FAQs

Students take courses that satisfy medical school (or dental or vet school) admission requirements. Nearly all medical schools in the country require the following prerequisite courses: one year of biology (with lab), one year of general chemistry (with lab), one year of organic chemistry (with lab) and one year of physics (with lab), which is fulfilled by our core curriculum of BISC 120/220, CHEM 105aL/105bL, CHEM 322aL/322bL and PHYS 135aL/135bL, respectively. Some medical schools may also require Calculus, Molecular biology, Biochemistry, and Statistics, which may be taken at USC as upper division electives or through extension courses at another campus. Our program offers flexibility in creating a plan that fits each student’s needs and goals.
No. Students take the same courses as undergraduate students do. These are competitive courses presented in large lecture format with smaller laboratory sections. Typically, these science lectures have a few hundred students in them while the laboratory sections range from 12-20 students per lab.
Typically, our students take two courses per semester. These are intensive courses, each with a laboratory component, and ample study time is absolutely necessary for success. Considering time devoted to extracurricular medical experiences, two courses denote a rigorous workload. Rarely, a student may opt to take three courses in a semester. This is not our recommended schedule for students and must be cleared with the faculty advisor.
While the program does not sponsor a particular mode of preparation, we do provide a $3000 stipend for our students to enroll in a review of their choice. Preparatory classes provided by companies such as Kaplan, Princeton Review and Berkeley Review are the most common form of review, and the cost for such courses ranges from $2,000 to $3,500. In many cases, these prep courses are held at locations near or at USC. Because many PPP students are usually preparing for the MCAT at the same time, it is not uncommon for students to sign up for courses together and to study for the test together.
The pre-med curriculum is intensive and requires a good deal of time both inside and outside of the classroom in order for a student to succeed. All of our students also devote time to community outreach, research and clinical volunteering experiences. As such, although some students do manage to work on a part-time basis (12-15 hours per week), working any additional hours is risky. Also, it is important that any part-time work be flexible and able to be done around class time and examination schedules. Becoming the best applicant possible should be the top priority of a PPP student and must be planned for accordingly.
Since its founding in 1998, the USC’s Postbacc Program has sent between 60-70% of its students to medical school on first applications. Including second applications, the overall success rate is roughly 70%.
After a student has joined the program, all core classes not yet completed must be taken solely at USC to remain in good standing. These classes are listed on the “Core Curriculum” part of the website. Students may choose to take peripheral requirements, such as biochemistry and calculus, and any class not listed under the “Core Curriculum” at USC or the school of their choice.
In order to be eligible for the Program Director’s letter of recommendation, a student must take at least six classes at USC and complete the core curriculum. Once a student has started the program, s/he must complete all remaining core classes only at USC to be eligible for this letter.

No. Our program is designed for students that have not yet completed the majority of the premed curriculum. Therefore, we are unable to accept anyone who has already completed a majority of the science coursework, taken the MCAT, or applied to medical school.
Yes. The majority of our students are premedical students. However, we do take pre-dental, pre-physician-assistant and pre-veterinary students. We do not take pre-pharmacy students or any other pre-allied-health professions students.
Ours is a competitive program which seeks applicants who have demonstrated academic excellence in a competitive undergraduate program. Typically our students have completed a liberal arts degree, with a few exceptions. The minimum GPA requirement for applicants applying is 3.0. However, the majority of students admitted to the program have a GPA of 3.25 or above. Furthermore we look for students who show a commitment to medicine. Many of the applicants who are accepted have had prior volunteer or work experience in healthcare.
Because our students may have had little or no college-level science prior to entering our program, it is not necessary to fulfill any premedical requirements before applying to our Postbacc Program. However, applicants who are unfamiliar with the sciences are advised to take preparatory courses, such as Pre-Calculus, Introduction to Chemistry and/or Conceptual Physics. Preparatory courses are beneficial for students who have not taken a science or math course in a long time and are good way of building up quantitative skills necessary for the pre-med coursework. In some cases, applicants who have demonstrated a strong, if limited science background are instead advised to do self-study in Pre-Calculus and Chemistry in order to re-familiarize themselves with their quantitative skills. Beyond this, applicants are also advised to begin some clinical volunteering to further their exposure to the medical profession. Volunteer programs are available in most hospitals and often in community clinics. Ultimately, the admissions committee looks for applicants who are committed to the profession of medicine and who can succeed in an academically competitive environment.
Our program is designed for students who have had little or no college-level science coursework. While we can take students who have taken 2 or 3 courses (and have performed well in those courses) students who have taken more than 3 pre-med courses are not eligible for our program. A minimum of 6 of the Core Curriculum science courses must be taken at USC.
We do not accept applications from non-citizens or non-permanent residents. International students who are here on a student visa are not eligible, even when they graduated from a US college. Canadian students are an exception.
Yes. If you have been out of college for many years, a letter from an employer may be sent in place of a letter from a professor.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. Students take the same courses as undergraduate students do. These are competitive courses presented in large lecture format with smaller laboratory sections. Typically, these science lectures have a few hundred students in them while the laboratory sections range from 12-20 students per lab.

Since its founding in 1998, the USC’s Postbacc Program has sent between 60-70% of its students to medical school on first applications. Including second applications, the overall success rate is roughly 70%.

In order to be eligible for the Program Director’s letter of recommendation, a student must take at least six classes at USC and complete the core curriculum. Once a student has started the program, s/he must complete all remaining core classes only at USC to be eligible for this letter.

Eligibility

No. Our program is designed for students that have not yet completed the majority of the premed curriculum. Therefore, we are unable to accept anyone who has already completed a majority of the science coursework, taken the MCAT, or applied to medical school.

Yes. The majority of our students are premedical students. However, we do take pre-dental, pre-physician-assistant and pre-veterinary students. We do not take pre-pharmacy students or any other pre-allied-health professions students.

We do not accept applications from non-citizens or non-permanent residents. International students who are here on a student visa are not eligible, even when they graduated from a US college. Canadian students are an exception.

Yes. If you have been out of college for many years, a letter from an employer may be sent in place of a letter from a professor.