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shhhhhhhh forensic...shhh.... heheh
I don't feel comfortable naming the school as I would like to preserve my anonymity. I did mention several times that I attended undergrad at that school and -- I'm not sure how else I can say this -- while the med school technically says it accepts online coursework (hence the listing on MSAR and telling anybody who officially inquires that they do) in practice it does not. So yes, it would appear on your list, and yes, they would say they accept online courses, but if you apply there with online prereqs, you will not be accepted.
Hence I feel the need, as a public service, to let this be known.
With that, I'm off this thread for good. Good luck to everybody, wherever and however you are taking your prereqs!
Or you could try taking classes on-base through UMUC, Central Texas College, City Colleges of Chicago, Embry Riddle, and even the University of Oklahoma. There are plenty of US-based schools over there, it just takes a bit of work to get the information as to when and where the classes are. Contact your Ed Center for information on classes on your base. Shoot....they even had in-person courses on the larger bases when I was in Afghanistan; if you have a flexible NCO, you might be able to take classes in-person even while deployed. Then again, I was a fobbit, so we could have vastly different experiences.I would have actually appreciated knowing the name of the school so all of us who have to take our pre-reqs online needn't have to! As a military service member on her 5th deployment, it's a little hard taking classes in the United States. Also, after this deployment I go back to Germany where there are absolutely NO schools teaching the pre-reqs in English, or you have to be proficient in German to be accepted. I appreciate the handwork put into this list. The onus is upon the applicant to call the schools s/he is interested in and present their situation.
I agree! I'm also medic in the military and our schedules are never set in stone...taking in-class classes are challenging and online is sometime out only option.I would have actually appreciated knowing the name of the school so all of us who have to take our pre-reqs online needn't have to! As a military service member on her 5th deployment, it's a little hard taking classes in the United States. Also, after this deployment I go back to Germany where there are absolutely NO schools teaching the pre-reqs in English, or you have to be proficient in German to be accepted. I appreciate the handwork put into this list. The onus is upon the applicant to call the schools s/he is interested in and present their situation.
Was it that the school accepted online or simply your transcript did not detail online class
Kindly let us know what schools you applied to and/or were accepted to this cycleIt appears that the old wisdom about online classes (i.e. do not take them under any circumstances) is at least somewhat incorrect.
A year ago I was reading this thread and considering whether or not to do my prereqs online, which I ended up doing (mostly at UNE) due to my professional obligations. Thanks to the flexibility of their schedule, I was able to get a lot done over the past year and apply this cycle, as opposed to applying to a post-bacc, which would've taken another year to apply for and one or two more to complete.
So far I've been accepted by two MD schools, with additional interviews either scheduled or completed at several others.
While there are some schools that flat out won't accept online courses, I didn't apply to those, and checked (in writing) to see if the schools I did apply to would accept them. I also chose several schools with no course requirements who would look at my overall application rather than getting bogged down in formalisms.
Though traditional classes are still the best way to go if you have the opportunity, doing your prereqs online is a real option, and I'd be happy to discuss offline with anyone who'd like to know more about my personal experience.
You know, it's a funny thing. I took an online class for the first time last semester, and two more this semester. (Not premed prereqs, obviously). I like the self-pace and the convenience of it, especially since I'm a nocturnist and taking day classes would be tough with my schedule. I can totally understand why some of you would choose this option. But I have to say, the experience is definitely missing something. I know exactly none of my classmates. There are no late night discussions in the student center. I'm not even sure if they live in the same city. I can't drop by the prof's office to discuss something I read that interested me. Sending her an email and getting a one or two sentence reply back a few days later, is just....hollow and a little dissatisfying. I guess this is the new way things are, and those of us who attended college pre-internet era will just have to learn to accept it. But if this is the only, or even the primary, college experience that some of you are getting, I feel kind of sad about that.
Which is strange because the Texas public medical schools seem to be the most accepting of online coursework compared with any other state. A&M, San Antonio, and Foster all accept online. Lubbock accepts all but bio, if I remember correctly. Dell seems to have embraced "competency" based prereq fulfillment, so it appears they will too.Just a thought for any Texans out there, you have to indicate if a class was distance learning on all courses for the Texas application. I spoke with UTSW, UTHSC, and TCOM, all accept online prereqs to include labs.
