Hi OPMs-
I’m 30 years old and I’ve just started—well, re-started—down this pre-med path. I took some pre-reqs during undergrad (a year each of Chem and Bio), but did poorly. In the years since then, I’ve been working in marketing and have not really been in touch with my science interests for some time. Once I began my research into how to make my plan of becoming a physician a reality, I saw that post-baccs are a good way for “career changers” to get those pre-reqs done. I am pretty sure I fall into that category because I did not complete my pre-reqs in undergrad and have not worked in the medical field. I’m currently re-taking Chem (and doing a lot better so far) at a local 4-year university. My plan is to take another semester at the same school and then up my course load by starting a post-bacc at another university. I think the dedicated advisors could be a real asset. However, there are 3 post-bacc programs that I know of in the Chicago area: they all seem to offer committee letters, but at least one does not offer a certificate. Is the certificate important? Should that affect where I choose to apply? Thanks!
I don’t think the certificate really gets you anywhere in the long run, unless you’re planning on using that for something outside of medical school. You should apply to whatever program makes you feel like you fit in and offers you the resources you think you need to succeed. I think committee letters are appreciated by medical schools because it’s kind of a massive, consolidated letter of recommendation, but you don’t necessarily need one (I never had one, all of mine were from shadowing and work).