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Now that I'm nearing the end of this awful capstone course, and will hopefully soon have my BA degree, I'm stuck here trying to figure out 'what I want to be when I grow up'. And I have a voice in my head telling me you always wanted to be a doctor, give it a go. I'm sure other people have heard the same little voice, and it got me thinking....
If you had no obligations(family, work, money) and you had to complete the pre-requisities for entry to med school, which direction would you take?...?
- Harvard Extension School
- Similar post-bacc program at your in-state school
- individual Community college courses
- another option I've missed
As I'm trying to figure out a path for myself it made me curious, what direction my fellow non-traditional students would take, given the opportunity and desire.
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First do some research on the medical schools you are interested in to see if they have any particular requirements (some don't want you to take certain classes online). Then review your budget, learning style and decide from there.
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MBA, Western Governors University February 2014
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01-27-2014, 01:22 PM
(This post was last modified: 01-27-2014, 02:04 PM by Jonathan Whatley.)
Hi! DegreeForum member here who heard to a similar voice, listened, chose HES, is here now – Spring semester starts this week! – and is very glad.
ironheadjack Wrote:Now that I'm nearing the end of this awful capstone course
Try not to think of it as awful. Put everything you can into it! Aim for a good grade.
A few quick points:
ironheadjack Wrote:If you had no obligations(family, work, money) and you had to complete the pre-requisities for entry to med school, which direction would you take?
Actually, one factor that weighed in favor of HES in many comparisons I made was financial. Tuition for courses through the Extension school – in the Fall and Spring semesters – is currently about $300 per semester hour (for undergraduate credit, and the only other fee I can think of is $50 per semester to register). This compares very well to other private school, out-of-state public school, and sometimes in-state public school rates.
Many HES students also take Harvard Summer School courses in summer. Summer rates are higher. The evening-based schedule at HES ( not Harvard Summer School) can also be conducive to working at least part-time, volunteering, and other personal responsibilities. Of course, housing costs in the Boston area are higher than the national average.
ironheadjack Wrote:
- Harvard Extension School
- Similar post-bacc program at your in-state school
- individual Community college courses
- another option I've missed
Also: You don't need to go through the Health Careers Program to take pre-med courses at HES/HSS, and you might not need to go through a formal program to take them at your in-state school, or other schools.
There are other post-baccalaureate premedical programs. Some are focused on comebacks for students with low GPAs (by med school admissions standards), some on working with students from underrepresented backgrounds, some on meeting science requirements for "career-changers" from other fields, some a mix. One helpful source of information is the Postbaccalaureate Premedical Programs database from the AAMC. Another source of information and commentary, sometimes helpful!, is the Postbaccalaureate Programs forum at forums.studentdoctor.net.
Edited to add: I recommend the talk Dr. William Fixsen, the head of the Health Careers Program at HES, gave for the Harvard Extension Pre-Health Society this year. It's up on YouTube starting here. The link is to part 1 of 9; you should see links to the next 8 among related videos as you watch through.
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I would go with the in-state school option. I was Pre-Med once upon a time, and it is the one field where I would prefer to take any lab courses in-person. Also, an in-state school is often a good "Plan B" grad school option, and if grad school application time is running short on that Plan B route, you have less transcript headaches to manage.
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mrs.b Wrote:I would go with the in-state school option. I was Pre-Med once upon a time, and it is the one field where I would prefer to take any lab courses in-person. Also, an in-state school is often a good "Plan B" grad school option, and if grad school application time is running short on that Plan B route, you have less transcript headaches to manage.
Harvard Extension School (and Summer School) do not offer lab science courses by distance. A number of non-lab biology and related electives, subjects like neurobiology and statistics, are regularly offered by distance.
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Yes, the HES option would entail a year in Cambridge I believe....but you get a lot of bang for your buck.
MBA, Western Governors University February 2014
BS Charter Oak State College November 2011
AS in EMS August 2010
I'm always happy to complete the free application waiver for those applying to WGU (I get a free gift from WGU for this). Just PM me your first/last name and a valid email so I can complete their form.
Thread; COSC AS using FEMA http://www.degreeforum.net/excelsior-tho...total.html
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ironheadjack Wrote:Now that I'm nearing the end of this awful capstone course, and will hopefully soon have my BA degree, I'm stuck here trying to figure out 'what I want to be when I grow up'. And I have a voice in my head telling me you always wanted to be a doctor, give it a go. I'm sure other people have heard the same little voice, and it got me thinking....
If you had no obligations(family, work, money) and you had to complete the pre-requisities for entry to med school, which direction would you take?...?
- Harvard Extension School
- Similar post-bacc program at your in-state school
- individual Community college courses
- another option I've missed
As I'm trying to figure out a path for myself it made me curious, what direction my fellow non-traditional students would take, given the opportunity and desire.
Harvard's program without a second thought, they'll also write a letter for you.
If you use summer sessions, you can stay in the dorm, which is a plus in my book. Full semesters, you'd be on your own and they are a full 16 weeks.
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mrs.b Wrote:I would go with the in-state school option. I was Pre-Med once upon a time, and it is the one field where I would prefer to take any lab courses in-person. Also, an in-state school is often a good "Plan B" grad school option, and if grad school application time is running short on that Plan B route, you have less transcript headaches to manage.
Harvard's pre-med/health program is only butt-in-seat.
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