<p>Is it possible for a student not planning on going to medical school to take science courses through a post-baccalaureate program? I plan on going into a career loosely related to the sciences, and I'd like to raise my undergraduate science GPA to strengthen my application.</p>
<p>Yes, there are a couple schools that offer a PREP scholars program which is a post-bac program in the biomedical sciences usually reserved for minorities or students from smaller schools who did not have extensive research experience. NIH offers another one called IRTA. You can also just take courses at a university as a post-bac student, although it won’t be a “program” with structure like the examples I mentioned. If you google “PREP scholars” or “NIH IRTA” you should be able to find the information you need.</p>
<p>Edit: I forgot to mention that the PREP scholars and NIH IRTA program are specifically designed for those interested in phd programs not medical school.</p>
<p>you really don’t need to be in a “program” to take courses at many colleges, particularly the publics. They will usually allow you to register as a ‘special’ student and take courses. Plus, med-bac programs are concerned about admission rates, so they probably won’t take kindly to someone not planning to apply to med school.</p>
<p>If you only need 100 and 200 level courses, chances are that you can find them at your local community college. Not only would it be very cheap, the class size is likely to be much smaller than at many universities, and it will be much easier to get to know the instructors for letters of recommendation. In addition, your gen. eds. should transfer and it would be easy to complete an A.S. if it is useful for your goals.</p>
<p>Back in the last century, I was able to enroll as a “senior transfer” at my home-state public university when I needed to pick up a bunch of science courses before applying to grad school. I worked my way from 100 to 200 to 300 level courses in three quarters (an advantage of the quarter system!), and then spent one semester as a “non-degree grad student” in order to pick up some 400 and 500 level courses before applying to grad school for real.</p>
<p>not sure I agree with happymom. Grad schools are prestige-driven, so A’s from a community college will be not perceived as impressive as similar grades from major research Unis. Since the OP is at Wes, and considering grad school…</p>
<p>Note that I wrote “If you only need 100 and 200 level courses”. A community college may do just fine depending on where it is that this person wants to pursue graduate work, and the field he/she wants to enter. For all we know, he/she has a 4.0 in his/her major field, but struggled to earn a 2.0 in the one science course taken for a liberal arts degree. In which case the smaller classes and hands-on attention typical of a community college could be key to mastering the material needed for the new field of study. Upper-level courses will require study at a 4-year institution, but the OP shouldn’t feel obligated to begin there. The only financial aid available for a re-tread is Stafford loans. Doing it as inexpensively as possible is imperative for most of us who’ve been through the process.</p>
<p>Yeah, I read your “note” happymom; I just disagree.</p>
<p>I have to side with Bluebayou – unless the community college is one of the types that also offer four-year degrees. Even the introductory courses at most community colleges are not as rigorous as those meant to prepare students for a major and possibly graduate school. </p>
<p>You don’t have to go to a top four year college to get those courses, though. Also, a state university will generally be much cheaper than a private one. I met a student who went to Princeton who said that many of her fellow students took some of their tougher pre-med science courses over the summer at places like Hunter College and The College of New Jersey because the grading was easier (GPA is a huge part of pre-med applications). The med schools didn’t care where the students got their preparation as long as they got it at a four-year institution. I’m sure grad schools will view courses similarly. The only thing you cannot skimp on, however, is research experience.</p>
<p>If the OP has the money, Columbia University has Post Bac programs and not just for prospective medical school students. But tuition is high.</p>
<p>Check out these programs, I think you could benefit from something like this. These programs come with health benefits, tuition remission (for up to a certain amount of credits per term) and you will be paid as a research technician. Note that many of these programs have a diversity initiative and are meant for students deficient in one or more areas of their application… (ie. limited research experience, low GREs, sub-par GPA…) </p>
<p>Here are a few PREP Scholars Programs…
John Hopkins
[Post-baccalaureate</a> Research Education Program (PREP)](<a href=“http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/graduateprograms/prep.cfm]Post-baccalaureate”>Post-baccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) | Johns Hopkins Medicine)</p>
<p>UCLA
[UCLA</a> Prep](<a href=“http://www.biochemistry.ucla.edu/biochem/Faculty/Weiss/UCLAPrep/]UCLA”>UCLA PREP Program no longer exists)</p>
<p>U of Missouri- Columbia
[MU</a> PREP Scholars](<a href=“http://www.prepscholars.missouri.edu/]MU”>http://www.prepscholars.missouri.edu/)</p>
<p>U of Alabama
[UAB</a> Prep Scholar’s Program](<a href=“http://www.uab.edu/prep/]UAB”>Home - PREP Scholars)</p>
<p>U of New Mexico
[Scholors</a> at PREP@unm](<a href=“http://biology.unm.edu/PREP/scholasrpage.asp]Scholors”>http://biology.unm.edu/PREP/scholasrpage.asp)</p>
<p>Wake Forest
[PREP</a> Program - Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center](<a href=“http://www.wfubmc.edu/School/Hypertension-and-Vascular-Research-Center/PREP-Program.htm]PREP”>http://www.wfubmc.edu/School/Hypertension-and-Vascular-Research-Center/PREP-Program.htm)</p>
<p>Virginia Tech
[VT</a> PREP](<a href=“http://www.vtprep.maop.vt.edu/]VT”>http://www.vtprep.maop.vt.edu/)</p>
<p>Arizona State
[Training</a> Grants: Research | ASU School of Life Sciences](<a href=“http://sols.asu.edu/training_grants/prep.php]Training”>http://sols.asu.edu/training_grants/prep.php)</p>
<p>U of South Carolina
[Biomedical</a> Sciences Graduate Program](<a href=“Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology - School of Medicine Columbia | University of South Carolina”>Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology - School of Medicine Columbia | University of South Carolina)</p>
<p>California State - Los Angeles
[Biomed</a> PREP Program](<a href=“http://www.calstatela.edu/centers/moreprograms/Biomed%20PREP.html]Biomed”>http://www.calstatela.edu/centers/moreprograms/Biomed%20PREP.html)</p>
<p>Alternatively check out an interactive map of PREP Scholars sites…
[Postbaccalaureate</a> Research Education Program (PREP) Institutions](<a href=“http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/multimedia/map/PREP/]Postbaccalaureate”>http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/multimedia/map/PREP/)</p>
<p>NIH IRTA
<a href=“https://www.training.nih.gov/programs/postbac_irta[/url]”>https://www.training.nih.gov/programs/postbac_irta</a></p>
<p>You should be interested in research if you apply to any of these programs.</p>