOL…
POST BACC PROGRAMS ARE OFTEN ONE TO TWO YEARS IN LENGTH AND RESULT IN EITHER A DEGREE, CERTIFICATE,
MASTER’S DEGREE, OR NO ADDITIONAL DESIGNATION... WITH THE VARIABILITY OF POSSIBLE DESIGNATIONS,
THESE PROGRAMS OFFER BOTH UNDERGRADUATE OR GRADUATE LEVEL COURSES... FOR THOSE WITH A
LOW GPA, IT MAY BE MORE EFFECTIVE TO COMPLETE AN UNDERGRAD POST BACC PROGRAM BECAUSE YOU’LL
HAVE A BETTER LIKELIHOOD OF IMPROVING YOUR GPA...YOU CAN STILL IMPROVE YOUR GPA BY TAKING
GRADUATE LEVEL COURSES, BUT NOT ALL MEDICAL PROGRAMS INCLUDE GRADUATE LEVEL COURSES IN
THEIR GPA CALCULATION… SO IT’S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO CHECK THE MEDICAL PROGRAMS YOU
ARE INTERESTED IN AND DETERMINE IF YOUR GPA FROM GRADUATE COURSES WILL BE INCLUDED IN
THE CALCULATION PRIOR TO ENROLLING IN A GRAD PROGRAM WITH THE PURPOSE OF IMPROVING YOUR
GPA. THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF SITUATIONS THAT A STUDENT
INTERESTED IN POST BACC FOR MED SCHOOL CAN BE COMING FROM...SOME STUDENTS ENTER UNIVERSITY
WITHOUT CONSIDERING MEDICAL SCHOOL AS THEIR GOAL… AND MAY NOT HAVE COMPLETED ALL THE
NECESSARY PREREQUISITES FOR MED SCHOOL OR THE MCAT... THERE ARE PARTICULAR PROGRAMS
THAT ARE CATERED TO THOSE CHANGING CAREER DIRECTIONS AND PROVIDE MCAT SUPPORT OR ACADEMIC
ADVISING FOR MEDICAL SCHOOL… AND OTHER STUDENTS MAY COME FROM ECONOMICALLY OR EDUCATIONALLY
DISADVANTAGED GROUPS OR VISIBLE MINORITIES… BE MINDFUL THAT CERTAIN PROGRAMS DO CATER
TO THOSE WITH ECONOMIC NEEDS WITH AN AIM OF INCREASING VISIBILITY OF DIVERSITY IN MEDICAL
SCHOOL... THESE PROGRAMS ALSO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT IN APPLYING FOR MEDICAL SCHOOL INCLUDING
INTERVIEW PREPARATION, PREREQUISITE COURSES TO IMPROVE YOUR MCAT SCORE, AND APPLICATION
COUNSELLING…. LASTLY, THERE ARE OTHERS WHO MAY BE CONSIDERING A POST BACC PROGRAM TO
IMPROVE THEIR GPA… AND THESE STUDENTS MAY REQUIRE ADDITIONAL COURSEWORK TO BOOST THEIR
GPA TO APPLY FOR MED SCHOOL... THERE ARE ALSO MULTIPLE PROGRAMS ACROSS THE
UNITED STATES THAT CATER TO CAREER CHANGERS, SOME OF WHICH ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE MEDICAL
SCHOOL... THESE PROGRAMS VARY TREMENDOUSLY AND OFFER A RANGE OF DIFFERENT TOPICS INCLUDING
NUTRITION, HEALTH CARE DELIVERY, PHARMACOLOGY AND PREMED PROGRAMS... THE PROGRAMS ARE BOTH
UNDERGRAD AND GRAD LEVEL AND MAY CATER TO DIFFERENT GROUPS WHO ARE NOW CONSIDERING MEDICINE...
