!!Online bachelor's degree BUT have taken all pre-reqs on campus!!!???

[medgirl91]

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Hi,

I have posted this question on other forums, but I do not think I have posted it here yet......sorry if I am doing this wrong..
🙂

All advice is welcome and appreciated!! Thank you!!!

I have an AAS in Echocardiography (Cardiac Ultrasound) taken at Argosy University Twin Cities campus. After I completed my AAS in Echo I enrolled in the degree completion Bachelor's of Science program at Oregon Institute of Technology (a nationally and regionally accreditied school). This degree completion program allows Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographers (RDCS) who have an AAS in Echo from an accredited school to take classes through their distance education program to earn their Bachelor's degree in Echocardiography. So now, I have an AAS in Echo and a BS in Echo. But, part of the bachelor's degree was taken online...obviously 🙂. Then, after I completed both my AAS and BS degrees I took all of my science and med school pre-reqs at my home university, the University of Montana. ALL of these courses were taken on campus in person- none of my science or med school pre-reqs were taken online.

My question is, will med schools look down on my app. since part of my bachelor's was taken online? ..even though all of the science courses and pre-reqs were done at the U of M on campus and my bachelors degree was from a regionally and nationally accreditied college?

Also, is my undergrad degree choice an issue? Cardiac ultrasound is not a typical bachelor's major.....

Thank you for your advice!!!!
~medgirl

 

[teddy bear doc]

My first degree was granted from a university specializing in distance education. I put it that way because they do have a campus, but do a lot of online stuff as well. I did it the online way. It never came up as an issue that I have taken online courses, and one interviewer actually commented that it was refreshing to see someone taking advantage of the technology, that it was the "wave of the future" and all that. However, having said that, I know some schools and/or adcoms may look down on it because it is perceived (sometimes wrongly so) as "easier" to take stuff online. Hope this helps, and GL to you!

PS. The major shouldn't be an issue. If you can major in anthro, neuroscience, or fine arts and still get in, I don't think the choice of Echo as a major should be a drawback, particularly since it is medically related.

 

[apumic]

My first degree was granted from a university specializing in distance education. I put it that way because they do have a campus, but do a lot of online stuff as well. I did it the online way. It never came up as an issue that I have taken online courses, and one interviewer actually commented that it was refreshing to see someone taking advantage of the technology, that it was the "wave of the future" and all that. However, having said that, I know some schools and/or adcoms may look down on it because it is perceived (sometimes wrongly so) as "easier" to take stuff online. Hope this helps, and GL to you!

PS. The major shouldn't be an issue. If you can major in anthro, neuroscience, or fine arts and still get in, I don't think the choice of Echo as a major should be a drawback, particularly since it is medically related.

The major actually could be an issue. They're not going to tell the OP "your major is a bad choice;" however, it is a well-documented fact that health science majors do the poorest of anyone on the MCAT and have a much lower chance of being admitted (about 25-30% vs. 40-50% for all other fields).

As for it being online, yes that'll hurt you as well, although the fact that you completed the prereqs in a traditional classrm setting at least mitigates some of the harm done (i.e., many schools just plain out won't accept online prereqs); however, the fact that you have limited relationships w/ your nonscience profs as well as generalized perceptions of online coursework could do some significant damage to your application.

 

[teddy bear doc]

The major actually could be an issue. They're not going to tell the OP "your major is a bad choice;" however, it is a well-documented fact that health science majors do the poorest of anyone on the MCAT and have a much lower chance of being admitted (about 25-30% vs. 40-50% for all other fields).

As for it being online, yes that'll hurt you as well, although the fact that you completed the prereqs in a traditional classrm setting at least mitigates some of the harm done (i.e., many schools just plain out won't accept online prereqs); however, the fact that you have limited relationships w/ your nonscience profs as well as generalized perceptions of online coursework could do some significant damage to your application.

She didn't ask if it was ok to have a lower mcat score because she had a health science major. She asked if the major itself was a problem. Using the assumption that she has a competitive mcat, which is what I assumed in writing the post, I don't see why the major would be viewed poorly.

As for the online stuff, yes it *could* be viewed poorly, as I stated before, but not necessarily. It is up to her to sell it well while at the same time not making excuses or sounding apologetic for her choices. All I'm saying is that it can be done. No need for the doom and gloom. I'm sure she, like any other neurotic premed, can supply enough of that on her own.

 

[FiremedicMike]

Just make sure your online degree is from a regionally accredited program. A lot of the online degrees now are just paper and translate into nothing, its my understanding that these paper degrees do NOT satisfy the degree requirement for medical school.

 

[medgirl91]

Thank you all for your help and advice! I will try and talk to more pre-med advisors and see what they think.

 

[medgirl91]

Thank you all for your advice!!