Barry S. Rothman, Ph.D. { Health Professions Home Page}

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Benefits of the Formal Post-Bac Program

 

  • Participants complete course work efficiently and with guaranteed entrance into core classes and most electives.

 

  • Participants move through the Program as a cohort of about 60 students. Based on experience with our present and past groups of post-bacs (CCT Cohorts 1-6 and AET Cohorts A-B), they will likely form a cohesive group with similar goals and mutual support. This feature emphasizes cooperation rather than competition.

 

  • Class size is reasonable. Lectures will have up to 75 formal post-bacs, while labs and discussion sections have up to 25 formal post-bacs each.

 

  • Auxiliary course work in the form of discussion sections (Sci classes) enhance learning. These discussion sections are mandatory during the first summer and optional thereafter.

 

  • The Program is flexible. No one is forced to retake courses they have already done well in; courses that were taken some time ago can be reviewed by way of auditing. CCT participants can take additional course work as electives. AET participants will be able to choose among a broad range of electives and retake pre-requisites that they did not do well in.

 

  • The Program offers specially designed public health electives. For example, in spring 2011, we offered two 3-unit graduate-level courses, Introduction to Public Health (HED 810) and Epidemiology (HED 825). The latter course was paired with Molecular Pathophysiology (Bio 615), so that the same diseases could be studied from public health and biological perspectives (however, each class could be taken separately). We are presently organizing, in partnership with SFSU's Health Education Department, a sequence of Public Health courses that will qualify for a 9-unit Certificate in Public Health.

 

  • We are also working with SFSU's Health Education Department to create a joint program through which a small number of students enrolled in their MPH program will be able to concurrently take science classes within the Formal Post-Bac Program. Such students would be applying for admission to a health profession school after completion of the MPH.

 

  • The Program fees, although substantially higher than regular fees at SFSU, are lower than those charged by most other formal post-bac programs.

 

  • The Program provides a number of support services:

    1. At a nominal fee, optional Chemistry Boot-Camp and Math Boot-Camp to help participants prepare for summer chemistry and math courses. Chemistry Boot-Camp is held during the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday prior to the beginning of summer classes. Math Boot-Camp is held Monday-Friday, 1½ hours per day, during the first two week of summer classes (math classes begin in the third week of summer classes). The Boot-Camps have received rave reviews from Cohorts 2-5 (Cohort 1 was not offered Boot-Camps).

    2. During the first summer, a mandatory weekly 1½-hour support group at no cost, led by an SFSU faculty member, tailored to the needs of Program participants. The support group can be continued on an optional basis in future semesters, but at nominal cost to participants.

    3. Discussion sections now costing only $200 each. These are mandatory during the first semester and optional thereafter.

    4. An optional, low cost Health Professions Colloquium (Sci 695) during each spring semester in which students will receive individual and group help in writing personal statements, practicing for interviews and filling out applications.

    5. An optional, low cost AET Colloquium each semester to promote community building among theAETs.

    6. Participants have the support of the Program Director, Program Co-Directors and the Faculty that teach their courses.

    7. Participants have access to a Learning Specialist associated with the Program at a cost of about $70/hr.

    8. Participants have access to a Psychotherapist associated with the Program.

 

  • The Program helps participants find productive clinical experiences in the San Francisco Bay area. Academic credit can be gotten for these through Special Studies in Biology (Bio 699).

 

  • The Program strongly promotes admitting a diverse group of participants. Participants are part of SFSU's diverse student and faculty population.

 

  • The Program integrates modern teaching methods and supplementary, health related information into its curriculum. This includes integration of the following into appropriate course material:

 

    1. The use of MCAT, DAT-style test questions.

    2. The use of case-based learning exercises (used in many health profession schools).

    3. Information on healthcare disparities and complementary and alternative medicine.

 

  • MCAT, DAT, etc., preparatory courses may be offered on campus at a discounted rate in collaboration with commercial providers.

 

  • The Program interacts synergistically with the other pre-health programs on campus, especially the Dental Post-Bac Program and the Summer Science Institute. For example, pre-dental Formal Post-Bacs (both CCTs and AETs) have the opportunity to interact with Dental Post-Bacs who have already completed pre-requisite course work and have gained a considerable amount of clinical experience. Such pre-dental Formal Post-Bacs can also take advantage of SFSU's close ties with the University of Pacific Dental School, which partners with SFSU in running the SFSU-University of Pacific Dental Post-Bac Program. As another example, several Formal Post-Bacs have been hired as mentors for the Summer Science Institute, a program dedicated to disadvantaged pre-health undergraduates.

 

  • The Program provides a detailed, comprehensive Committee Letter upon completion. These letters lend very powerful support to our students' applications, as indicated by our high success rate.

 

  • We have created a nationally recognized program with a modern curriculum, high standards and a high success rate that is training the healthcare leaders of tomorrow.

 

 

 

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