Links: Post-baccalaureate Programs
If you have completed the basic requirements for medical school but are not academically competitive for admission, or, if you have applied to medical school once and not gotten in because of your academic record and you have decided that you want to give medical school another try, it would benefit you to take additional upper-level science courses to boost your science GPA above a 3.3 before you apply or re-apply. You can do this by taking classes as a non-matriculating student at a university. (Sometimes you can work there and get a reduction on tuition after a waiting period as part of your benefits package.) Or, you can complete a post-baccalaureate program, which is more structured and should provide you on-site advising. If you are able to get mostly A’s in such a program, and you continue to strengthen your candidacy in other areas with volunteer work, and retaking the MCAT if necessary, you may have a better chance of getting into medical or osteopathic school second time around.
Post-baccalaureate programs generally fall into four categories:
- For those who have completed few or none of the premed requirements, that is, career changers
- Non-degree granting programs for applicants needing to improve their grades in science to be successful
- For under-represented groups
- Degree-granting programs that differ from standard graduate programs in university science departments.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that, if your goal is to improve your undergraduate GPA, a master’s program may not help you achieve that goal. It is important to discuss your plans with the pre-health advisor.
For information on post-baccalaureate programs, go to AAMC’s searchable database.
Programs Not Associated with a Medical School
Some programs are located in medical schools and some are not. The following is a list of programs that are NOT affiliated with a medical school.
American University
Post-baccalaureate Pre-medical Certificate Program
Dr. Frederick Carson, Director
(202) 885-1770
Barry University
Post-Baccalaureate/Master of Biomedical Sciences Combination Program
(305) 899-3379; or toll free: (800) 756-6000, extension 3379
healthsciences@mail.barry.edu
City College of New York
Pre-medical Studies Program
Duquesne University
Post-baccalaureate Pre-medical Program
(412) 396-6335
postbacpremed@dug.edu
Explore Health Careers
An excellent resource provided by ExploreHealthCareers which
includes postbacc programs
Harvard Extension School
Health Careers Program
Dr. William Fixsen, Director
(617) 495-2926
University of Miami
Pre-medical Post-baccalaureate Program
(305) 284-5176
University of Pennsylvania
Special Science Program, College of General Studies
(215) 898-7326
Programs at Medical Schools
Boston University School of Medicine
Master of Arts in Medical Sciences
(617) 638-5120
Master of Arts in Clinical Investigation
(617) 414-1329
Chicago Medical School
Master of Science in Applied Physiology
(847) 578-3209
Drexel University College of Medicine
Interdepartmental Medical Science Program, Medical Science Preparatory Program
Gerald Soslau, Ph.D., Program Director
(215) 762-7864
imsinfo@drexel.edu
Eastern Virginia Medical School
Medical Masters Program
(757) 446-8424
Georgetown University School of Medicine
Special Masters Program in Physiology
(202) 687-1179
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
Biomedical Sciences Post-Baccalaureate Program
(814) 866-8146
New York Medical College
Basic Medical Sciences Interdisciplinary Program
(914) 594-4197
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Biomedical Sciences Certificate
(800) 999-6998, (215) 871-6700
admissions@pcom.edu
Temple School of Medicine
Post-baccalaureate programs for career enhancers and career changers with the possibility of an M.S. and linkage to Temple School of Medicine.
(215) 707-3342
University of Connecticut School of Medicine
Post-baccalaureate Program
Keat Sanford, Director
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine / VCU
Pre-Medical Basic Health Sciences Certificate
(804) 828-6916