Post-bacc Programs?

[nelly01]

Hi,

 

I am just about to finish my 4 year undergrad degree this semester majoring in psychology minoring in behavioral science and English lit. As much as I love psychology, I am thinking more and more about going into medicine. I would like to go back to school next year in order to make up the classes helpful for the MCAT and required for many schools in both Canada and the US. I was wondering if it is at all advantageous for me to do a post-baccalaureate program at a good-standing American university, for example at Columbia or Johns Hopkins (which can be very expensive). Or, is simply taking the classes I need at a Canadian university over the next year or so sufficient?

 

Any insights are appreciated!

[siobhansiobhan]

Hi there -

 

Doing the pre-reqs in Canada will take a while because there is a small run that neeeds to go sequentially (genchem-ochem-biochem). That will be at least two years even with summer courses. If you haven't done science in a while, make sure you get some exposure before you do anything, so you can make sure your grades are high. If your gpa and everything else are in order, and you've done full-year course-loads and all the other bananas, then go ahead and do the prereqs in canada. if not, consider the post-bacc programmes in the states. look into bryn-mawr - they have good linkages to great schools. and yes, expensive. so ultimately, if your profile is great for canada anyway, go ahead and pick up the prereqs in canada. if it is not, then go to the states for a post-bacc because that will open doors to u.s. opportunities too. in fact, post-bacc linkages are even better than the smp results (which is a special masters alongside med students, to show that a person can achieve in med school). If you'll ultimately have to research the more-expensive states, having done a bit of schooling there already helps in the u.s. admissions process too.

[A-Stark]

Hi,

 

I am just about to finish my 4 year undergrad degree this semester majoring in psychology minoring in behavioral science and English lit. As much as I love psychology, I am thinking more and more about going into medicine. I would like to go back to school next year in order to make up the classes helpful for the MCAT and required for many schools in both Canada and the US. I was wondering if it is at all advantageous for me to do a post-baccalaureate program at a good-standing American university, for example at Columbia or Johns Hopkins (which can be very expensive). Or, is simply taking the classes I need at a Canadian university over the next year or so sufficient?

 

Any insights are appreciated!

 

I'm not sure why you'd have to waste money to go to a pricey post-bacc program in the States. If you don't have any of the prereqs (full courses in each of general and organic chemistry, physics, general biology, and a term or two of biochem), it's easy enough to cover most of them in two terms at any Canadian school, with organic and biochem to be taken in the spring/summer term. The only trick is that if you graduate this year, you'll have to reapply as a non-degree student for next year. There usually isn't much problem with this, but it's a hurdle that needs to be passed. On the other hand, if you hold off graduation until, say, next spring, you could take courses in the summer, fall, and winter, and finish everything during that fifth year.