WAMC Career Changer Programs

[thebeaglelover]

Hi everyone,

I am looking to apply to career changer post bacc pre-med programs this fall, but am unsure of the strength of my application and need some insight. I am a current Junior at a public university who will be a first semester senior upon application. I transferred here from an Ivy due to a chronic illness that became unmanageable (this is apart of my narrative), but I had a 4.0 there as well. I’m studying a humanities major that is bio-oriented, but I only have bio classes and no other med school pre-reqs (besides two statistics course, one 400-level). My SAT was low 1500s when I took it in 2018. As I am still in undergrad, I am not sure if I should apply right when applications open in August or wait until the end of fall semester in December. What are your thoughts? If I apply in August, I will have ~250 hours as an EMT in a rural area, ~150 hours clinical volunteering, some shadowing, ~400 hours autopsy internship under a forensic pathologist, ~300 hours non clinical volunteering (animal rescue, tutoring, sexual assault advocate), and some ECs related to my interests. Also, am I competitive for the top programs, like Goucher or Bryn Mawr? Any insight is appreciated. Thank you!!

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[thebeaglelover]

Also another question, am I allowed to include projected hours in the PostbacCas?

 

[gleeshae]

Hi, it sounds like you're well qualified for the top postbacc programs. It is definitely better to apply sooner than later, as most programs begin reviewing applications far before the deadline and there are a limited number of spots. Unless you expect a significant or necessary boost in your GPA by the end of December, it's better to apply in August. Your clinical and volunteer hours look great! These programs definitely weigh your experiences heavily. And yes - you can include projected hours in the application, just make sure you extend the end date for your activities.

Which bio classes have you taken? If you have taken too many premed classes you might not be qualified for a postbacc. I would set up an advising appointment with the postbacc to determine if you're eligible to apply or look at each program's requirements. Since you're a junior in college, you should also strongly consider taking the classes at your current institution. You may be able to save money and time that way. If you're hoping to save time, one option is to make your schedule only the premed prereqs for 2-3 semesters (with some summer classes), and defer your major requirements to the application year. You only need to have completed the prereqs, not major reqs, by the time you apply to med school, as long as you graduate with a bachelor's by the time you start med school. I hope that makes sense. I'm a college senior and wish I switched to premed as a junior, so I could've done this. Good luck!

 

[thebeaglelover]

Hi, it sounds like you're well qualified for the top postbacc programs. It is definitely better to apply sooner than later, as most programs begin reviewing applications far before the deadline and there are a limited number of spots. Unless you expect a significant or necessary boost in your GPA by the end of December, it's better to apply in August. Your clinical and volunteer hours look great! These programs definitely weigh your experiences heavily. And yes - you can include projected hours in the application, just make sure you extend the end date for your activities.

Which bio classes have you taken? If you have taken too many premed classes you might not be qualified for a postbacc. I would set up an advising appointment with the postbacc to determine if you're eligible to apply or look at each program's requirements. Since you're a junior in college, you should also strongly consider taking the classes at your current institution. You may be able to save money and time that way. If you're hoping to save time, one option is to make your schedule only the premed prereqs for 2-3 semesters (with some summer classes), and defer your major requirements to the application year. You only need to have completed the prereqs, not major reqs, by the time you apply to med school, as long as you graduate with a bachelor's by the time you start med school. I hope that makes sense. I'm a college senior and wish I switched to premed as a junior, so I could've done this. Good luck!

Hi thank you so much for answering!! I definitely aim to set up a meeting with these programs to see when it’s best to apply. I’ve taken 9 credits of biology so far but no other prerequisites for medical school. I plan to take 3 more bio credits in the fall. I’m just nervous my experiences won’t be enough by August 🫠😩 How highly do these schools weigh our total hours as opposed to the longevity of our experiences (say I only did 2-4 hours a week but several months or longer).

As far as taking classes at my undergrad institution, I would really like to avoid that. It’s a university of 50,000+ people with ~500 in each intro stem course and a notoriously bad “active learning” model. My major is small, which is a major thing I hope to find in a post bacc program. Also the linkages ar fascinating to me. Do you have any more insight into this process?? I really appreciate your help 🙏🏼

 

[gleeshae]

Hi thank you so much for answering!! I definitely aim to set up a meeting with these programs to see when it’s best to apply. I’ve taken 9 credits of biology so far but no other prerequisites for medical school. I plan to take 3 more bio credits in the fall. I’m just nervous my experiences won’t be enough by August 🫠😩 How highly do these schools weigh our total hours as opposed to the longevity of our experiences (say I only did 2-4 hours a week but several months or longer).

As far as taking classes at my undergrad institution, I would really like to avoid that. It’s a university of 50,000+ people with ~500 in each intro stem course and a notoriously bad “active learning” model. My major is small, which is a major thing I hope to find in a post bacc program. Also the linkages ar fascinating to me. Do you have any more insight into this process?? I really appreciate your help 🙏🏼

I'm not sure if 9 credits of bio will disqualify you, but I would go onto the websites of your top programs and look at their sample schedules. Some are more flexible than others, but others have a rigid schedule that all the postbacc students take. Some also have FAQ sections that detail their eligibility reqs. Also, note that some programs require you to take a certain number of credits in their program for you to get a certificate or committee letter. So if you've already taken 9 and plan to take 3 more, you might be having to pay extra money to take upper level bio classes that aren't required. But it all just depends on the program. I would list out which pre-med classes and how many credits you have left to take and then determine if a post-bacc is worth those credits. Remember these programs are pretty expensive.

Don't worry, your hours are great! Longevity is definitely looked upon more favorably because it shows you are committed. To give you perspective, I decided last summer to switch to premed. So by the time I applied, I only had ~90 hours of clinical experience, ~100 hours volunteering and ~25 shadowing. Plus like 40 for research and 40 for shadowing. I got into 3/7 of the postbaccs I applied to. As long as you can talk about them at length in your interviews, you're fine.

I would say the postbaccs are only worth every penny if you seriously plan on linking. Each school sets different linkage requirements each year, which they may not tell you until fall of the program. It's definitely no guarantee, and every postbacc info session actually discouraged linkage. They bind you to a certain school, have strict GPA and MCAT cutoffs and most require you to take the MCAT in April. Anyways, I'm realizing now I wish I went the DIY route because I actually want a year off to travel before med school, so it doesn't seem worth it to me. Postbaccs boost your chances of getting into med school, but your GPA and standardized test skills are already great, so you could probably get in without one. But you have plenty of time to think about it!