There is no single “correct” or “ideal” path to medical, dental, or veterinary school. If you need to improve your academic metrics to be competitive for admission to health professions schools, a record enhancer program can facilitate your academic and experiential preparation.
Record enhancer postbac programs are designed to help students develop their academic readiness for the rigors of the professional school science curriculum after graduation. 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.
There are numerous options to consider—undergraduate vs. graduate programs, full-time vs. part-time, location, type of coursework, and cost. This page will help you weigh some of the options, but we encourage you to speak with both Princeton HPA advisers and postbac program staff as you navigate their plans.
Step 1: Calculate your GPA.
Calculate your GPA, overall and biology/chemistry/physics/math (BCPM). We recommend bringing your overall and BCPM GPAs above a 3.0, then pursuing enough coursework to establish consistently strong academic performance in advanced science coursework with the support of one or more letters of recommendation.
Step 2: Identify the best program type for you
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If your GPA is well below 3.0
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A student who graduated with a cumulative undergraduate GPA or science GPA well below a 3.0 would benefit by demonstrating the ability to perform well in upper-level science courses at the undergraduate level, then considering graduate work before applying to medical schools. Many medical schools will not accept candidates into their programs with an undergraduate GPA far below a 3.0.
Three routes to pursuing advanced undergrad sciences are 1) enrolling in a formal record enhancer postbac; 2) taking courses as a non-degree seeking student; or 3) taking courses as a second bachelor’s degree student.
To demonstrate your ability, take a minimum of three courses per semester for a full year at a strong, four-year institution and earn at minimum a 3.6 GPA. Take the MCAT (or standardized exam for your profession of choice) after solidifying your academic foundation.
If successful, it may be possible to further advance your qualifications in a graduate program or it may be appropriate to apply to medical school directly depending on your GPA and MCAT score.
Medical school may be a number of years away if GPA repair to this extent is necessary; students at this level (and all levels) of preparation must decide whether the time it takes to become competitive for medical school admission is a better choice for them than exploring alternate career paths.
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Regular Graduate Program in the Sciences
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There are two types of students for whom this option is particularly well-suited.
First, students with a cumulative GPA below 3.0 may be less competitive for a special master’s postbac program (described below), but could gain admission to a graduate bioscience program. Look for programs whose courses are scientifically rigorous. It will still be helpful to enroll in enough undergraduate-level courses to bring your GPA in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Math courses (BCPM GPA) above 3.0.
Second, students who strongly favor the sciences but are undecided between practicing medicine or conducting scientific research are well-suited to this option. If this is your situation, look for a thesis-based Master of Science program in a discipline of interest, (e.g. biochemistry, physiology, neuroscience). While in the program, if you discover that research is the better fit for you, then you could continue on for a Ph.D. or join the workforce with a master’s degree. If you decide that you would prefer clinical medicine, you could apply to medical schools while completing the master’s. Students taking this route are encouraged to continue to stay engaged in medically-relevant activities (e.g., volunteering in hospitals or other care facilities, working as Certified Nurse Assistants or EMTs, scribing). Your graduate GPA will be reported separately from your undergraduate GPA when you apply to health professions schools.
Acceptance to a medical school is usually contingent upon the completion of their graduate degree. This is sometimes problematic for the applicant since research results and thesis writing may not follow the anticipated timeline. In this case, it may be best to wait until the research is completed before applying to medical schools.
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Undergraduate Postbac Record Enhancer Program
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A student with a cumulative and science undergraduate GPA in the upper 2s or low 3s could benefit from this type of program. The benefits to a formal postbac program include access to advising, a structured environment, priority enrollment in courses, access to loans, and sometimes preference to postbac students in linkage agreements. These programs may also offer shadowing/volunteer opportunities, MCAT review, or other premed/health-relevant offerings. It is better to participate in these programs and apply after your grades have been posted than to apply and take these courses in the application year; you will be a more competitive candidate if schools see your grades in your initial application. Some programs offer flexibility in the number of courses per term--it may be possible to work part-time and take classes part-time. By taking undergraduate courses, your application GPA will include your Princeton courses and your postbac courses in a cumulative undergraduate GPA.
