Hello this is my second post on the site and i just had a question about online classes. I have a RRT and am trying to finish my degree in respiratory care the thing is most of the classes for degree completion are online classes. Now im taking all my pre-med classes at Colorado University denver campus as a nin-degree seeking student but wanted to get my degree in respiratory care couse i have an asociates degree in it. So will medical schools not accept a 4 year degree if i do it online? or is it ok to do it online? Any information will be greatly appreciated, thank you in advance.
Online degrees are not accepted by many medical schools. Of course you could find one or two that do but they’d be the exception to the rule.
Typically they ask for prerequisite classes to have been completed at 4 yr brick and mortar institutions.
Thank you for responding, i had another question though. Is it acceptable to get all your premed prereques done at a 4 year university but get a degree online?
I think in general, online classes and degrees have not gained mainstream acceptance yet. There is a perception that they lack rigor and do not provide the same experience as a live class.
You’d be best off getting your bachelor’s AND pre-reqs from a 4 yr B&M.
khayet,
Best thing to do would be to call the admissions offices at several different med schools in which you’d be interested in applying to directly ask them this question. Online degrees are new enough that the advice you’re going to receive here is probably largely guessing. If you do choose to contact admissions offices, please post again to let us know what the colleges say.
I called the admissions office at Indiana U and they said online degrees were acceptable as long as they came from an accredited school. That being said, I gleaned the feeling that this was a legally required response.
I asked because prior to deciding I wanted to be a doctor, I received my degree through an online program. My company didn’t care as long it was accredited and the timing worked better for me. Having taken classes at a B&M school, the level of education I received from my online classes was the similar. The difference was the format.
Since my ultimate goal (now) is to get into an joint MD/PhD program, I’m going to meet with an advisor from a couple of the nearby admissions office and see if they can advise me on my chances and how to improve them. I recommend you call the school(s) you are interested in and just ask.
Thanks for posting your update!