How screwed am I if I take General Chemistry 1 and 2 Online this Summer?

[IThinkThereforeIYam]

Hello there!

As the title indicates, I'm hoping to get general chemistry 1 and 2 taken care of this summer, but all of the 4 year universities in my area, including one tied to a medical school, seem to only be offering the courses online. I understand that taking online courses, even at a 4 year university, is frowned upon, but if I were to do so, I could wrap up all of my remaining prereqs this upcoming school year. I know that they'll be offered in-person in the Fall, but if I were to wait until then to take them, I'd have to delay my application to medical school by an entire year because I wouldn't have the orgo training I need to take the MCAT. So, how much will taking these two courses online hurt me and is it worth waiting one more cycle just for the purpose of taking them in-person?

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[nicesecrets]

Hi, I started taking my prereqs last January and invariably, every single class has been online because of the pandemic. As long as the university is offering the course online in light of the pandemic, I think Adcoms won't see it as a strike against you. There will be many others who are in the same position as you applying this cycle and possibly the next few cycles as well

 

[aceegreene]

I think this should be fine, I asked a similar question before and was told that it is one thing to take an online course (i.e. online regardless of covid) vs a course that is being offered online due to the pandemic (i.e. traditionally in-person).

I actually want to know which universities have already announced their plans of going in-person in the fall? I thought most still were monitoring the situation since the pandemic's status is in flux.

 

[DocJanItor]

Not screwed at all. Most classes are online now and that's pretty much the way it's going to be for most things going forward.

 

[jdubs1984]

I hope not...The pandemic is the only reason I've been able to go back to school at my age lol.

 

[8YearsLate]

Not screwed at all. Most classes are online now and that's pretty much the way it's going to be for most things going forward.

Why do you say this?

 

[DocJanItor]

Why do you say this?

Online classes were ramping up pretty well even before the pandemic. I took Bio 1/2 and Phys 1 online and they were just fine to teach the material needed for the MCAT. Although my wife isn't going to med school, she's taken her last 2 semesters fully online and has done really well.

The thing about online pre-req classes is that while cheating may be a concern for grades, you can't cheat that information when it comes to future classes and the MCAT. Eventually it will catch up with them. The idea that undergrad classes serve as any measurement of "rigor" against the first semester of med school is kinda hilarious.

 

[8YearsLate]

Online classes were ramping up pretty well even before the pandemic. I took Bio 1/2 and Phys 1 online and they were just fine to teach the material needed for the MCAT. Although my wife isn't going to med school, she's taken her last 2 semesters fully online and has done really well.

The thing about online pre-req classes is that while cheating may be a concern for grades, you can't cheat that information when it comes to future classes and the MCAT. Eventually it will catch up with them. The idea that undergrad classes serve as any measurement of "rigor" against the first semester of med school is kinda hilarious.

Assuming you took Chem 1/2, Phys 2, Orgo etc., in-person? I just think saying "most classes are online now" and "that's the way it's going to be for most things going forward" is a little misleading considering most med schools still have it in their applicant information sections that they prefer in-person classes, and some don't even accept online credits. I think the general rule of thumb is still "check with the school" and "avoid online for upper-levels or classes with labs" until we see a much bigger trend otherwise.

 

[DocJanItor]

Assuming you took Chem 1/2, Phys 2, Orgo etc., in-person? I just think saying "most classes are online now" and "that's the way it's going to be for most things going forward" is a little misleading considering most med schools still have it in their applicant information sections that they prefer in-person classes, and some don't even accept online credits. I think the general rule of thumb is still "check with the school" and "avoid online for upper-levels or classes with labs" until we see a much bigger trend otherwise.

Most of them haven't updated their recommendations post covid. There's going to be 2+ years of people with mostly online prereqs applying to med school. While labs like orgo would be impossible to replicate online, there will be few schools willing to reject online classes going forward. My MD school didn't and this was before covid.

 

[peregrino]

Most of them haven't updated their recommendations post covid. There's going to be 2+ years of people with mostly online prereqs applying to med school. While labs like orgo would be impossible to replicate online, there will be few schools willing to reject online classes going forward. My MD school didn't and this was before covid.

My post bacc school has a fully online Ochem lab class. I don't know how they do it, but the fact that it is online (because of the pandemic) made me decide to postpone taking it.

 

[DocJanItor]

My post bacc school has a fully online Ochem lab class. I don't know how they do it, but the fact that it is online (because of the pandemic) made me decide to postpone taking it.

Personally, I'd probably take it. It's like to be way easier and less time consuming than normal orgo lab. Also orgo lab is easily the least important class you'll take, so might as well just get it out of the way.