Qualities Gained from Postbaccalaureate Programs Contributing to Medical School Success

Postbaccalaureate programs are becoming increasingly utilized by students as a pathway to medical school. Despite the possible negative connotations associated with nontraditional medical school applicants, findings from several studies demonstrate that individuals who have participated in a postbaccalaureate program perform either on par with or outperform their traditional counterparts. This study used a qualitative narrative approach to interview six participants to better understand the perspectives of current medical students who participated in a postbaccalaureate program. Further, this study examined the qualities nontraditional medical students believed they offered compared to their traditional counterparts that contributed to their success in medical school. Findings showed that while subjects had unique reasons for attending a postbaccalaureate program, their reasons generally focused on enhancing parts of their medical school application, predominantly for GPA improvement. In pursuing this pathway, participants found greater maturity and mental fortitude and developed multiple extracurricular passions. These qualities not only contributed to their success in medical school but are discussed as qualities on which they can build in their future practice as physicians.