How to use Post-Baccalaurate Programs for Medical School!

How to use Post-Baccalaureate Programs for Medical School!

By: Kristin Drew

I’m about to enter medical school after switching careers, and I still cannot believe that I managed to successfully complete a post-baccalaureate (post-bacc) program. If you are considering a career change to medicine or want to improve your application with a post-bacc, I offer the following advice before enrolling:

• Commit to your career change.

  • Entering a post-bacc for medical school candidacy is a massive commitment in energy, time, and money. If you are not serious about becoming a physician, then you are doing yourself a huge favor by not entering a post-bacc. Truly evaluate why you want to pursue medicine. Start with these questions:
    • What about your old career path is unsatisfying? What exactly about medicine, in particular, is appealing to you? 
    • What about your finances? Are you willing to increase student debt? If you are leaving the workforce, can you manage with a significantly reduced income for a couple of years? Google the salary of a resident and the median debt of medical students. Speak to physicians about their career trajectory to truly understand the lifestyle of being a doctor. 
    • Competitive applications are more than just stellar grades and MCAT scores. Are you ok with volunteering without pay in a research lab, clinical setting, or homeless shelter?
    • If you have a partner, spouse or family, do they understand the commitment of a post-bacc? Are they on board? I ask because four students in my post-bacc were married. Three of the marriages ended in divorce by the completion of the program. 
    • If you are fresh out of college and need to improve your application, then evaluate your study habits. Why didn’t you get the grades during your first try with the basic sciences?

• Expect and embrace the science workload.

  • It is pointless to bellyache about whether you really need to know Ohm’s Law as an aspiring gastroenterologist. The pre-med classes are required for matriculation, and you must do well in them. Period. Find tutors. Go to office hours. Talk to a counselor about managing anxiety and stress, especially for exams. Enter classes with a positive attitude about learning the material. After a certain point, it’s not about being “smart” that makes you excel in these classes; your work ethic and psychological approach for effective studying make the ultimate impact upon your performance. Also, remember that these courses are meant to challenge you. They are not easy, but you can do it!

• Consider location or a specific school when picking a post-bacc

  • I’m not just saying this because of the weather or family. Rather, think about networking. I am incredibly blessed to be going to the medical school at the same university where I completed my post-bacc. Over time, I built contacts for research and shadowing attendings.

• Find a good advisor.

  • You don’t necessarily need a post-bacc to get into medical school after college. However, post-baccs are helpful in their organization. I appreciated the guidance offered by my advisor. She told me what to do, and I followed her instruction with great success. Speak with an advisor before entering a post-bacc and see if you can work with this person. This is a professional relationship which needs to work for both parties. 

• Pick a good post-bacc.

  • Every post-bacc is different. Ask about success rates. If not all students matriculate, ask the program director why. Ask about the successful applicants. Where did they go to medical school? What made them successful applicants? Some schools have linkage programs and see if this is something that interests you. However, students who do well in post-bacc programs will find that linkage is not a necessity as options for matriculation will be numerous.

• Expect to feel a little out of place sometimes.

  • I returned to school at age twenty-six to take freshman level science classes. It was tough being older, and I often felt out of place. While my friends were having children, getting married, or buying a house, I was back in college with teenagers stressing about glycolysis. When you feel out of place, remember that you are investing in your career. Try banding together with other post-bacc classmates because the older students will feel the same sentiments as you. I also recommend shadowing doctors to remind yourself of why you are in the post-bacc program.  

• Be positive and believe in yourself.

  • Cue the Rocky soundtrack!!!!!

If you are considering a post-bacc or are about to enter one, I wish you the best of luck! It is a big decision, but, if chosen for the right reasons, then you can do it! Medicine takes hard work, but it is the noblest vocation which always needs mature leaders who serve patients seeking mindful healthcare. 

Kristin Drew is an opera singer and vocal pedagogue who will be attending medical school in the Fall. She decided to become a physician after reading about doctors treating singers at the Metropolitan Opera House in the New York Times. Her hobbies include music, writing, swimming, and Game of Thrones.

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