Help With Premed Courses

[christian30]

To begin with I would like to thank you guys for all of your invaluable help. Using this forum, I was able to obtain my Bachelor’s and Masters in 2 years’ time. Looking forward I wish to pursue a medical career and become an M.D. Like most of us my credits are either CBEs, Straighterline or ACE, and I know you guys are aware that most medical schools do not accept these kinds of credits.

Because of my work (Army) attending a brick and mortar school is unlikely. Online courses are most likely where I will have to proceed, and I know medical schools frown upon online courses as well. However, I am equally aware that most schools do not (yes, I recognize some do) differentiate their online courses from their “but in the seat” courses. Therefore, I am asking for your help and advice. If you can resolve the following questions, please do:

1) Can you offer advice on any inexpensive colleges/courses that will be able to aid in my pursuit of fulfilling the premed requirements?

2) Can you offer advice on any self-paced courses that I can use to fulfill these requirements?

[dfrecore]

https://online.une.edu/science-prerequisites/

This is the one I see regularly discussed for specifically this reason.

$340/cr, self-paced last time I checked.

[christian30]

https://online.une.edu/science-prerequisites/

This is the one I see regularly discussed for specifically this reason.

$340/cr, self-paced last time I checked.

I'm posting this using my phone, I apologize in advance for any grammar or formatting issues.

Seems kind of expensive. I'm posting a list of the courses I will need to tackle in order to complete my prerequisites.


"Biology: 11 semester hours, two of which must be labs.
Physics: Eight semester hours, two of which must be labs.
Chemistry: 12 semester hours, to be comprised of a combination of:
Two semesters of general inorganic chemistry and one semester of organic chemistry (for a total of nine semester hours with three semester hours of lab)
Biochemistry: Three semester hours of biochemistry
Math: Three semester hours of statistics"

Thank you, for your responses and aid in my goal.

[davewill]

Much of this can be found in local community colleges. Sometimes as online courses. Not self-paced, but usually affordable. However, taking labs online could be a stumbling block. If there's any way to take lab sciences in person, I'd try really hard to do so.

[cookderosa]

To begin with I would like to thank you guys for all of your invaluable help. Using this forum, I was able to obtain my Bachelor’s and Masters in 2 years’ time. Looking forward I wish to pursue a medical career and become an M.D. Like most of us my credits are either CBEs, Straighterline or ACE, and I know you guys are aware that most medical schools do not accept these kinds of credits.

Because of my work (Army) attending a brick and mortar school is unlikely. Online courses are most likely where I will have to proceed, and I know medical schools frown upon online courses as well. However, I am equally aware that most schools do not (yes, I recognize some do) differentiate their online courses from their “but in the seat” courses. Therefore, I am asking for your help and advice. If you can resolve the following questions, please do:

1) Can you offer advice on any inexpensive colleges/courses that will be able to aid in my pursuit of fulfilling the premed requirements?

2) Can you offer advice on any self-paced courses that I can use to fulfill these requirements?

My advice is to consider applying MD and DO. Your chances will improve greatly.
When I considered this path, I spent a good deal of time emailing adcoms of DO programs asking about distance learning sciences. All said the same "it's fine but not preferred" so that's that. If distance learning sciences are what you have to do, that's what you have to do - go full in, ace your classes and kill your MCAT. You'll need strong letters and strong experience too of course, but I think NONTRADS can do it. I don't know that traditionally aged kids can.... but that's my best guess.
Still, my last two cents is after today, don't ever mention again that your sciences are distance learning. You'll receive nothing but discouragement, and for the love of all things, NEVER visit studentdoctor.net (no sarcasm- I'm being serious. The more time you spend there the less likely you'll make it- they will absolutely derail your enthusiasm)

Also, it will not be inexpensive. It will be expensive. Granted I took more than the premed requirements, but I dropped 10k on mine.

You will have to either piece-meal this together using a handful of schools (not suggested) or you can get everything at 1 school (make your life easy). UNE's medical school offers everything via online and I think Ocean County College does too. My science teachers from Ocean all wrote letters for me, and I did ask UNE in advance- they said they would, but I didn't take sciences with them.
Also, if you're able, you might consider the Harvard program- it's over a few summers (7 week sessions) AND you get their letter of rec. VERY HIGH admissions rate from people who do that post-bac program. I'll gather some links.

https://online.une.edu/science-prerequisites/

https://www.ocean.edu/programs-and-cours...-learning/

https://www.extension.harvard.edu/academ...al-program

[nyvrem]

Rio Salado has some pre-med courses

A&P I and II

Microbiology

General Chemistry I and II (both comes with Lab)

Physics I and II (both states 4 credit hours with lab component)

http://www.riosalado.edu/Schedule/pages/default.aspx

You'll need to go elsewhere to do Organic Chemistry 

if you're not an AZ resident, but can qualify for the WUE program, it's only $127.50/credit hour, else it's $326/credit hour for out of state students.

