Is post-bacc right for me?

Hi my name is Kenzie. I have recently graduated with an undergraduate degree in Health Science at a 4 year university where I also played volleyball. My degree incorporated some traditional science classes like Biology, Anatomy & Physiology, and General Chemistry. However most of the typical premed classes were not required and playing a sport didn’t leave me with much time to take additional classes. My overall GPA in undergrad was a 3.1. I got mainly Bs and Cs in the sciences that were required. After working under physicians at a dermatology office I have decided that I want to go to medical school. There are several classes that I still need to take (Organic Chem, Bio Chem, Physics and maybe Calculus). I also want to retake some of the sciences I got C’s in during undergrad. I have heard a lot about Post-Baccalaureate programs being great for people in my situation. However most of the programs seem to only be for non science majors/career changers. I am specifically drawn to the post-bacc programs with linkage to med schools. I would like to know if I should continue searching for a post-bacc program that allows science majors to attend or take the classes on my own at a 4 year college. I know that getting A’s in all of these classes is most important above all else. Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance for your advice!

Hi, Kenzie!

I’d recommend listening to Episode 27 of The Pre-Med Years podcast. Dr. Gray talks with Ms. Thompson about post-bacc programs. It’s a good overview and may provide some guidance on whether to choose a formal post-bacc or a DIY post-bacc. Consider, too, your schedule and how it would impact any other pre-requisites you may need (e.g., shadowing, volunteering, research, clinical, etc.) Ultimately, you may need to make trade-offs to achieve everything you may want to achieve before applying to medical school. Whatever decision you make, it’ll be the correct one for you.

Good luck!

Hi! Thank you for your question! Dr. Gray covered your question during Session #180! If you have any other questions please feel free to post in the forums again!

Thank you,
Team MSHQ

I would take a look at episode 161 too: DIY Postbacc or Second Bachelor’s degree. If your heart is totally set on a formal postbacc with linkage, then you might not find this episode useful. However, if you’re more flexible, community college is also a route to go. It’s exactly what I’m going to do starting in Spring 2020. Dr. Gray speaks highly of that route as well.