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Bryn Mawr’s postbac program is widely recognized as one of the most selective and well respected in the nation. Since 1972, we have prepared students for success in medical school and as future physicians in an intellectually challenging and rewarding environment. As the program’s director, I consider it a privilege to work closely with such intelligent, dedicated, and accomplished women and men who are fulfilling their dreams of a career in medicine.  They are wonderful students to advise, and I love watching them go on to become successful medical students and compassionate physicians—many as leaders in their chosen field.

Our graduates’ history of success in gaining admission to medical school is remarkable: our medical school acceptance rate consistently exceeds 98 percent. We are very proud of how impressed medical school admissions committees across the country have been with our postbac students’ medical school applications through the years.

ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½has early acceptance arrangements with more medical schools than any other postbac program, and we have the longest-standing relationships with many of these consortial/linkage schools.

Most important, however, is what our postbac alumni tell us. We regularly hear that the ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½experience thoroughly and effectively prepared our alumni for the study of medicine, and that their time on our campus was one of the richest, most exciting years of their lives. This indicates not only the exceptional quality of our academic program and faculty but also the uniquely supportive, collegial environment we create for our students.

All of us at the postbac program are committed to helping our students succeed. We are here to assist in making the transition to an intensive course of study in the sciences, in working together in a tightly-knit community of diverse individuals with a shared goal, in learning from stimulating volunteer positions in the medical community, in taking advantage of strong advising and other supportive resources to prepare for all aspects of the medical school application process, and, ultimately, in realizing their true calling as physicians.

I invite you to discover all that ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½has to offer by exploring our website. I am excited to share my enthusiasm with you and look forward to answering any questions you may have about our program.

Sincerely,

Glenn Cummings
Associate Dean and Director, Health Professions Advising and Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program

Glenn’s guiding interest is in providing individualized support and advice to the postbac student population, having spent the bulk of his career advising students entering the health professions. After finishing his doctorate in American Literature at the University of Virginia, Glenn shifted his professional focus to academic advising, and later became UVA’s Director of Pre-professional Advising. In 2004 he moved to Princeton University, where for the next eight years he advised scores of students through their pre-medical education, chaired the Committee on the Health Professions, and expanded the pre-health advising program significantly. He then returned to his small liberal arts college roots—having attended Colby College himself—and accepted a position at Franklin & Marshall College as the new Director of Health Professions Advising, with the task of rebuilding a robust advising program at a school with a rich history of graduates entering medicine. He arrived at ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½in August 2014.

Glenn is an active member of both the Northeast Association of Advisors for the Health Professions (NEAAHP) and the National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions (NAAHP), serving on the NAAHP’s Postbac Committee. With a particular interest in writing, he has also chaired the NAAHP’s Letters of Evaluation Task Force, served as Assistant Director on the Communications Committee, contributed to the Association of American Medical Colleges’ Letters of Evaluation Advisory Group, and received the NAAHP Award for Outstanding Service.

The ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program is designed for individuals who have completed a bachelor’s degree with an excellent academic record, yet lack the prerequisite science courses needed for admission to medical school.

Our program is for "career changers."  We do not offer a program for those looking to enhance their grades in previous premed courses.  Please see here for general information about the different types of posbac premed programs available across the country. 

The Postbac program is a one-year program beginning in late May through the following May. 

Postbacs start our program during summer school with General Chemistry (unless they have already taken one year of chemistry as an undergraduate). During the following fall and spring semesters, postbacs will take Biology, Physics, and Biological Organic Chemistry (with labs). Students can take an optional Biochemistry course the following May. Students will take the MCAT in the spring or early summer.

Our staff will guide you every step of the way, from enrollment to the postbac program through your application to medical school. This includes: personal advising; step-by-step workshops on the medical school admissions process; help with the process of self-assessment that will lead to selecting schools to which you will apply; preparation for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT); and a comprehensive, personal premedical committee letter written for each student.

Your preparation for medical school admission begins during your first week at Bryn Mawr. Our step-by-step workshops explain the medical school admissions process, including the various requirements and expectations of different medical schools, and help you with the process of self-assessment that will lead to selecting schools to which you will apply. We also offer practical workshops on preparing for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT).

The program's director will personally advise you, as often as needed, in all phases and aspects of the medical school admissions process—from how to write your personal statement to selecting schools and interview preparation. The director also writes a comprehensive and personal committee letter for each student. Our staff will assemble your completed letters of recommendation for electronic transmittal to your selected medical school(s).

Although the vast majority of the postbac premedical science lecture classes are geared specifically for postbac students, some laboratory sections may include postbacs and undergraduate students.

In recent years we have offered a live, individualized, online prep course for the MCAT presented by Kaplan Test Prep.  All courses start in the spring semester after a bulk of the relevant coursework has been taken, and postbacs can choose their own time period for a course depending upon their goals. The course combines 700 hours of total instruction and practice—including 12 weekly live classes with the same instructor—with 15 full-length practice tests, the complete subject review set of books, and more.  We also schedule at least one full-length practice test on campus in May so that everyone comes together in one of our computer labs to go through the exam experience together. 

Although most postbac students pursue medical school, the core science courses in our postbac curriculum also prepare students for dental school, and cover a majority of the admissions requirements for veterinary school and other health professional schools.

Yes. ÃÛÌÒµ¼º½ has elected to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program. For more information about Veteran's Benefits and the Yellow Ribbon Program, please see our financial aid page dedicated to postbac students.