Career changer programs are designed to help students complete the science requirements needed for their profession. Most focus on medicine, but some cater to pre-dental pre-veterinary, pre-PA, and others. Sometimes students enter these programs right after finishing an undergraduate degree but many do so after several years of work experience.

• Coursework: There may be a limit to how many prehealth science courses you've taken. These programs are designed for students who have not taken the prerequisites, or took them many years ago.

• GPA: Programs expect to see evidence of academic potential (often around a 3.3 GPA minimum, but it varies by program). They will gauge your academic readiness by evaluating your transcript(s) and letters of recommendation. 

• Motivation for health professions: Programs look for some commitment to the clinical and service responsibilities that the health professions will demand. They will expect that you have considered your reasons for pursuing a health career and can articulate them through an application essay and possibly an interview. 

Every program is different, but here are some components that are often included:

• Coursework: Career-changer postbac programs will typically require students to take all of the prehealth courses—biology, general and organic chemistry, physics, biochemistry, and math—in a one- or two-year course of study. They may also offer opportunities to take advanced electives in the sciences or related courses that are relevant to medicine. Seats are reserved for students in the program, whereas taking courses on your own at a college, they may fill up before you can register.
• Advising: These programs usually offer an advising office (similar to HPA at Princeton) to help students with managing courses, finding clinical experience, and preparing to apply to health professional school.
• Application Support: Postbac programs usually offer a committee letter of recommendation, which is a summary of your candidacy written by the program, drawing on all aspects of your candidacy. Access to a committee letter is a significant benefit to pursuing a postbac program rather than taking courses independently.
• Linkages: Linkage programs are formal agreements between specific postbac programs and specific medical schools. They enable highly qualified postbac students with a strong interest in one of the linkage schools to apply privately to that school while in the postbac program. A successful linkage applicant would matriculate in one of the linkage schools as soon as they completed the postbac program.
• Community/Student Organizations: Some postbac programs have activities and organizations that can help students gain a sense of community, among themselves or with the larger prehealth population.
• Clinical/Research Opportunities: Some postbac programs will have a research or clinical component, in which you can work with a faculty member on research or volunteer/shadow at local hospitals. More often, a postbac program advising office can help you find these opportunities on your own.

The most comprehensive database of postbac premedical programs is available on the Association of American Medical Colleges website. It can be searched by state, school, degree type (undergraduate or graduate), or type of program (career changer, academic enhancement, or for economically/educationally disadvantaged students or those from groups under-represented in medicine). 

No single program is the best for everyone. It is important to know what’s most important for you in finding a post-bac program. Ask questions that will help you weigh the pros and cons of each. Factors that are significant to many students include location, cost, size of program, size of classes, support resources offered, guarantee of seats in required courses, community among post-bac students, and linkage agreements. Don’t focus too much on the “success rate” (e.g., how many postbacs are accepted to medical school)—this tends to be more of a reflection of student “fit” with the program than the quality of the program itself. Much of what you gain from your program will depend on how much you put in. Many postbac programs will have participants who you can contact to ask additional questions about their experience, which can be more useful than statistics. In addition to doing web research, it may also be helpful to sit in on a class, attend an info session, or meet with an adviser.

Questions to Ask (be sure to research these on program websites first!)

• I have taken some of my premed requirements: Am I still eligible for your program?
• Can you go over the timeline—how long will it take to complete the program, apply to, and start health professions school?
• Is there a linkage program? How many students have successfully linked to the medical school(s) in recent years?
• What MCAT support is available? How well do postbacs fare on the MCAT?
• How often do you meet with an adviser? How available and supportive are the program staff?
• Can I take electives outside of the premed core requirements?
• How would you describe the class environment? What do faculty think of postbac students?
• How would you describe the postbac student culture (e.g., independent, community-oriented, competitive, collaborative, etc.)?
• What academic support is available if I’m struggling in a class?
• Do you have contact information for program participants or recent graduates whom I can talk with?
• What are the qualifications to be eligible for a committee letter? How many students a year qualify?
• What’s the cost of the program? How do students usually pay for it?
• What kinds of students tend to be successful in your program?
• What’s the timeline to apply to this postbac program? Is it best to apply early, or is it okay to apply at the deadline?

Application deadlines vary widely from early fall to summer. Some programs use the PostbacCAS common application, but many require independent applications. Create a spreadsheet to keep track of dates and requirements for programs of interest. Expect to write an essay that describes your motivation for your chosen profession and your interest in the postbac program. Be sure to ask for letters of recommendation well in advance of deadlines. HPA can work with you on your application essays and program selection.