[christian30]

My advice is to consider applying MD and DO.  Your chances will improve greatly.
When I considered this path, I spent a good deal of time emailing adcoms of DO programs asking about distance learning sciences.  All said the same "it's fine but not preferred" so that's that. If distance learning sciences are what you have to do, that's what you have to do - go full in, ace your classes and kill your MCAT.  You'll need strong letters and strong experience too of course, but I think NONTRADS can do it. I don't know that traditionally aged kids can.... but that's my best guess.  
Still, my last two cents is after today, don't ever mention again that your sciences are distance learning.  You'll receive nothing but discouragement, and for the love of all things, NEVER visit studentdoctor.net  (no sarcasm- I'm being serious. The more time you spend there the less likely you'll make it- they will absolutely derail your enthusiasm)

Also, it will not be inexpensive.  It will be expensive.  Granted I took more than the premed requirements, but I dropped 10k on mine.

You will have to either piece-meal this together using a handful of schools (not suggested) or you can get everything at 1 school (make your life easy).  UNE's medical school offers everything via online and I think Ocean County College does too.  My science teachers from Ocean all wrote letters for me, and I did ask UNE in advance- they said they would, but I didn't take sciences with them.
Also, if you're able, you might consider the Harvard program- it's over a few summers (7 week sessions) AND you get their letter of rec.  VERY HIGH admissions rate from people who do that post-bac program. I'll gather some links.

https://online.une.edu/science-prerequisites/

https://www.ocean.edu/programs-and-cours...-learning/

https://www.extension.harvard.edu/academ...al-program

Getting them from a single school would be ideal. Indeed, I know I may have to shell out a decent amount of money. Therefore, I'm looking to keep the per-credit cost below $175.00 and Ocean County College's tuition rate is definitely more preferably than UNE's. As I believe being military will qualify me for at least the "out of county" resident rate, I will contact them and check on this. Thank you, for your advice, links and kind words.

[MSK9]

Please check your private messages, Christian.

[cookderosa]

My advice is to consider applying MD and DO.  Your chances will improve greatly.
When I considered this path, I spent a good deal of time emailing adcoms of DO programs asking about distance learning sciences.  All said the same "it's fine but not preferred" so that's that. If distance learning sciences are what you have to do, that's what you have to do - go full in, ace your classes and kill your MCAT.  You'll need strong letters and strong experience too of course, but I think NONTRADS can do it. I don't know that traditionally aged kids can.... but that's my best guess.  
Still, my last two cents is after today, don't ever mention again that your sciences are distance learning.  You'll receive nothing but discouragement, and for the love of all things, NEVER visit studentdoctor.net  (no sarcasm- I'm being serious. The more time you spend there the less likely you'll make it- they will absolutely derail your enthusiasm)

Also, it will not be inexpensive.  It will be expensive.  Granted I took more than the premed requirements, but I dropped 10k on mine.

You will have to either piece-meal this together using a handful of schools (not suggested) or you can get everything at 1 school (make your life easy).  UNE's medical school offers everything via online and I think Ocean County College does too.  My science teachers from Ocean all wrote letters for me, and I did ask UNE in advance- they said they would, but I didn't take sciences with them.
Also, if you're able, you might consider the Harvard program- it's over a few summers (7 week sessions) AND you get their letter of rec.  VERY HIGH admissions rate from people who do that post-bac program. I'll gather some links.

https://online.une.edu/science-prerequisites/

https://www.ocean.edu/programs-and-cours...-learning/

https://www.extension.harvard.edu/academ...al-program

Getting them from a single school would be ideal. Indeed, I know I may have to shell out a decent amount of money. Therefore, I'm looking to keep the per-credit cost below $175.00 and Ocean County College's tuition rate is definitely more preferably than UNE's. As I believe being military will qualify me for at least the "out of county" resident rate, I will contact them and check on this. Thank you, for your advice, links and kind words.

Of course! Back when I took my courses, UNE didn't offer nearly the selection they have now - I think they only had a couple of biology / A&P courses - maybe stats- but they were always more expensive, so it wasn't an option for me.
One thing about Ocean labs, is you'll do home labs- so once you get yourself set up with a space, a microscope, etc. you're ready to go. I enjoyed the home labs a lot. UNE, otoh, was a mix of *some* home labs and *some* virtual labs. I've never taken a virtual lab, but I would have tried it. A few things that are stumbling blocks with home labs DIY style, is when you're wrong, it's hard to know why- and when you make a mistake, you don't have anyone to ask. With the virtual labs, I think (assuming excellent software) you may realize your errors and corrections on the spot- that would be great. FWIW, doing it over again, I'd skip dissecting the cat. My kids are still traumatized.

For costs, you'll want to investigate if you can get your GI Bill to cover your lab kits and supplies- that's where the money is. I'd estimate 2-3 hundred per class for lab and another 200 for online access code and book. You'll need a microscope. When I bought my first microscope, it was per the class specs. Oil immersion lens, and other requirements. After about my 5th lab, I ordered one with a digital camera lens. That allowed me to upload my slides into my lab reports directly - much nicer, but the quality was crap. At the time, cameras on phones weren't half of what they are today, so if I were doing it from scratch, I'd buy the best microscope I could afford and that had an iphone mount. All my classes at Ocean required purchasing a box of specific slides as well. So, some of that stuff is "outside" of the fee, you may want to get advice about how to get that covered.

[sanantone]

Westcott is cheap. It's an unaccredited course provider that has a deal with Brandman University (regionally accredited) to have its courses put on their transcript with grades. It's risky, though.

http://www.mathprep.com/courses.html