Hi All,
Feeling a little blue today because i got my first denial letter. It was a little off putting since I have been used to being accepted to programs in the past, but then again this is a WHOLE NEW ball game.
Anyway, I am still determined to keep pursuing my dream of being a doctor. In fact the weird part is the denial seems to have given me a second wind, a more permanent feeling in my being that this is what I am meant to do no matter what.
I am applying to 3 more programs and if that doesn’t turn out, my plan is maybe to move back to New York from California and go to CUNY. Its so much cheaper and they have a GREAT program from what I hear. However, I have discovered that Berkeley extension is going to start a post-bac program in the Fall.
Any advice or comments to this post are welcome, because this list spurns me on whether I am posting or just reading. thanks OldPremeds!
best,
RB
Hi there,
I am sorry to hear of your rejection. It seems like you are ready to keep plowing ahead in this process though. Sometimes the timing just doesn’t work for one program and another door opens right up that turns out to be better in the long run.
Think of this as a learning experience and keep moving forward. None of us can know success without knowing failure too. In the end, how you deal with this speaks more volumes about you than this program not accepting you. We all have been there and we all have your back in the future every step of the way.
Natalie 
Quote:
Anyway, I am still determined to keep pursuing my dream of being a doctor. In fact the weird part is the denial seems to have given me a second wind, a more permanent feeling in my being that this is what I am meant to do no matter what.
best,
RB
I’m sorry to hear about that. Natalie’s got it right, though - it sounds like you’ve got the exact right attitude to make this a productive step.
Actually, your post reminded me of a quote that I can’t quite place now:
How do you know if you’re a writer? Stop writing.
… if you’re still writing, you’re a writer.
While I’m sure I butchered it
, the sentiment is the same. This is something that you won’t let anyone hold you from. Good for you For what it’s worth, I’m doing an informal post-bacc, and whlie I’m still early in the process, I feel it’s working well for me. It may be another option to consider.
thanks so much for your words of encouragement, I am doing my best to take a good attitude even though its tough. thanks so much!
-RB
Hey there. I live in California (San Francisco) and I thought perhaps I could offer some words of encouragement. I guess I should first ask if you are doing Post-bac to get the course work done or if you are doing the UC post-bac programs for people who have taken the courses but are having difficulty getting into med school. If you haven’t taken the science courses yet (or you need to retake), and you want to go to med school in California, don’t be shy about scrapping the post-bac idea and taking courses at local junior colleges and/or CSU. I have spoken to admissions folks at Stanford and at UCSF (two top 10 schools) and they ACTIVELY recruit applicants from community colleges in California (the community colege system in California is top notch). I was told over and over by California medical schools that attending a formal postbac program is unneccessary. They want people who make good grades (in community college or whatever), do well (at least 30) on the MCAT, and demonstrate a commitment to helping the underserved (volunteering with the homeless or with minority organizations is an excellent way to do this). If you have a second language, or can pick up Spanish, that can help a great deal. The community college system in California feeds the UC’s (top state university system in the nation…the public “ivies”) and most science courses at the community colleges are rigorous enough to transfer to UC-Berkeley. If you are at all interested in California medical schools (FYI…UCSF and Stanford have some of the HAPPIEST medical students I’ve ever met)you should consider this info as well. Chin up…you will do the work and you will become a physician.
San Francisco State does not have a formal program but has a lot of post-bacs who seem to do well. (I’m one of them.) I think the CSU system creates a good compromise between the challenges of community college transcripts (esp for schools outside CA that don’t recognize the equivalence of the courses), and the expense of formal private post-bac programs.
joe
Hey there,
To lend credence to Ashley’s comments about the CC system here in Ca, she’s dead on. Before I transeferred to my local CC, I’d done a decent amount of work at a couple of 4 yr institutions, in my younger years.
When I moved back to Ca, the CC route was the only viable option for me to get into a UC. My science classes, in particular, are difficult, challenging, and quite a bit harder than any I’d taken at either 4 year. And I feel as though I’ll be well prepared to step on to any UC campus when the time comes again.
Most of the UC’s actually even strongly suggest that you finish as much of your science prep work while still at the UC.
Ashley, does Stanford really actively recruit from the CCs? That’s almost like an answered prayer. I’ve been trying to decide which school in Ca to try to transfer to and everytime the thought of spending time in Palo Alto popped into my head… mocking laughter ensued.
Looks like I have some research to do. Who did you talk to at Stanford if you don’t mind me asking?
Ron
I went through CUNY post-bacc and did quite well. It takes a certain amount of self-direction, and critically I think you should be prepared to take a couple of classes during the day, because the night offerings can be limited. So if you have questions about how to get the ball rolling at City College of New York, send me a private line.
Quote:
San Francisco State does not have a formal program but has a lot of post-bacs who seem to do well. (I’m one of them.) I think the CSU system creates a good compromise between the challenges of community college transcripts (esp for schools outside CA that don’t recognize the equivalence of the courses), and the expense of formal private post-bac programs.
joe
San Francisco State has just announced that they are beginning a formal post-bacc program this summer for 25 students. Quite a bit more expensive ($14,000) than taking the courses in their informal program.
Cheers,
Judy
Quote:Quote:
San Francisco State does not have a formal program but has a lot of post-bacs who seem to do well. (I’m one of them.) I think the CSU system creates a good compromise between the challenges of community college transcripts (esp for schools outside CA that don’t recognize the equivalence of the courses), and the expense of formal private post-bac programs.
joe
San Francisco State has just announced that they are beginning a formal post-bacc program this summer for 25 students. Quite a bit more expensive ($14,000) than taking the courses in their informal program.
Cheers,
Judy
Looks like I was wrong about the cost…that $14,000 is per year. $491/unit of coursework.
See: http://online.sfsu.edu/~brothman/PHPCP.htm
Cheers,
Judy
Rosalind Franklin just started a new one-year M.S. in biomedical sciences. You can check it out at their website.
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Hi All,
Feeling a little blue today because i got my first denial letter. It was a little off putting since I have been used to being accepted to programs in the past, but then again this is a WHOLE NEW ball game.
Anyway, I am still determined to keep pursuing my dream of being a doctor. In fact the weird part is the denial seems to have given me a second wind, a more permanent feeling in my being that this is what I am meant to do no matter what.
I am applying to 3 more programs and if that doesn’t turn out, my plan is maybe to move back to New York from California and go to CUNY. Its so much cheaper and they have a GREAT program from what I hear. However, I have discovered that Berkeley extension is going to start a post-bac program in the Fall.
Any advice or comments to this post are welcome, because this list spurns me on whether I am posting or just reading. thanks OldPremeds!
best,
RB
Hey RB,
If you do a search you can hear my story on post-bac programs. I too was rejected outright the first time. I went and talked to the dean who told me that since I was out of school for so long they would like to see me take a full load to see if I could handle it (you know, I my age). So I quit work and did just that. At the end of the term I presented all A’s and one B+ (gen chem) on my reapplication, yet I was still rejected. Not wanting to ‘waste’ more time with them, I finished all required courses on my own, got accepted into three medical schools, waited listed to a few more, and now I’m ending my second year of med school and ready for rotations (that is if I get passed comlex1). So the take home message is - don’t let ‘them’ stand in your way. If you can get help from such a program to acheive your goals, that is just great, but if not, keep on plugging away. You will never be happy with yourself if you don’t try .
Thanks everyone for the words of encouragement I haven’t been here for a week or so but so many of your responses have been so so helpful.
Even though I am applying to 3 more bost pac programs this year, I am seriously rethinking the option of community college for monetary reasons.