Non. Traditional medical school applicant

Nontraditional Premed Discussion
1

Hello



I am stuffling in deciding whether or not to retake my science courses online. I took most classes (bio and general chem)about 10 years ago and recently took some courses to prep for the McAT, . I took the MCAT 2 years ago and scored a 500. My question is i want to retake all science classes to help me prepare better for the MCAT but unfortunately I can’t do day time classes because I work and have a family to support and the schools where I live do not offer these classes in the evening, will it be okay if i took these classes online? Will medical schools accept them or am I better off not retaking these courses? My Science GPA is a 3.7 and my overrall is a 3.9. I really want to apply to med school as soon as possible as I am 31, but I really need a bit more review on physics, as that is my weakest point. Any advice would be helpful.



Thank you all

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  1. You gotta do what you gotta do to make it work. If online is the only/best option you have (especially for a retake), then do it and let the cards fall where they might. The other option is to not take them, which doesn’t accomplish your goal either. Bottom line though, many schools accept online credits while some don’t. If you’re really worried about it, look at the requirements for the schools that you’re planning to apply to.


  2. Your GPAs are really good. I would bet that an MCAT specific course would help you more for the MCAT at this point than actually retaking the science classes. You definitely need the foundational knowledge of the subject matter (which the prep courses and undergrad courses will teach you), but the prep courses will better prepare you with the question style you can expect to see on the actual exam. It’s a lot more application of fundamentals than it is just memory regurgitation like undergrad was. Secondly, the prep courses are designed to cut out the extraneous stuff and focus purely on what you need to know for the MCAT.


  3. I was in a similar situation to you, took online courses in order to complete prereqs (had only about 2/3 while i was in undergrad), took a commercial prep course, and am now about to finish up MS2. The prep course I took pretty much retaught me physics, chemistry, and O-chem. Caveat: I took the “old” MCAT, so I don’t know how good the prep courses are for the new one…


  4. You could theoretically take the MCAT in 3-4 months and have your application in late for this coming cycle. While a late application is never advisable, it is possible to still get into med school if your application isn’t complete on day 1.
3

I answered this on the OldPreMeds podcast, session 66! It goes live on 3/22! opmpodcast.com/66 when it’s live!

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Apply . . . apply… 500 isn’t necessarily bad. However, do you mind sharing the details of what online classes you speak of? Not science courses right? Are there really online chemistry… classes??

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There are online science classes, including labs. Keep in mind that not all schools accept online credits, and those that do may or may not view them as “equal” to other classroom settings. That being said, I took Bio II (with lab) via distance at a local university and Organic I/II with lab through Univ New England COM. https://online.une.edu/science-prerequisites/ My labs were all software based, but it looks like their chem I/II labs are via personal equipment you have to purchase through another company.



UNE is pricey, but if it’s the only real way for you to get stuff done, then you gotta do what you gotta do.

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Thank you Kenny… nice to know options.

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Nice option but thinking more about it, my last master’s was online and it has been difficult to stay motivated. I think I will stick to in person.