Post Bacc Pre Med - state university or structured private program?

Nontraditional Premed Discussion
1

Hey There,

I have always had the desire to become a physician but always made an excuse as to why I shouldn’t. I got a degree in Aviation (3.9 GPA) right before COVID tanked the industry. I’ve been working in HR for a huge company since.

I’m 25, graduated from undergrad spring 2020. I’ve got a wife and two toddlers and have become friends with many podiatry students who live near me. (They helped spark the interest again)

I am looking at two post bacc programs in my area. One is a structured post bacc certificate at a private university, and would cost roughly 4 times more than the other seemingly informal premed program at the local state university.

Is there a better route to take here? The former program suggests an MCAT score to be competitive. Thing is, I haven’t taken any prereq’s and would not do well on the MCAT.

I’m leaning toward the state university, assuming I get in, I just don’t want it hurting my application down the road. Any advice appreciated.

2

Hey! I’m pretty new to the pre med world myself but from all the research I’ve done and videos I’ve seen over the past yr before starting my post bac program it is safe to say either one you choose will be fine. Pick whichever one works for you. Private vs. Public isn’t going to make a difference as long as you do well in your classes. I am in my second semester as a career changer in a formal program at Public 4yr. I too did not have any prereqs done so I chose the program that worked for me, which was one that did not require an MCAT or any science courses at all. Your 3.9 will get you into many programs for career changers so its just a matter of which one works better for your schedule. I personally need structure in my life lol so I went with the formal rather than informal program that was offered at a local private university