Post-bac programs are very popular these days because gaining admission to medical school has become so competitive. Success in a post-bac program can often improve your chances of gaining a medical school interview.

Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions regarding the many post-bac program options.

Who should do complete a post-bac program?

• Students hoping to improve their undergraduate credentials.
• Students looking to change careers and gain the credentials necessary to enter the field of medicine.

How long is a post-bac program?

There are many types of programs that range on average from 1 to 2 years.

What types of post-bac programs are there?

       Most programs have a hard-science focus allowing students to take either pre-med prerequisites  

       and/or common courses offered during the first year of medical school. Some require a thesis while

       others do not.

There are 3 general categories of programs:

(1) Non-degree programs (both undergraduate and graduate level)

(2) Non-degree certificate-granting programs (both undergraduate and graduate level)

(3) Degree granting programs (Masters of Arts or Masters of Sciences)

Programs, certificates and degrees are commonly in fields such as pre-medical sciences, pre-medical studies, pre-professional education, medical sciences, health careers, and biomedical sciences.

What are the advantages of completing a post-bac program?

       Post-bac programs allow you to gain credentials that will improve your chances of gaining

       admission to medical school. Additionally, they will also improve your success once you matriculate.

Programs allow you to:

• Improve study skills preparing students for rigorous med school curriculum
• Gain additional exposure to medicine by obtaining medically relevant exposures outside the classroom in the form of clinical or basic science medical research and/or hands on time in a hospital or patient setting as a volunteer.
• Confirm that pursing a MD or DO is the right path for you (as opposed to pursuing a Ph.D.).
• Obtain a committee letter which is an AMCAS requirement but sometimes difficult to obtain from your undergraduate institution if you were not pre-med or if you did not perform well.

AAMC has an excellent site to review the post-bac programs available to student at http://services.aamc.org/postbac/ .

By guest blogger Theresa Davies-Heerema, Ph.D., who has advised many medical and dental school applicants during her career in post-graduate education.