Hi Everyone,
I'm from the 2020 CSUF Pre-Health Post bacc cohort and I graduate at the end of the semester. I wanted to comment on this thread so you all have a better understanding of what the program is like.
PROS:
- lower cost than other post bacc programs (MCAT prep is included in fees)
- you meet other students in a similar position as you and they're in your classes (this is the saving grace of the program)
- you're "guaranteed" classes
CONS:
- you don't get MCAT prep materials in time.
The cohort before us got the materials after some had already taken the MCAT and we still have not received ours, despite it's a lot of our last semesters and we've begun studying.
- the "guaranteed" classes are with horrible staff.
For a reason beyond explanation, they bring back 20+ year retired professors to teach post baccs o chem and biochem and these professors are terrible. They don't care about their students, they create hostile environments, and have been reported. I'm shocked that they are invited back. Our O chem course this past summer started with 18 students and ended with SEVEN. The retention rate is nonexistent because you're just trying to survive, and the professor let us stay as long as we wanted to take the exams, which meant we would stay for 6+ hours taking a test. A student fainted at one point because they had been sitting so long without breaks. This is unacceptable for a 2-hour scheduled course exam schedule. This would occur every week as we had one exam/week. Brandy won't help you if you are experiencing any sort of trauma from these professors and you're stuck in the class even if there are seats in another course with a better professor available. An entire class of post baccs has reported a professor and nothing is being done.
- There is no university pre-health advising staff as of this year.
It's rumored they all left at the same time for better opportunities. It's also rumored that, due to their absence, we may not be getting our committee letters because Brandy does not stay on top of things for us. For the first year of our program, she was MIA. We didn't have any workshops or meetings and it would take her days if not weeks to answer an email. Recently, they made a generic "prehealth" email and I think it's to hold her more accountable. She answers more quickly now, but still has yet to schedule any MCAT-prep things as promised when we interviewed.
My advice is to advocate for yourself and band together as a cohort if you are joining/in the program. You are on your own and will have to deal with terrible professors (or hopefully what my cohort has advocated and protested for will be implemented by the time you join).
Best of luck and feel free to message me.
****EDIT: Committee letters are in the works. This program was fine. We didn't get ANY structured MCAT prep (whether it be meeting med school reps or mock interviews, etc) beyond pre-req courses or meet with our cohort monthly. I'm so thankful for my cohort bc they were the only glimmering light.
I recommend if you're fine to be on your own, just want a post-bacc certificate and don't want to pay UC prices.
HOWEVER, if you can get into a Post-bacc with a linkage, DO IT. MCAT prep sucks lol and we got materials late...
If you do join the CSUF 2023 Cohort, DM me for good profs to keep an eye out for! Unsure what they're going to do for summer O chem...we had to take Dr. Rogers and he was reported for sexual harassment....