Hello everyone,
I am a 19 y.o. American female who lives and studies in England. I am attending a top-tier university over here studying psychology and neuroscience, and am in my final year! I have always wanted to become a neurologist, but due to Life’s continual juggling act, I am pursuing a career in medicine in a roundabout fashion. I have applied to seven Postbac Premed programs in America:
University of Southern California
American University
Johns Hopkins University
Agnes Scott College
Bryn Mawr College
Brandeis University
University of Pennsylvania
I would LOVE any and all input about ANY of these programs, either of personal experiences or what others have heard. I would be so incredibly appreciative of any help in deciding which program to attend!
USC has been extremely helpful so far and have made an amazing impression on me…is their Postbac program as impressive as their administrative staff?
Thanks in advance for any and all assistance.
Well, let me start off by saying…Welcome!
As a 19 y/o pursuing medicine and close to finishing your degree…you aren’t an old premed by any stretch…actually you seem younger than many traditional students.
A suggestion might be to check out Student Doctor Network (www.sdn.com) which actually have threads dedicated especially to many of the medical schools that you were inquiring about.
Kris
Thanks Kris! The SDN website is indeed helpful. It is so nice to know I am not alone in this process, as this time last year I had no idea Postbac Premed courses existed for non-traditional med students, and thought I would have to return to America and start from scratch as a pre-med undergrad.
What is your opinion on expensive Postbac Premed programs? They have high matriculation rates into med schools, but is it worth the price tag? I want to get it over with as quickly as possible so I can take the MCATS in 18 mos. at the latest. I am fine with an intense workload, it is of no concern, but can such a condensed program feasibly prepare you for the rigours of graduate medical school?
-Anna
- annagebhardt Said:
What is your opinion on expensive Postbac Premed programs? They have high matriculation rates into med schools, but is it worth the price tag? I want to get it over with as quickly as possible so I can take the MCATS in 18 mos. at the latest. I am fine with an intense workload, it is of no concern, but can such a condensed program feasibly prepare you for the rigours of graduate medical school?
-Anna
All ages are welcome here at Oldpremeds, so please stay a while and feel free to post all you want! Regarding post baccalaureate programs, they are expensive and not necessary; you can very easily take the courses as an independent student. There have been a lot of threads on this topic; I suggest you search for postbacc topics. If you have the biological background, you may only need a subset of the four required courses anyway. I would suggest checking with some medical schools that you're particularly interested in and see if your British coursework will carry over. I can't imagine that it wouldn't, but it pays to check. Best of luck!
- ttraub Said:
- annagebhardt Said:
What is your opinion on expensive Postbac Premed programs? They have high matriculation rates into med schools, but is it worth the price tag? I want to get it over with as quickly as possible so I can take the MCATS in 18 mos. at the latest. I am fine with an intense workload, it is of no concern, but can such a condensed program feasibly prepare you for the rigours of graduate medical school?
-Anna
All ages are welcome here at Oldpremeds, so please stay a while and feel free to post all you want! Regarding post baccalaureate programs, they are expensive and not necessary; you can very easily take the courses as an independent student. There have been a lot of threads on this topic; I suggest you search for postbacc topics. If you have the biological background, you may only need a subset of the four required courses anyway. I would suggest checking with some medical schools that you're particularly interested in and see if your British coursework will carry over. I can't imagine that it wouldn't, but it pays to check. Best of luck!
Oh, anna, just like Terry states you are very welcome...I hope I didn't suggest anything different!
Kris
Thanks for the advice, Terry. I have contacted many PBPM programs, and have come to frustrating conclusions. First off, there is no universal system installed across American universities in regard to how they treat international qualifications. Many will not even consider me due to my ‘international qualifications’, even though I am an American citizen (ex., Scripps and Goucher). Yet other schools will process my application just like any other American applicant. No one really knows how to deal with my situation, and how my credits will be transferred: I have contacted a range of universities, from Johns Hopkins to the University of Washington, and the general feeling is an uncertainty as to what ‘course titles’ I will need on my transcript to satisfy requirements at a GMS. There MUST be other American students out there in the same situation as myself. It is so frustrating that several of the med schools of particular interest will not accept me based on my ‘international qualifications’,even though they are of top-tier calibre, and will not impede my performance as a medical student in any way.