LIKE FOR STUDENTS WHO MAY HAVE STRUGGLED EARLY IN THEIR UNDERGRAD STUDIES BUT STILL WANT
TO PURSUE MEDICINE CAN OPT FOR THE UNDERGRAD PROGRAMS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE THEIR
GPA. OTHER STUDENTS WHO MAY HAVE EXCELLED ACADEMICALLY
AND BUT INITIALLY CONSIDERED OTHER PROGRAMS INCLUDING A MASTER’S DEGREE, MAY OPT FOR
THE GRADUATE LEVEL POST BACC FOR MED SCHOOL SO THEY CAN PURSUE THESIS OR COURSE-BASED
PROGRAMS IN THEIR AREA OF INTEREST, SUCH AS MEDICINE... THIS WAY THEY CAN STILL HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE IN SHADOWING HOURS, RESEARCH OR VOLUNTEERISM TO ACHIEVE THEIR
MED SCHOOL EXTRACURRICULARS... TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR A POST BACC, YOUR MCAT,
DAT, OR GRE SCORE MUST BE ABOVE THE 40TH PERCENTILE.. REASONS TO CONSIDER A POST BACC PROGRAM
THE MOST COMMON REASONS TO COMPLETE A POST BACC FOR MED SCHOOL INCLUDE:
YOU COMPLETED A NON-SCIENCE BACHELOR PROGRAM AND HAVE NOT MET ALL THE MEDICAL SCHOOL PREREQUISITES
REQUIRED BY YOUR SCHOOLS OF CHOICE… FOR THOSE WHO HAD OTHER CAREER GOALS AND MAY NOT
HAVE CONSIDERED MEDICINE, CHOOSING A CAREER CHANGER PROGRAM WILL ALLOW YOU TO COMPLETE
THE PREREQUISITES FOR MEDICAL SCHOOL, HAVE SEMINARS ON MCAT PREPARATION AND MEDICAL SCHOOL
APPLICATIONS AND MAY PROVIDE GUIDANCE ON VOLUNTEER AND SHADOWING EXPERIENCES. ALL OF THESE COMBINED
CAN HELP YOU ACCELERATE YOUR APPLICATION TO MEDICAL SCHOOL. THERE ARE A VARIETY OF UNDERGRADUATE
AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS TO CHOOSE FROM AND CATER TO YOUR INTERESTS...
IMPROVE A LOW GPA: IF YOU DO NOT MEET THE CUTOFFS FOR GPA IN YOUR SCHOOLS OF CHOICE,
CONSIDERING AN ACADEMIC RECORD ENHANCER PROGRAM WILL GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE YOUR
GPA. OFTENTIMES THERE ARE ADDITIONAL SESSIONS FOR MCAT PREPARATION AND MEDICAL SCHOOL APPLICATION.
BE MINDFUL THAT SOME MEDICAL SCHOOLS DO NOT CONSIDER GRADUATE COURSES IN THEIR GPA CALCULATION.
MAKE SURE THAT YOU DOUBLE CHECK WITH YOUR SCHOOLS OF CHOICE PLEASE ON THEIR GPA CALCULATION
FORMAT... CHECK YOUR SCHOOLS ON THEIR GPA CALCULATION FORMAT BEFORE TO ENGAGING IN A
GRAD PROGRAM IF YOUR GOAL IS TO IMPROVE YOUR GPA...
DEVELOP COMPLEMENTARY SKILLS AND EXPERIENCES TO IMPROVE YOUR MEDICAL SCHOOL APPLICATION:
MEDICAL SCHOOL APPLICATIONS CONSIDER BOTH ACADEMIC AND NON-ACADEMIC COMPONENTS IN YOUR
APPLICATION. ALTHOUGH STUDENTS MUST DEMONSTRATE ACADEMIC RIGOR THROUGH THEIR GPA AND MCAT,
IT IS IMPORTANT TO ALSO CONSIDER THE NON-ACADEMIC COMPONENTS SUCH AS SHADOWING, VOLUNTEER AND
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE…. MANY POST BACC PROGRAMS PROVIDE SHADOWING OPPORTUNITIES WHILE OTHERS
MAY PROVIDE GUIDANCE ON YOUR APPLICATION INCLUDING WHAT MAY NEED TO BE ENHANCED. GRADUATE PROGRAMS
WITH A THESIS COMPONENT OFFER RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES THAT WILL ALLOW YOU TO DEMONSTRATE YOUR ANALYTICAL,
COLLABORATIVE AND PROBLEM-SOLVING CAPABILITIES AND MAY ALSO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES TO GET
A MEDICAL SCHOOL RECOMMENDATION LETTER FROM YOUR SUPERVISOR FOR MED SCHOOL APPLICATIONS.
DEPENDING ON THE PROJECT, YOU MAY BE ABLE TO PRESENT YOUR WORK, EVEN IF PRELIMINARY,
OR MAY LEAD TO PUBLISHING OPPORTUNITIES, BOTH OF WHICH CAN BE HIGHLIGHTED ON YOUR APPLICATIONS….
