The Official Application

The number of applications you submit is totally up to you! Some applicants apply to only a couple of schools; others have been known to apply to as many as 30 or more! There is no single, correct number. However, more than twenty is probably unnecessary and it can also be very costly.

Consider enrolling in a postbaccalaureate program if there is a problem with academic preparation (GPA, admissions test scores, course selection). These programs include: traditional postbac programs, science enhancement programs, special master’s programs, and special programs for non-traditional, minority and/or disadvantaged students.

• Traditional Postbac Programs: Programs designed to provide applicants with medical school prerequisite coursework with additional opportunities for clinical activities, research, and/or community service. Many of these programs also offer preparation programs for admissions tests and other workshops and programs for improving one’s application.

• Science Enhancement Programs: These postbac programs are designed to improve your previous poor performance in the sciences. These programs are not designed to fill in missing science pre-requisites but to “retake” or build upon those science courses that have already been taken.

• Special Master’s Programs: Postbaccalaureate programs typically offered through medical or other health professions schools; students often enroll in the same courses as the successfully matriculated health professions school student.

• Special Programs for Non-Traditional, Disadvantaged/Minority Students: These programs may vary in length from summer to yearlong and are designed to provide intensive experiences designed to meet the needs of the non-traditional student.

For more information concerning postbaccalaureate programs consult the AAMC’s Postbaccalaureate Premedical Programs.