Bit of a complicated situation...

[hopscotchhippo]

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So here's the deal:

I'm American but currently live in Cambodia. I'm planning on applying to medical school in the next year but have three more prereqs to take. Does anyone have any sense of:

a) whether med schools would completely frown upon me taking those last three prereqs via distance ed (Orgo II and Physics I and II)?

b) how admissions committees would view taking those prereqs at a university here in Phnom Penh?

c) if there are any international schools it would generally be okay to take those classes at?

Thanks!

 

[Woland]

a) How do you intend to take labs long distance. IIRC, labs are part of prerequisites.
b) AAMC does not consider foreign school credits for grade average/satisfaction of prerequisities. However, if it is an American university in Cambodia, it is a different story. Please read the instructions to AMCAS application and call them if need be.
c) same as (b)

https://www.aamc.org/students/download/182162/data/amcas_instruction_manual.pdf
pp. 21, 23, 26. (and probably more).

 

[UrbanRiver]

I tried to do study abroad in england and take physics I and II there. I called up UC med school admissions office, and they straight up told me they highly highly prefer me taking it in the US. So thats what i ended up doing. Your classes in cambodia may qualify but could be frowned upon depending on the school or even just the person reviewing application. Every adcom member has his her preferences. Dont try to take it abroad if youre intentionally trying to find easier versions of those classes. Ochem and physics are hard and are weeder classes, as they should be. Take them abroad if you have serious family or financial circumstances. My bigger question is how u are going to take your MCAT before applying for med school this year without those three big classes under your belt. Im sure u have a plan though. Gl.

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[hopscotchhippo]

Thanks for your advice, everyone. The labs are indeed the tricky part. There's no way I would even attempt the MCAT without the three curses. It's not a matter of wanting to find easier versions of the classes - if anything, I'd want them to be more difficult so I'd be better prepared for the MCAT. It's more an issue of having established a life here. Hopefully something will get sorted out, although it's seeming likely that I'll wind up having to go back to the US to finish up this prereq process...

Thanks for the input 🙂

 

[Lumberjill]

a) whether med schools would completely frown upon me taking those last three prereqs via distance ed (Orgo II and Physics I and II)?

Honestly it depends on the school. The more prestigious schools will, of course, frown on it. But some of the "no-name" MD schools and DO schools probably won't make that big of a deal about it. There are people on this site who have gotten into MD schools despite taking all of their prereqs at a community college. So I don't see why those same schools would frown on someone who took a couple of their prereqs online at a 4-year university.


b) how admissions committees would view taking those prereqs at a university here in Phnom Penh?

I'm almost positive that prereqs from Phnom Penh will not be accepted, but there are quite a few schools in the US that offer science courses (including the labs) online. Oregon State being one that immediately comes to mind. Also, they don't report it as an online class on your transcript, so you don't really have to draw attention to it unless your interviewer notices and asks about it.

c) if there are any international schools it would generally be okay to take those classes at?

I have no idea, sorry.