ADDITIONAL TIME FOR RESEARCH OR CLINICAL BASED EXPERIENCES: RESEARCH CAN ALLOW YOU TO EXPLORE
YOUR CAREER AND CATERS WELL TO MEDICAL SCHOOL APPLICATIONS AND CAREERS IN MEDICINE. GRADUATE
PROGRAMS WITH A THESIS COMPONENT ARE RESEARCH FOCUSED AND MAY ALLOW YOU TO NETWORK AND COLLABORATE
WITH OTHERS IN MEDICINE. THESE UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES CAN ALLOW YOU TO CONSIDER YOUR INTERESTS AND
MAY LEAD TO FURTHER COLLABORATIONS AS YOU BEGIN MEDICAL SCHOOL... OTHER PROGRAMS, ESPECIALLY
THOSE FOR CAREER CHANGERS OR FOR THOSE FROM EDUCATIONALLY OR ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED
GROUPS ALSO INCLUDE SHADOWING EXPERIENCES AND MAY PROVIDE GUIDANCE ON MEANINGFUL VOLUNTEER
OPPORTUNITIES THAT MAY FURTHER INCREASE YOUR EXPOSURE TO HEALTHCARE AND MEDICINE...
MORE TIME TO PREPARE FOR THE MCAT: THE MCAT CAN BE A DAUNTING EXPERIENCE AND REQUIRES
MANY HOURS OF PREPARATION PRIOR TO WRITING. THIS EXAM CAN BE MORE DIFFICULT IF YOU HAVE
YET TO COMPLETE PRE-REQUISITE COURSES IN PHYSICS, CHEMISTRY, BIOLOGY, SOCIOLOGY AND PSYCHOLOGY.
CAREER CHANGER PROGRAMS, AND SOME OF THE ACADEMIC ENHANCER PROGRAMS AND ECONOMICALLY OR EDUCATIONALLY
DISADVANTAGED PROGRAMS INCLUDE THE PRE-REQUISITE COURSES AND MAY ALSO PROVIDE SOME SEMINARS
ON MCAT PREPARATION TO BEST SUPPORT YOUR EXAM... MORE TIME TO PREPARE YOUR MEDICAL SCHOOL APPLICATION:
THERE ARE MANY COMPONENTS TO INCLUDE IN YOUR MEDICAL SCHOOL APPLICATION IN ADDITION TO
YOUR MCAT AND GPA. MANY POST BACC PROGRAMS SUPPORT THE NON-ACADEMIC COMPONENTS OF YOUR
APPLICATION INCLUDING EXTRACURRICULARS FOR MEDICAL SCHOOL THAT WILL BOLSTER YOUR APPLICATION.
MANY PROGRAMS ALSO OFFER SEMINARS ON MCAT PREPARATION FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT YET WRITTEN
THEIR MCAT OR WHO WANT TO IMPROVE THEIR SCORE, AS WELL AS MEDICAL SCHOOL APPLICATION SEMINARS
THAT OUTLINE THE PROCESS... WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN APPLYING TO POST BACCALAUREATE
PROGRAMS THERE ARE MANY FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN SELECTING
WHICH POST BACC FOR MED SCHOOL TO APPLY TO... FIRST OFF… CONSIDER YOUR INDIVIDUAL CIRCUMSTANCES...
DO YOU COME FROM A DISADVANTAGED GROUP OR A FINANCIALLY UNSTABLE BACKGROUND? YOU MAY
WANT TO CONSIDER PROGRAMS THAT CATER TO YOUR PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES…
CONSIDER WHAT YOUR INTERESTS ARE... ARE YOU INTERESTED IN A RESEARCH SPECIFIC PROGRAM,
AN INTERDISCIPLINARY HEALTH PROGRAM, A SCIENCE PROGRAM? SEARCH FOR PROGRAMS THAT MEET YOUR
NEEDS… UNDERGRADUATE VS. GRADUATE PROGRAM? UNDERGRADUATE
PROGRAMS ARE LIKELY TO HELP YOU IMPROVE YOUR GPA, WHEREAS GRADUATE POST BACCS MAY OFFER
MORE NUANCED RESEARCH COURSES, AS WELL AS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT OR EDUCATION-BASED PROJECTS
THAT WILL HELP BOLSTER YOUR MEDICAL SCHOOL APPLICATION.
WHERE DO YOU HOPE TO DO MEDICAL SCHOOL? BECOMING A STUDENT AT YOUR PREFERRED MEDICAL SCHOOL’S
POST BACC PROGRAM MAY HELP YOUR CHANCES OF ACCEPTANCE AS THE ADMISSION COMMITTEE MEMBERS
WILL BE FAMILIAR WITH YOUR CANDIDACY WHEN THEY REVIEW YOUR MEDICAL SCHOOL APPLICATION..
SOME POST BACCS OFFER LINKAGE PROGRAMS THAT ALLOW STUDENTS TO APPLY TO MEDICAL SCHOOL
BEFORE COMPLETING THEIR POST BACC PROGRAM. THIS WAY, YOU MAY BEGIN MEDICAL SCHOOL IMMEDIATELY
AFTER COMPLETING YOUR POST BACC AS LONG AS YOU MEET THE MEDICAL SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS...
