Post-Bac for Used-to-be pre-med

Pre-Med & Medical School Pre-Med Topics
1

<p>Hey guys, this might be a long thread but please help a poor guy out :(</p>

<p>In summary, I am trying to figure out if post-bac for pre-med programs are worth the time and money. Below are the background details</p>

<p>so I am currently a Junior (rising senior) at northwestern university majoring in biomedical engineering. I used to be a pre-med until the end of sophomore year when my advisors told me it would be very difficult for me to get into pre-med due to my low GPA. Basically my GPA went down the drain because I couldn't handle both pre-med courses and engineering courses. Also, because I was so busy (or being dragged trying to catch up with the work load), I never got to do any externship, shadowing, volunteering, researching, nor networking.</p>

<p>My thinking is that the moment I chose to major in biomedical engineering, it meant that I never really had the mindset of pre-med. I originally told myself I'm only majoring in engineering as a back-up just in case I don't get into any med school but I guess it became the other way around. I still do want to stay in the health-related industry whether it be a pre-med, pre-dentistry, or biotechnology.</p>

<p>I basically have a 3.1 GPA currently but the distribution is more like
Biology (C+ to B-)
Chemistry (AP credit)
Organic chemistry (C+)
Physics (B to A)</p>

<p>Fortunately, my grades from engineering courses is preventing my GPA from getting lower than a 3.0</p>

<p>I am currently gearing toward grad school but I recently found out about post-bac programs that let pre-med students with BS/BA that haven't fulfilled their pre-med criteria or have low grades complete their preparation for med school. Apparently, there are two types: career changers and academic record boosters. The latter isn't seen positively (according to posts on internet).</p>

<p>My question is, is it worth investing 2 more years and the money to stay as a pre-med? Frankly, I'm not even sure if re-taking the pre-med courses will get me a better grade (I don't know if I did badly in pre-med courses because I just am bad or I've been focusing more on engineering courses). And I feel like too much will be wasted if I do go to post-bac and never make it to a med school. </p>

2

<p>The question that stands out for me is----are you really sure you want to be a doctor?</p>

<p>(And please! Don’t say you want to be a doctor because you want to help people. It’s necessary but not sufficient. And there are tons of careers that help people, including engineering.) </p>

<p>Lots of young adults are in love with the idea of being a doctor, but don’t love the reality of medicine.</p>

<p>Have you done any shadowing or clinical volunteering at all? </p>

<p>Until you have–and more than just a hour or 6 here or there, then you really have no idea if it’s the reality of a medical career that appeals to you are or the romance of the job title. </p>

<p>I suggest taking a step back from the pre-med idea right now, work for a year or two while doing some physician shadowing and clinical volunteering and reassess your interest in a year or two.</p>

<p>Medical school will still be there when you’re ready.</p>

<p>Because you are not eligible for career changer post-baccs (you’ve taken all your pre-reqs), your choice are either a grade enhancing post bacc, a SMP, or DO programs.</p>

<p>1) where you attend a grade enhancing post bacc is important. Try to enroll at one at a U that has an associated med school, or one that has a strong reputation for helping its grads thru the application process.</p>

<p>2) SMP= Special Master’s Program. These are basically the first year of med school, often taking classes with and competing against actual med students. Most (all?) of these will require a MCAT score to enroll. These programs are high risk/high reward. If you do well (top 1/4 - 1/3 of the class), some have guaranteed interviews at the sponsoring med school or agreements with other med schools for interviews. If you don’t do well, then you’ve permanently destroyed your chances everywhere–both MD and DO.</p>

<p>3) Osteopathic medical schools allow for grade replacement. You can retake your science coursework (bio, gen chem, ochem, biochem) for higher grades. Retakes do not have to be at your original college or taken all at the same time. You can do this part-time and piecemeal while working + volunteering.</p>

3

<p>Listen to WOWM carefully, she is giving you the whole truth.
IMHO, An engineering graduate from NU is very marketable, why bother with the MD title? Lots of long hours and risk came with the profession, in addition to the $250K price tag. Risk of malpractice and contracting of diseases are the two major factors make the MD less attractive. </p>

4

<p>What state are you a resident in? makes a difference for applying to med school.</p>

<p>Engineering courses are difficult, the math matrix through def eq, the engineering core, the physics. Compared to general bio and ochem the pre-med pre-reqs should not be that difficult for someone who has done well in engineering.</p>

<p>Have you taken any biochem, micro, physical chem? If so how did you do in those courses?</p>

<p>As wowmom stated above you can retake the courses. Or you can possibly replace the courses with upper division courses you did better in. The 3.1 GPA is low but it could be brought up especially if you take general chem rather than the AP credit. Average all your math with your science for a science GPA.</p>

<p>My son currently a 4th year med student did not see eye to eye with his pre-med advisor at his ivy. They disagreed on a variety of issues and he was discouraged from applying by that specific advisor. When son received an invite to harvard med school he knew he had been correct. That advisor is no longer at that school. My point is your advisor is most likely correct at THIS stage in the game but you have the ability to change the outcome.</p>

<p>Figure out why you did poorly in the classes you took and what you did well in the other courses. Look at the specific pre-reqs for your in-state med school. Some vary for math requirements, humanities, biochem and others.</p>

<p>Next your volunteering does NOT need to be “medical” in nature. Son tutored inner-city middle school students for science fairs all 4 years of undergrad. He did research in botany, public health and economics. He shadowed primary care docs and researchers. His extracurriculars were spent mainly as a D1 athlete, not in a clinic.</p>

<p>Son majored in economics. He “minored” in hellenic studies (Greek). Other students here on CC had interests in music, art, physics…not your traditional pre-meds and they are all in med school.</p>

<p>Your academics need to reflect your ability to do the academic work your first 2 years of med school. The following two and residency are all about you applying what you learned and solving problems.</p>

<p>Your current dilemma is just another problem to be solved. How you choose to solve it will determine your success in applying to med school.</p>

<p>Again your state of residence is somewhat important.</p>

<p>Kat</p>

5

<p>You haven’t heard that some Northwestern premeds would take summer courses at Harvard because they’d get better grades there? Northwestern bio and organic chemistry are notoriously difficult; the grades are distributed like those in public schools while the caliber of the premeds (hence your competition) is high like other top privates. So you are screwed on both sides. You are not bad at premed courses; you just look bad because you are at Northwestern.</p>

6

<p>regardless what we say about NU, what is done is done. OP could only look forward, not backwards. Options in front of OP is either forget about Medical Doctor profession or try out in the DO or Caribbean schools. Best of luck.</p>

7

<p>Wow I completely forgot that I posted this during the summer.</p>

<p>Anyways, thank you all for the extremely helpful/reassuring advice.</p>

<p>WOWM was right. I reassessed my thoughts - and I guess I sort of brainwashed myself that I want to be a physician (mix of parental pressure + romance from when I was young). I decided that medicine wasn’t my path, and I still don’t know what I truly want to do. I did research during the summer related to cloning and sequencing and the lab environment was surprisingly interesting and nice - so maybe I still do have inclination for biology department</p>

<p>Both my parents have been unemployed so I’m both running out of time and money. I decided the best choice for me right now, is either attend grad school (which I’m preparing for right now; I am now a senior) and find a potential job starting next year (which will probably be too late but giving it a try since I don’t think I can find a decent job with the current grades & experience right now anyways)</p>

<p>Never knew, not knowing what I want to do by this age would be so depressing. Nonetheless now I have a new problem to solve: getting into graduate school :)</p>

<p>Thank you so much</p>

8

<p>Why would you go to Grad. school with the engineering degree? Just get a nice job and be happy for the rest of your life…</p>