Hi all!
I’m a new member. I’m 28 year old woman living in Chicago and I want to study medicine.
I currently have a BA in Film and Video Editing/Sound Design in 2006 and have been working in the commercial industry for 5 years. I took a basic bio class at community college during the summer, and I am taking a math class next semester. My current GPA is 3.61.
I am planning on applying to NU’s Post Bacc Program for the summer session, but I have heard mixed reviews. I’m looking for opinions on it.
I’m always up for a challenge, and I am definitely willing to work hard, but I’ve also heard that NU is notorious for grade deflation, and I don’t need any grade deflation! Haha. I HAVE heard that it prepares students for the MCAT very well. However, I’ve only been able to find a handful of opinions (some that are over 5 years old) and I was looking for some fresh experiences on here.
Glad to be a part of these forums!
Hey Rangoon,
I am currently going to Loyola just down the street from you. I too looked at going to Northwestern, but found that it didn’t fit the bill for me. First off, I would double check the requirements to make sure that you meet all of them. I take it the reason that you took the bio class so that you can meet the initial science req, but your math needs to be up there too if I remember correctly.
Northwestern’s program is dedicated to professionals who are still planning on working for the most part, depending on which route you take. Make sure that you realize that most programs only offer a year of financial aid for a year, so put that on the back burner too. I came from a photo background and from my point of view money isn’t the best so loans are helping out a lot.
The main thing to consider is how long you want to take and whether, what you can afford, and whether or not you want to work. Northwestern’s program is also geared solely to post baccs, which means you will only be with post baccs. If you don’t mind that, then that’s another plus, but I can honestly say that at Loyola there are some pretty nice and helpful undergrads that can add a nice twist to the education.
About grade deflation, that is not going to be the school that makes your grades deflate. I am attending with another OPMer and I’m sure she can agree with me when I say that it is based on a professor to professor basis. My chem 101 teacher was INSANE. I wouldn’t expect anyone in the world to have it easy in his class (except the three kids who were blatantly cheating 
)
Don’t let the whole grade issue get to you. I look at it this way, the harder the class and teacher, the more prepared you will be for the future. Does that mean you might need to put in more work, heck yes, but it will pay off in my opinion.
That’s my two cents.
Indie,
Thanks for the reply! I’m actually starting the part part of the requirement tomorrow (Algebra…fun stuff). In the spring I will probably take Soc/Psych for the new part of the MCAT, and then I was hoping to start NU in the summer.
I’m going to be getting my volunteering in, so I was hoping to not work consistently during the post bacc. Working my current job (50 hrs a week) isn’t very conducive to taking a bunch of hard sciences/study time, unfortunately.
I attended Dominican University’s two-year post-bac program in River Forest (I just finished in May). I absolutely loved it there. It was challenging, but doable - my post-bac GPA was just under 4.0 (two A minuses, in biochem and orgo II).
If you would like to know more about this program and my experience, feel free to PM me.
- Lorien
Hi Rangoon,
I am another chicago based premed (also 28) and I pretty seriously considered NW but I also decided on Loyola where I have been very happy so far!
That being said I have met a few people while volunteering in the NW program and they all seem reasonably pleased.
I do agree with Indie that it can be very helpful to find out as much as you can about your Prof no matter where you go. If you can find them, talk to students who did well in the class and ask if they have any specific advice for that professors class. Some classes really are just crazier than others (we have one chem teacher who was on probation for a bit for failing too many people…not sure if it was yours Indie) but I know people who have had drastically different experiences with the same teacher just based on how they learn.
If you happen change your mind and decide to go to Loyola or Dominican I am sure everyone would be more than happy to pass on any school specific advice (or maybe even books)
Best of luck no matter what!!!
Hey to everyone here! Yet another Chicagoan of the same age range (27)! I’m doing my classes at NEIU while I finish my linguistics MA.
I actually graduated from Loyola with my BA in 2007, and was enrolled in Northwestern’s Postbac Premed program, but dropped out before it began because I couldn’t face the loans (Loyola put me enough in debt, thanks). BUT I still get emails from their post-bacc club or study group of whatever and have some people studying on my Facebook - they all seem very happy, very challenged, and very supportive of one another. They also have a lot of dedicated opportunities through their club - discounts on MCAT classes at Kaplan, introductions to admissions boards of different medical schools, etc.
I think in the end, any of the 4 year schools in Chicago are worth it; it’s just a matter of how much you want to take out in loans.
I would like to emphasize NEIU for how cheap it is; $300 per credit hour, which is miles cheaper than what I paid at Loyola for my undergrad. If you can design your own post-bacc, which is essentially what I’m doing, and travel up to Albany Park every day, you’re golden. Plus they offer tons of classes at night because it’s a commuter school.
Someone told me it doesn’t matter what school you get you pre-reqs done at, as long as it’s an accredited 4 year university; I’m banking a LOT on that opinion, haha.