CONSIDER YOUR CURRENT ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE. SOME POST BACC PROGRAMS ARE HIGHLY COMPETITIVE
AND THUS MAY LIMIT YOUR OPTIONS DEPENDING ON YOUR GPA. MAKE SURE TO CHECK THAT YOU MEET
THE POST BACCS’ ADMISSION CRITERIA BEFORE YOU APPLY…
WHAT IS THE LENGTH OF THE PROGRAM? MOST POST BACC PROGRAMS ARE ONE TO TWO YEARS IN LENGTH.
SOME INCLUDE SUMMER TERMS AND OTHERS DO NOT. WHEN CONSIDERING WHICH PROGRAM TO CHOOSE,
KEEP IN MIND THAT A TWO- YEAR POST BACC PROGRAM WILL DELAY MEDICAL SCHOOL FOR 2 YEARS BUT
MAY GIVE ADDITIONAL TIME TO IMPROVE/BOOST YOUR GPA…
AND LASTLY, IS IT PART-TIME OR FULL-TIME? PART-TIME PROGRAMS ARE LESS COMMON, BUT THEY
OFFER OPTIONS OF WORKING IN ADDITIONAL CLINICAL EXPERIENCES, OR TENDING TO LIFE CIRCUMSTANCES...
HOWEVER, THEY LIMIT THE OPTION FOR IMPROVING YOUR GPA IF THAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE POST
BACC FOR MED SCHOOL… SO IT MIGHT NOT BE AS BENEFICIAL AS IT SHOULD BE…
POST BACC APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS GIVEN THE VARIABILITY OF PROGRAMS INCLUDING
GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE, THE POST BACC FOR MED SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS ALSO VARY QUITE
A BIT. THE GENERAL REQUIREMENTS INCLUDE: HAVING A GPA GREATER THAN 2.5, ALTHOUGH SOME
REQUIRE A GPA GREATER THAN 3.3... MCAT, D-A-T OR G-R-E AND A SCORE GREATER THAN
THE 40TH OR 50TH PERCENTILE... CASPER... SOME PROGRAMS REQUIRE STUDENTS TO
COMPLETE THE CASPER TEST AND OTHER OTHER ALTUS SUITE COMPONENTS PRIOR TO APPLYING FOR THE
POST BACC PROGRAM… SO IF YOU HAVE NOT WRITTEN CASPER, YOU SHOULD KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS
EXAM TAKES TIME AND EFFORT TO PREPARE AND MUST BE SCHEDULED AHEAD OF TIME...
PERSONAL STATEMENTS... SOME POST BACC PROGRAMS REQUIRE STUDENTS TO WRITE A PERSONAL STATEMENT
SIMILAR TO MEDICAL SCHOOL… AND THESE CAN TAKE WEEKS TO BRAINSTORM AND WRITE...
RESIDENCY… YOU HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND THAT MOST PROGRAMS ARE LIMITED TO U.S. CITIZENS
AND DO NOT ACCEPT INTERNATIONAL GRADUATES, ALTHOUGH SOME DO ALLOW FOR NON-US APPLICANTS...
THERE ARE ALSO OTHER PROGRAMS THAT HAVE PREFERENTIAL ADMISSION TO IN-STATE STUDENTS... THERE’S
MORE THAN 270 POST BACC PROGRAMS IN THE UNITED STATES, SO THE BEST WAY TO PREPARE YOUR APPLICATION
TO POST BACC FOR MED SCHOOL IS TO CHECK OUT THE AAMC PORTAL FOR PROGRAM SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS….
THOSE ARE OUR TIPS FOR PREPARING A SUCCESSFUL POST BACC FOR MED SCHOOL APPLICATION... CHECK
OUT OUR BLOG FOR A FULL LIST OF POST-BACC PROGRAMS I HAVE INCLUDED THE LINK IN THE DESCRIPTION
OF THIS VIDEO FOR EASY ACCESS... IF YOU WOULD LIKE US TO HELP YOU GET INTO MEDICAL SCHOOL,
CHECK OUT BEMOMEDSCHOOL.COM TO SCHEDULE YOUR FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION... HOPEFULLY YOU
ENJOYED THIS VIDEO SO PLEASE SUBSCRIBE, LIKE AND LEAVE A COMMENT. AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS
ABOUT POST BACCS FOR MED SCHOOL THAT I DIDN’T COVER, LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENT SECTION
AND I WILL GET BACK TO YOU AS SOON AS POSSIBLE... DON’T FORGET THAT WE'RE GIVING AWAY $50
AMAZON GIFT CARDS EVERY WEEK TO THE BEST COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS… SO COMMENT BELOW FOR A CHANCE
TO WIN. THANKS FOR WATCHING AND SEE YOU NEXT TIME.