Bennington Postbac Premed Program
Postbac in the Spotlight: Nick
Nick is this week's Postbac in the Spotlight. Nick went to high school and college in Rhode Island, graduating from the University of Rhode Island in 2015 with a major in philosophy and a minor in political science. Originally interested in law, it wasn’t until the very end of his time as an undergraduate that Nick realized he might want to work in medicine. Like many people considering medical school, the process of becoming a physician was at first overwhelming and felt like an impossible barrier. But after shadowing various physicians and learning about one-year postbac programs, Nick decided to delve into the process of becoming a physician at Bennington College.
What made you change your mind from wanting to become a lawyer to becoming a physician?
“During college, I was considering going into law and had an internship at a courthouse. That internship helped me to understand what the work of a lawyer is like, and ultimately I realized that I didn’t want to go into the legal field. As I was finishing my last semester in college, I started shadowing a primary care physician. I was able to compare the relationships between attorney and client and physician and patient, and I realized that the work of a physician suits my personality. Through shadowing, I came to really value the patient-physician relationship and the types of problems that physicians deal with daily.”
Even after you realized that you were interested in medicine, you were still hesitant to go back to school. What finally persuaded you to go for it?
“I started to volunteer at a hospital and I quickly learned that I wanted to be in that type of environment regularly. The hospital felt exciting to me. I continued to shadow physicians and specifically shadowed a pediatrician. Witnessing how physicians can advocate for patients and how they manage various important relationships had an impact on me as well. All of these experiences helped me make up my mind and finally encouraged me to start the premed track.”
Why did you choose the Bennington postbac program?
“Before deciding to do a postbac program, I was very hesitant because the process of becoming a physician felt overwhelming. I didn’t have a science background, and had specifically avoided science classes up until this point. I wanted to go somewhere that guaranteed me a seat in the classes that I needed, and I wanted to get all the prereq courses done in one year as a full-time student. Bennington was in the geographic radius I drew for myself, and as I learned more about the program I was attracted to the small class size and seminar style classes. My visit to Bennington’s campus helped seal the deal for me.”
What was your experience of visiting Bennington’s campus like?
“If you have the opportunity, I would recommend visiting. I was able to sit in on a postbac class, talk to students, and overall, get a feel for the vibe of the program. I could tell that the students were happy and cohesive.”
What have been the highlights of your postbac year?
“Academically, I am motivated by those around me and being part of the postbac group has been great. We have all done a good job of helping each other out. It is not a competitive environment—just the opposite in fact. I live close to Albany, so I have also enjoyed exploring upstate New York this year.”
What did you do during the winter Field Work Term?
“I worked at a medical group in Albany in the clinical quality department. The project I worked on gave me insight into the business of medicine, and public health. I think it was important to learn about the broader system that I’ll eventually be working in. The FWT was a great opportunity to gain further experience in healthcare, and I’m happy I took advantage of the time away from the classroom.”
Any parting words of advice for those considering a postbac program?
“It’s a hard process, but one that thousands of people go through and is completely doable with some dedication. This year, I have embraced learning how to be a better student. The postbac year is perfect practice for medical school. As a postbac, I’ve learned how to learn the sciences, and I’ve realized that this is not a barrier to medical school but the beginning of my medical training.”
www.bennington.edu/academics/graduate-postbac-programs/po...
Postbac in the Spotlight: Nick
Nick is this week's Postbac in the Spotlight. Nick went to high school and college in Rhode Island, graduating from the University of Rhode Island in 2015 with a major in philosophy and a minor in political science. Originally interested in law, it wasn’t until the very end of his time as an undergraduate that Nick realized he might want to work in medicine. Like many people considering medical school, the process of becoming a physician was at first overwhelming and felt like an impossible barrier. But after shadowing various physicians and learning about one-year postbac programs, Nick decided to delve into the process of becoming a physician at Bennington College.
What made you change your mind from wanting to become a lawyer to becoming a physician?
“During college, I was considering going into law and had an internship at a courthouse. That internship helped me to understand what the work of a lawyer is like, and ultimately I realized that I didn’t want to go into the legal field. As I was finishing my last semester in college, I started shadowing a primary care physician. I was able to compare the relationships between attorney and client and physician and patient, and I realized that the work of a physician suits my personality. Through shadowing, I came to really value the patient-physician relationship and the types of problems that physicians deal with daily.”
Even after you realized that you were interested in medicine, you were still hesitant to go back to school. What finally persuaded you to go for it?
“I started to volunteer at a hospital and I quickly learned that I wanted to be in that type of environment regularly. The hospital felt exciting to me. I continued to shadow physicians and specifically shadowed a pediatrician. Witnessing how physicians can advocate for patients and how they manage various important relationships had an impact on me as well. All of these experiences helped me make up my mind and finally encouraged me to start the premed track.”
Why did you choose the Bennington postbac program?
“Before deciding to do a postbac program, I was very hesitant because the process of becoming a physician felt overwhelming. I didn’t have a science background, and had specifically avoided science classes up until this point. I wanted to go somewhere that guaranteed me a seat in the classes that I needed, and I wanted to get all the prereq courses done in one year as a full-time student. Bennington was in the geographic radius I drew for myself, and as I learned more about the program I was attracted to the small class size and seminar style classes. My visit to Bennington’s campus helped seal the deal for me.”
What was your experience of visiting Bennington’s campus like?
“If you have the opportunity, I would recommend visiting. I was able to sit in on a postbac class, talk to students, and overall, get a feel for the vibe of the program. I could tell that the students were happy and cohesive.”
What have been the highlights of your postbac year?
“Academically, I am motivated by those around me and being part of the postbac group has been great. We have all done a good job of helping each other out. It is not a competitive environment—just the opposite in fact. I live close to Albany, so I have also enjoyed exploring upstate New York this year.”
What did you do during the winter Field Work Term?
“I worked at a medical group in Albany in the clinical quality department. The project I worked on gave me insight into the business of medicine, and public health. I think it was important to learn about the broader system that I’ll eventually be working in. The FWT was a great opportunity to gain further experience in healthcare, and I’m happy I took advantage of the time away from the classroom.”
Any parting words of advice for those considering a postbac program?
“It’s a hard process, but one that thousands of people go through and is completely doable with some dedication. This year, I have embraced learning how to be a better student. The postbac year is perfect practice for medical school. As a postbac, I’ve learned how to learn the sciences, and I’ve realized that this is not a barrier to medical school but the beginning of my medical training.”
www.bennington.edu/academics/graduate-postbac-programs/po...