Example programs:
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Special Master’s Postbac Programs
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Students with cumulative undergraduate GPAs near or above 3.0 could consider a Special Master’s Program designed for students seeking admission to health professions school. In many of these programs, students take medical school courses and are graded in relation to the University’s own medical school class: you have a chance to prove your capacity to do well in a rigorous medical school program by taking courses that medical students are taking. Seats may be held at that institution’s medical school for students who have done well in the postbac program. For some students, it may be feasible to apply to health professions schools prior to beginning a special master’s program: consult with postbac program staff and HPA. Your graduate GPA will be reported separately from your undergraduate GPA when you apply to health professions schools.
A few programs will require an MCAT score to apply—these are often designed with unsuccessful medical school applicants in mind. If you have not yet applied to medical school and do not feel ready to take the MCAT, it’s possible to create a school list based on programs that require GRE or do not require test scores.
Example programs:
- Boston University Master of Medical Sciences program
- Brody School of Medicine MS in Biomedical Sciences
- Drexel University College of Medicine Intensive Medical Science (IMS)
- Georgetown University Special Master’s program in Physiology
- Mount Sinai Masters in Biomedical Sciences
- Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Masters of Biomedical Sciences
- Temple University School of Medicine Advanced Core in Medical Sciences
- Tufts University School of Medicine Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences
- University of Cincinnati Master’s program in Physiology
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Programs for students from underrepresented/disadvantaged groups
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There are increasing efforts to create a physician workforce that is reflective of the demographic characteristics of the US population. Yet, black, Hispanic/Latinx, and American Indian and Alaska Native medical school matriculants remain under-represented. Those from economically disadvantaged areas and backgrounds are also underrepresented in the career. Research shows that increasing diversity in medical schools and the profession has a positive impact on health care delivery and health outcomes. To address this imbalance, programs have been developed that assist students in these groups to gain acceptance to medical school.
Programs can identify their focus on students with these backgrounds in the AAMC postbac database.
Step 3: Research Programs & Create your School List
Create a spreadsheet or document where you can collect information including: prerequisites, application deadline, recommendation letter requirements, and other factors that are important to you. There is significant variability in program offerings. HPA created a sample google sheet that you can customize to your search.
Evaluating Postbac Options
No single program is the best for everyone. It’s important to know what’s most important for you in finding a post-bac program, and asking 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 postbac students, linkage agreements. We caution against focusing too much on “success rate” (e.g., how many postbacs are accepted to medical school)—much of what you gain from your program will depend on how much you put in. Many postbac programs will have participants you can contact to ask additional questions. This can be more useful than statistics. In addition to doing web research, it may also be helpful to sit in on a class or meet with an adviser.
Questions to Ask
- 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?
- How much flexibility is there in course selection?
- How would you describe the class environment? What do faculty think of postbac students?
- How would you describe the post-bac 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 who I can talk with?
- What are the qualifications I have to have to have a committee letter prepared on my behalf? How many students in a given year qualify for a committee letter?
- If postbac students aren’t accepted to health professions school, what other career avenues are they prepared for?
- 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? Is it best to apply early, or is it okay to apply at the deadline?
- Can you go over the timeline – how long will it take to complete the program, apply to, and start health professions school?
Step 4: Apply
Begin research into programs in the summer/fall in the year before you wish to start. Programs will vary significantly in terms of minimum GPA, test scores needed (SAT/ACT, GRE, MCAT), letters of recommendation, and other requirements. Most are on a rolling admissions timeline, which means applying early may give you a better chance for admission. Most deadlines are between January and summer.
Our recommended timeline for major components of the applications:
Summer/Fall
Research programs and deadlines
Reach out to programs with questions about requirements or logistics
Create a list of programs and share with HPA for advice
Continue to develop experiential preparation
Two months before applying
Workshop your application essays with the Writing Center
Update your resume
One month before applying
Ask for letters of recommendation
Send your application essays to HPA for feedback
Postbac Record Enhancers Guide
Download a printable version of this information
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