Great info. Please keep us all informed!Finally AAMC is just starting to gather data and move toward formal guidelines as the recent advisory was sent out
"The AAMC Group on Student Affairs, Committee on Admissions (COA) understands that these are important issues for applicants and their advisors, and that there is currently much confusion in this area. Not only do policies at different schools vary, but the view of online coursework by the admissions community is changing. Moreover, we recognize that most undergraduate institutions do not identify online courses as such on transcripts, making it difficult for medical schools to verify information in this regard.
With the support of the AAMC, COA plans to gather additional information about these issues in the coming months, in order to provide more coherent guidance to applicants and advisors. Thank you, in advance, for your patience."
Which is strange because the Texas public medical schools seem to be the most accepting of online coursework
It's pretty early for you, but with a long commute audio osmosis CD is good for MCAT prepAwesome info. Definitely looking forward to further guidance as I start the long processes of career changing. Currently working full time as a lawyer, 8:30-5:30 (but 6-6:30 most days) with an hour commute on each end of my day. Traditional classes would likely be a stretch for me right now. Hoping to be able to take at least some online classes otherwise career switch won't be feasible with a combination of working full time, shadowing/volunteering, and doing pre-req.
Agreed, only one of the schools I spoke with out of 8 said no, and only to online labs not classes. I did hear from several that the coursework will be viewed as less competitive but most just said show us on the MCAT you know your stuff.
Agreed, only one of the schools I spoke with out of 8 said no, and only to online labs not classes. I did hear from several that the coursework will be viewed as less competitive but most just said show us on the MCAT you know your stuff.
@CockerelOnTop can you let us know which school said no to online labs?
Thank you so much for this thread. Hopefully, the info is still accurate (I will, of course, verify on my own when the time comes). I have no choice but to take online courses for at least some of my pre-reqs due to the military life. I want to go to DO school anyway, so it's nice to see that many of them have no issue.
I personally emailed Texas Tech Lubbock with the syllabus from UNE and asked specifically about online labs and they said no to the online labs. Hybrids were fine but they wanted the labs done in person. Sucks.
USUHS told me no to prerequisites online during my tour, but then I was at Walter Reed teaching a course and 2 neuro dept faculty were teaching as well and told me they would be accepted... not sure what's right. What have you been told?Yeah. I wasn't really planning on applying there anyway. I'm planning on applying to USUHS and DO schools.
USUHS told me no to prerequisites online during my tour, but then I was at Walter Reed teaching a course and 2 neuro dept faculty were teaching as well and told me they would be accepted... not sure what's right. What have you been told?
So I didn't really explain, but I am applying this year to the EMDP2 program, which will allow me to complete the rest of my prereqs at George Mason University while remaining on active duty. So, I'll have all my prereqs completed at a 4-year university and will be able to (read: be required to) apply to USUHS. I'll also apply to DO schools. If I am not accepted to that program, I will simply complete the prereqs on my own using the UNE courses and apply to DO schools so that I can start when I separate.
As far as I know, USUHS does not accept online prereqs (ETA: but this comes strictly from their FAQ page--I haven't spoken to anyone in person yet).
That new EMDP2 program looks awesome. I really hope you get into it, its a solid set up. Good luck
@CockerelOnTop can you let us know which school said no to online labs?
The limitations of online coursework that your describe aren't all that different from the experience of many non-trads at a brick and mortar institution. Running from work to class and then home to spend an hour with family before going to bed and repeating doesn't leave much time for study groups and office hours. That's just the nature of being a non-trad with a demanding work/family schedule, regardless of course format. With that said, I agree that you lose out on something that you gain as a full time student at a brick and mortar. But for some it's the only way.
endoftheland, did you actually take the lab at an institution ? would you mind sharing where you applied as well ?It appears that the old wisdom about online classes (i.e. do not take them under any circumstances) is at least somewhat incorrect.
