Applying after graduating college with no pre-requisites

[bananafish94]

A good friend of mine wants to apply to medical school after already graduating college with none of the medical school pre-requisites completed. What are the options for somebody like this? Are there dedicated post-bacc programs for this purpose, or would it be more advisable to take classes at a local college on your own time until all of the pre-requisites are completed? Thanks!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Eccesignum]

Either or. Formal post-baccs have the advantage of having structure and, oftentimes, good advising geared towards medical school. A few also have linkage agreements with certain med schools, though what exactly this means does vary. Post-baccs do tend to be quite expensive, however, and whether or not you can work depends on your class schedule. If it works for you, it works for you. AAMC maintains a list here: https://apps.aamc.org/postbac/#/index

Taking classes on one's own is a perfectly viable option, and is what most of us with other commitments tend to do. It makes no difference on paper in the end, provided there's a strong performance in the pre-reqs, overall cGPA and sGPA are competitive, and of course that their MCAT is competitive.

 

[Blanky]

Enroll in a second bachelors program which includes the prereqs and see how far you get you dont have to finish the degree. This will allow your friend the freedom to choose courses at his/her pace.

 

[backside_attack]

A good friend of mine wants to apply to medical school after already graduating college with none of the medical school pre-requisites completed. What are the options for somebody like this? Are there dedicated post-bacc programs for this purpose, or would it be more advisable to take classes at a local college on your own time until all of the pre-requisites are completed? Thanks!

I graduated with only 2 of the pre-reqs and 6 years later enrolled at another university as a non degree-seeking student. I befriended the pre-med advisor and was able to use her for advice as well as a committee letter. The only issue with this path is if your friend enrolls in a university where the pre-med classes are filled to bursting and there's a waitlist: non degree-seeking students might not get a spot. The pre-med advisor I mentioned earlier gave me the pro-tip that the profs always saved a few secret spots for people like me, but that isn't the case everywhere.

The first delineation should be this: structured or not structured. If your friend thrives with strict structure and planned programs, then a formal post-bacc is good. If he/she is able to be independent and wants to do his/her own timeline planning and strategy and would prefer less strict structure, then a DIY is best. [I was clearly in the latter group but have classmates that did the formal Goucher program and thrived in that environment... to each his own!]