Self-reinventor considering online coursework

[double_chai]

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Hello SDN,

I've spent several hours over the last week searching these forums, so I hope that this exact question hasn't already been answered in another thread. I'm a 30 year old paramedic with a 2-year Associate's Degree and several thousand hours of clinical work experience. In my 20s, well...I don't want to stray too far off the topic of this post, but I was a depressed student with no clear plan who changed majors and schools multiple times, failed a few courses and finally left school to work. I know that I have a lot of postbacc remediation or possibly an SMP in my future.

In the near term, I am trying to decide between two different schools in my area to complete my undergraduate degree. My home town university offers a Bachelor's of Public Health program that I could apply to. Upside: diverse coursework, possibly better connections with professors and more opportunities to get involved with research or other extracurriculars. Downside: more time intensive, more expensive, could be much more difficult to keep working and I don't know if I can afford to stop working full time.

There is another university a few hundred miles away that offers a bridge program for working medics to a BS in "Paramedic Science" which interests me. The (possible) downside of this track is that it would be entirely online, self-directed coursework. I'm obviously not an expert but I have a feeling that such a degree would not look as legitimate to ADCOMS...is my fear unfounded? Will this have changed in the post-COVID era?

To phrase this question another way: would I be giving myself a better shot as a med school applicant with a BPH from a brick-and-mortar university? Or is the only thing that matters at this point how much I can bring up my cGPA?

Thanks,
J. Chai

 

[gwrightjr90]

From my experience and searches throughout this forum, brick-and-mortar university is the way to go one hundred percent. Do not take all of your sciences online.

 

[Kokonaut]

Hello SDN,

I've spent several hours over the last week searching these forums, so I hope that this exact question hasn't already been answered in another thread. I'm a 30 year old paramedic with a 2-year Associate's Degree and several thousand hours of clinical work experience. In my 20s, well...I don't want to stray too far off the topic of this post, but I was a depressed student with no clear plan who changed majors and schools multiple times, failed a few courses and finally left school to work. I know that I have a lot of postbacc remediation or possibly an SMP in my future.

In the near term, I am trying to decide between two different schools in my area to complete my undergraduate degree. My home town university offers a Bachelor's of Public Health program that I could apply to. Upside: diverse coursework, possibly better connections with professors and more opportunities to get involved with research or other extracurriculars. Downside: more time intensive, more expensive, could be much more difficult to keep working and I don't know if I can afford to stop working full time.

There is another university a few hundred miles away that offers a bridge program for working medics to a BS in "Paramedic Science" which interests me. The (possible) downside of this track is that it would be entirely online, self-directed coursework. I'm obviously not an expert but I have a feeling that such a degree would not look as legitimate to ADCOMS...is my fear unfounded? Will this have changed in the post-COVID era?

To phrase this question another way: would I be giving myself a better shot as a med school applicant with a BPH from a brick-and-mortar university? Or is the only thing that matters at this point how much I can bring up my cGPA?

Thanks,
J. Chai

I've had a few online courses and to be honest if you have the choice, I'd save yourself the headache and just do in-person. You can always check the MSAR, but you'd be limiting yourself in terms of schools as even among those that took online classes during COVID, some have since reverted to their prior position of in-person only (or at least recommended). If you end up completing online prerequisites, I'd highly recommend contacting admissions department to ensure they'll be honored wherever you intend to apply when the time comes.

 

[double_chai]

Thanks for replying. I maybe should have been more clear in my original post: I already completed most of my lower level science prerequisites in person at another university (once upon a time, when I thought I wanted to be an engineer). I don't know whether the schools I want to apply to will accept credits from the Bronze Age, but if I have to take or retake any non-degree science courses I will certainly do those in person.

The courses in the Paramedic Science major that I'm considering include topics like "Research in EMS" "Health Policy in EMS" "Quality Improvement" etc.

Is this a curriculum I should only be considering if I am going to make my "Plan B" my "Plan A"? I would like to keep as many doors open to myself as possible.

 

[gwrightjr90]

Thanks for replying. I maybe should have been more clear in my original post: I already completed most of my lower level science prerequisites in person at another university (once upon a time, when I thought I wanted to be an engineer). I don't know whether the schools I want to apply to will accept credits from the Bronze Age, but if I have to take or retake any non-degree science courses I will certainly do those in person.

The courses in the Paramedic Science major that I'm considering include topics like "Research in EMS" "Health Policy in EMS" "Quality Improvement" etc.

Is this a curriculum I should only be considering if I am going to make my "Plan B" my "Plan A"? I would like to keep as many doors open to myself as possible.

Kokonaut brought up a really good resource to use. You should definitely look at the MSAR and see what schools will accept your credits from the "Bronze Age." Most schools do not take science credits more than 10 years old but that is not a uniformed decision across all schools.