Whether you matriculate into a formal post baccalaureate program or simply take supplementary courses independently, AMCAS calculates your GPA similarly: Undergraduate courses are undergraduate courses to AMCAS. So what is the advantage of a post baccalaureate program?
1. Reputation. These programs are known quantities to medical school admissions committees.
2. Ability to get quality letters of recommendation (LOR). Most post bacc professors are very familiar with writing medical school LORs.
3. Link programs. Some schools have partnerships with medical schools, so that if you maintain a certain GPA and score well on the MCAT, your application is facilitated by your participation in the post bacc program.
4. Organization and pre-med help. Not all post bacc schools have this, but many of the good ones do.
The drawbacks to these programs are a) competitive admissions and b) the cost, which can be significant.
Contact me for post baccalaureate application help. I assist with post baccalaureate personal statements and resumes/CVs.
