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AccountingtoMD

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When I started looking for Post Baccalaureate Programs there was stark lack of information on the programs I was interested in. Hopefully this post can help someone.

I only applied to one school, Northwestern University, because it was my favorite of the Post Baccs I researched. It has very small class sizes, a linkage program with Feinberg and GWU, a formal and informal community, direct opportunities to shadow physicians and participate in research, and a great location. The chemistry program is among the top 3 in the country and the school itself is ranked 9th overall (US News). I wanted to be near my girlfriend at Ohio State, and a 5-6 hour drive is reasonable for visiting a few times a month. I didn't have to take the GRE, and they used rolling admissions, so if I were rejected I could look elsewhere without delaying myself. Needless to say, the program checked all my boxes, so before I applied anywhere else, I applied to Northwestern and waited for a response.

I was accepted 9 days after I submitted the application, which I appreciated as I had probably already checked the portal 100 times by then. The $50 application fee was great compared to the PostBacCAS I started working on while waiting, which I never paid for but seemed to be somewhere between $300 and $400. The other schools I was interested in were Virginia, Case Western, Michigan, UPenn, Bryn Mawr, GWU, and WashU, but I already knew I really liked Northwestern, so I saved the couple hundred dollars and signed on.

Stats:
Major: Accounting (B.S.)
GPA: 3.85 (c) 4.0 (s)
ACT: Super-scored around 32

The rest of my application:
Clinical Experience: About 3 years, No Shadowing (mostly due to COVID)
Research: 1 Semester
Leadership: Executive Board - 3 Years
Teaching: TA - 1 Semester - With Tutoring
Certifications: Phlebotomist

If you want to know anything about my application that I omitted, or you have any questions, I will have my notifications on and will try to respond as quickly as I can!

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Hey there! I've also recently applied to this program and I just had a quick logistical question for you - how were you notified of your acceptance? Did you just keep checking the application portal and eventually your application status changed from "complete" to "accepted"? Just curious as someone who is waiting to hear back. Hope to see you around if I'm accepted!
 
Hi! It's a bit sneaky, it is in the portal, and they won't contact you. The only change in the portal is that under where it says "App. Complete" it will show a link that says "Admit." As I said above, my turnover was rather quick since I was early in the cycle. I hope you're admitted, I'd love another friend on campus!
 
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Hi! It's a bit sneaky, it is in the portal, and they won't contact you. The only change in the portal is that under where it says "App. Complete" it will show a link that says "Admit." As I said above, my turnover was rather quick since I was early in the cycle. I hope you're admitted, I'd love another friend on campus!
Thanks for the response, I really appreciate it! It's good to hear that turnover was quick - I actually submitted my application in early February, but due to transcript issues (one of my institutions still only does physical/paper transcript deliveries, gotta love it 🙃) my app wasn't actually marked as complete until the day after the app deadline. Fingers crossed that doesn't screw up my chances but might have to apply to Loyola as a backup haha! In the meantime though I'll continue hoping for the best (and refreshing the Northwestern app every hour).
 
Thanks for the response, I really appreciate it! It's good to hear that turnover was quick - I actually submitted my application in early February, but due to transcript issues (one of my institutions still only does physical/paper transcript deliveries, gotta love it 🙃) my app wasn't actually marked as complete until the day after the app deadline. Fingers crossed that doesn't screw up my chances but might have to apply to Loyola as a backup haha! In the meantime though I'll continue hoping for the best (and refreshing the Northwestern app every hour).
I'm pretty sure I was only admitted because I checked every 5 minutes and they got annoyed 🤣. I'm cheering for you, and I'm sure they'll be okay with the delay since you'd already hit submit. Good luck, keep me updated!
 
Does any one know if Northwestern's Postbacc program offers a committee letter or if you need to obtain individual letters of recommendation when applying to medical school?
 
Does any one know if Northwestern's Postbacc program offers a committee letter or if you need to obtain individual letters of recommendation when applying to medical school?
It's my understanding that we don't offer a direct committee letter through the program, though there are many ways to get committee letters outside of the program.
 
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It's my understanding that we don't offer a direct committee letter through the program, though there are many ways to get committee letters outside of the program.
Thanks for the reply. Recently received my acceptance to Northwestern's Postbacc program to begin this fall. Looks like we may be in the same cohort @AccountingtoMD
 
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Thanks for the reply. Recently received my acceptance to Northwestern's Postbacc program to begin this fall. Looks like we may be in the same cohort @AccountingtoMD
That's awesome! I decided to do the 21-month to get more experience, but I'll see you in September!

If you're willing, I'd love it if you posted some of your stats here for others who are reading the thread :)
 
That's awesome! I decided to do the 21-month to get more experience, but I'll see you in September!

If you're willing, I'd love it if you posted some of your stats here for others who are reading the thread :)
Happy to help.

Undergrad School: Small university in Seattle, WA
GPA: 3.8+
Degree: BSBA
Graduate School: Big Ten University
GPA: 3.6+
Degree: MBA

Current: Healthcare Consultant

Military Veteran: 5yrs as medic
Non-military clinical: 200+ hrs shadowing surgeon and family medicine physicians
Volunteer: 400+ hrs American Red Cross, food drive, soup kitchens
Certified: LSSBB & Phlebotomist
 
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If you have some time today, you should check out the AAMC virtual fair going on now to get some info on various different medical schools.

aamc.org/virtualfair
 
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Definitely! I was planning on checking it out at 2pm. Has it been helpful?
Yes. Prospective students have eclectic questions that I would never think to ask. There is a transcript log to view conservations throughout the day, which is helpful.
 
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Hey I got into NU program and I like it for so many reasons.
 
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