Gloria Singleton

After Gloria Singleton earned her B.S. in Chemical Engineering in Boston, she decided to enroll in Russell Sage College’s Post Baccalaureate Pre-Medical Studies program for two specific reasons: Sage was close to her hometown of Delmar, and the program was flexible.

The flexibility was key because Gloria already had a pretty solid background in chemistry and math, and what she needed primarily were upper level science courses.

Some post-baccalaureate programs require that students follow a prescribed progression of courses, Gloria had discovered, and some don’t want to accept courses taken at other schools.

“At Sage I was able to design my semesters,” she says, “and take the classes that would set me apart.”

Gloria was also supported in her work on an extra-curricular clinical research project, which program director Mary Rea, Ph.D., was able to help set up with Samaritan Hospital.

“With the Sage program you aren’t just checking the boxes,” Gloria says. “It recognizes who you actually are, and what kind of background you have. You’re allowed to build a program to your own specs. It’s whatever works for you.”

Really, she adds, it was more than allowing her to craft her own approach. “The program, under the direction of Professor Rea, was extremely supportive of tailoring the experience and coursework to meet my needs.”

Following her time in the Post-Baccalaureate program, Gloria was accepted at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, a highly regarded medical school.

She’s not sure yet what type of doctor she’ll be. “I’m still hoping for the ‘aha moment,’” she says.

But Gloria is sure Sage was the right choice for her.

“Each and every professor encouraged me on my journey, and I believe enjoyed having a post-bacc student in their class.”