You have some things to consider (and you will need the MSAR and each med schools web site to confirm)
1) MSAR notes whether a school will accept or not accept online coursework to fulfill prereqs. Most do not. However, I have noticed some that split hairs on this that some specific courses are acceptable online and others are not. However, this is school specific.
2) Some schools do not accept community college for prereqs, though this prohibition seems to being formally dropped by many schools such as Johns Hopkins
3) Summer courses should be limited as they can make you less competitive to adcoms. Summer courses away from your home institution more so. Son an online summer course via a CC is the weakest of all three. However, it should be taken into context with the rest of your background. If you are a solid student, then it wont be a make or break thing. BTW, I cause a rather large "discussion" on the premed advisers email list with this. Some long time advisers saying they never heard of an issue with a summer class others the direct opposite. I have quoted below some brief findings on the matter
4) more importantly is being prepared for the MCAT and you need a good physics foundation to do so.
5) if your home school offers physics lab as a separate course, you can take that during your glide year (ie after applying but before matriculating)
Below are quotes and links from medical schools and premedical programs on summer school
SUNY Upstate Medical School http://www.upstate.edu/com/admissions/faqs.php
“* Applicants should avoid taking more than one or two pre-requisite science courses during the summer and avoid taking them at community colleges.”
Tufts PreHealth http://uss.tufts.edu/hpa/AcademicPrep/#summercourses\
“Can I take a pre-health requirement in the summer?
It is possible to take one of your four pre-health sequences in the summer. It is best not to do more than that. Things to consider: what am I forfeiting (e.g. valuable health experience, income); will this course prepare me well for future courses, standardized tests, and professional school; can I get transfer credit at Tufts (use WebCenter’s Transfer of Credit process to request this)? Avoid taking a science at a much less rigorous institution if you need to build on it at Tufts. In other words, a weak chemistry course elsewhere may cause problems as you take organic chemistry at Tufts. Also, avoid splitting courses ( e.g. taking Chem 1 at home in the summer and Chem 2 it at Tufts during the year is a poor plan.)”
Princeton Prehealth http://www.princeton.edu/hpa/faq/coursework/#comp000050b73234000000b7497c48
Question: I’ve heard that medical schools don’t like it when you take summer classes. Is this true? I really want to study abroad in the spring of next year, and I’m not sure how else I would get Physics done.
Answer: We say a little bit about this in our “Preparing Guide,” generalizing that taking pre-health science requirements in the summer is generally not encouraged. Health professional schools want evidence that you can succeed in rigorous science courses, and taking them within a full course load during the academic year best simulates the demands of the science course work in health professions school. We encourage you to come in and discuss your specific situation in more depth, so that we can look holistically at your pre-health preparation and provide more individualized advice. If you do choose to take classes over the summer, be sure to get pre-approval through your college if you want them to count for course credit, and be sure to check with HPA to make sure that they’re the appropriate courses to fulfill prerequisites.
University of Penn Prehealth http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices/gradprof/healthprof/premdcourses.php
“Summer courses: In general, it is advisable to take required pre-med courses at Penn during the academic year. Medical schools prefer to review your performance in the required courses while you are maintaining a full courseload. Also, the pace of summer courses is often accelerated and sometimes too fast-paced for optimal performance. However, if your schedule is very full and you feel a summer course is necessary, discuss your plans with a pre-health advisor.”
Columbia Prehealth https://www.cc-seas.columbia.edu/preprofessional/health/premedical_curriculum
“Summer courses at other institutions are not transferable to Columbia (
CC ONLY) except in a few clearly outlined circumstances. Summer work at Columbia is, of course, acceptable. It is however, not desirable to take premedical sciences over the summer
, except in unusual circumstances. Occasionally, a student’s schedule will require taking summer courses, but the reason should not be to lighten your load during the academic year. Medical schools want to be assured of an applicant’s capacity to handle heavy science loads and therefore may question your decision to take summer courses, if you have not demonstrated the ability to take on high volumes during the regular academic year. Additionally, the summer is a great time to pursue other types of experiences like research or clinical exposure.”
Harvard Prehealth http://www.ocs.fas.harvard.edu/students/careers/medicine/premedguide13.pdf
Summer School and taking premed courses at a different institution
Harvard Summer School courses can be taken for credit toward your degree and toward your medical school requirements. However, you can also take a premedical course elsewhere during the summer at an academically competitive four-year U.S. college . (You do not need to get Harvard credit for a course to use it for medical school admissions.) Do not take more than the equivalent of one year of your premedical course requirements during the summer, as it may appear as if you are avoiding Harvard science courses. Additionally, it is usually not advisable to split sequential courses between institutions. Note that Chem S-20ab: Organic Chemistry does not satisfy the requirement of one semester of biochemistry in place at many medical schools.
SUNY Downstate http://sls.downstate.edu/admissions/com/requirements.html
“Admissions preference is also given to applicants who have completed prerequisite courses in four year colleges/universities in the United States (not in study abroad programs); and to applicants who have completed science prerequisites in a traditional classroom setting (not through distance learning).”
Icahn School of Medicine/Mount Sinai https://icahn.mssm.edu/education/medical/admissions/md-program-faq
“Can I take my courses at a community college, or must I take them at a four-year college or university?
We have no requirement, however, the Committee on Admissions considers not only what courses an applicant takes, but where the courses are taken.”