A year ago I was reading this thread and considering whether or not to do my prereqs online, which I ended up doing (mostly at UNE) due to my professional obligations. Thanks to the flexibility of their schedule, I was able to get a lot done over the past year and apply this cycle, as opposed to applying to a post-bacc, which would've taken another year to apply for and one or two more to complete.
So far I've been accepted by two MD schools, with additional interviews either scheduled or completed at several others.
While there are some schools that flat out won't accept online courses, I didn't apply to those, and checked (in writing) to see if the schools I did apply to would accept them. I also chose several schools with no course requirements who would look at my overall application rather than getting bogged down in formalisms.
Though traditional classes are still the best way to go if you have the opportunity, doing your prereqs online is a real option, and I'd be happy to discuss offline with anyone who'd like to know more about my personal experience.
I'll echo that. I understand that the traditional view is that brick and mortar trumps online. But if circumstances don't allow for you to drop everything and take classes full time or do a post-bacc. (e.g. military, people supporting families), online classes are a real and viable option. Most important thing is to apply broadly and not get deterred by the stodgy naysayers who tell you that online classes won't cut it. You won't know if you'll get in until you apply.
I emailed several DO and MD schools regarding this. I asked them 1) do they accept online courses and 2) are they viewed poorly by the adcom. I specifically referenced UNE in my email, so these responses may not be applicable to all online courses.
DO
Pacific Northwest: Accepted, not looked upon poorly.
MSUCOM: Accepted, no mention of whether they are viewed poorly.
ATSU: Accepted, strongly suggest the prereqs be taken in person.
Des Moines: Accepted, may be viewed as less competitive.
PCOM: Accepted, best to take at 4 year institution to stay competitive.
Kansas City: Accepted, not looked upon poorly.
OU-HCOM - Accepted, said many student have taken some courses at UNE. Went on to say that as long as most prerequisites are taken in traditional setting it won't be an issue.
MD
South Carolina: Accepted, specifically said UNE online classes are accepted.
Western Michigan: Accepted, prefer traditional classes.
Eastern Virginia: NOT ACCEPTED
Florida State: Accepted, specifically referenced UNE
Temple: NOT ACCEPTED
UAMS: Accepted, except Orgo. Jury still out on how the committee sees them.
Minnesota: Labs must be in person.
Illinois: Accepted, traditional classes preferred.
New Mexico: labs not accepted.
Loam Linda: NOT ACCEPTED
Colorado: NOT ACCEPTED
Vermont: accepted, not viewed negatively
LSU: NOT ACCEPTED
The responses I got here should tell people not to take the MSAR as accurate in this issue.
Thanks for this sharing this information. Would you mind sharing the schools you applied to and the schools you got accepted to? Thanks!Glad that this thread has helped several people.
Just for another update, I received interviews to all three MD schools I applied to and 6 DOs. The DOs included the VCOMs so really my options for DO were at least 8. I was accepted to a DO and an MD rather quickly and cancelled all of the other interviews. I also stopped sending secondaries.
Moral of the story, do your research, make sure you have a fighting chance, and then do everything you can to make it happen.
OK GUYS I was wrong. I just looked back through my emails. UTMB said "Both online and community college courses are not viewed as competitive as the traditional college/university setting. Please keep in mind that your labs will need to be completed in person"
UT-Houston said "Credit from online and community colleges will be accepted" with no mention of labs. Sorry!
No worries! Whatever updates you all may find are really useful for those who are applying in future cyclesI know I'm replying to an old post, but I figured some may want to know that I emailed UTMB last month and they said online pre-reqs, including labs, will satisfy the pre-req requirements.
Vermont will accept them as long as they are regionally/nationally accredited.Hi, are there any updates with people applying to MD schools that took online prereqs? Thanks!
Military background which is why I think I was given some slack with online pre-reqs
Accepted:
Columbia
ETSU
UA Phoenix
OHSU
IIs offered from UCF and Tulane
FYI, on Florida secondaries the schools ask you to note each class that was online as well as whether it was proctored/non-proctored/hybrid
Thanks for this sharing this information. Would you mind sharing the schools you applied to and the schools you got accepted to? Thanks!