Looking for help developing a roadmap to a medical school-friendly degree

[muu9]

Hi there! 

Just wondering, but is there a particular reason you are going this route as opposed to a B&M college? 

That answer aside, perhaps you can consider completing your BA/BS in a field that works for you, and then apply for admission to a post-bacc program specifically for working on pre-reqs. Check out this list: https://www.uab.edu/medicine/home/images...Nation.pdf 
Or even consider a master's degree before med school.

The latter will be online just like the big three for the forseeable future, but more expensive and with stingier credit policies. I suppose the real question is why would I go to a "B&M" college when I could go this route?


The post-bacc is a good idea I didn't think of. If it turns out no med schools want someone with an online degree, I can always go to one - not necessarily for the prereqs, but for the presitge.

I think you're making a huge category error, indigoshuffle.

That's just what I was suspecting, hence my (slightly more tactful  ) reply. See, this is what happens when I reply without reading the whole thread first.

Indigoshuffle, while its true that most middle to higher ranked medical schools look down on transfer credit of all kinds, many lower-tier and DO programs are more flexible as a result of getting more non-traditional applicants. Of course, it's certainly a possibility that I might get turned away since there's nothing forcing me to go down this risky, non-traditional route, but I have a hunch that next year's application cycle and the following ones will be much more online/transfer friendly.

Absolute worst case, I can always take a post-bacc and have something cool to talk about decades from now.

"Upper level" or "upper division" almost always means 300- or 400-level. Organic chemistry is typically – and if you're taking it from a two-year community college it's certainly – 200-level.

How do you think you might get bio labs?

Saylor, and as a general rule ACE, NCCRS, and the credit by examination options frequently discussed here, don't lead to grades on your ultimate transcripts. The biggest exception is that UExcels are graded and I believe those grades will appear on your transcripts at each of the Big Three.

Big thing to keep in mind: AMCAS and AACOMAS calculate GPA differently than your school will. See especially "Grades Included in AMCAS GPAs" on page 4 of the 2020 AMCAS Applicant Guide [pdf]. AP, CLEP, and "Other Test Credit" "are not included in AMCAS GPA calculations."

Charter Oak has expanded its bachelor's majors over the past several years beyond the longtime General Studies standby. There are now titled subject majors in about a dozen subjects, including Psychology, Sociology, and Health Care Administration.

The time for MCAT biochem will come. It's not now. Focus on the courses in front of you now

Thank you for the correction! I labelled it "upper level" since most online credit programs deem it too advanced for inclusion.

As for Biology:
I can use AP biology credit + some advanced biology courses/biology GRE to prove I understand the material (for less selective schools). Or:

https://www.doane.edu/open-learning/courses/biology-i
https://www.doane.edu/open-learning/courses/biology-ii
https://online.une.edu/science-prerequis...biology-i/
https://online.une.edu/science-prerequis...iology-ii/
Or my local CC.

Good to know R.E. AMCAS GPA scoring. Technically, this means that as long as I know what the AMCAS will consider to count towrds my GPA (and I will since you've shared that document), I'll be able to dedicate extra time to doing extra well in the courses I do transfer, which can only help my GPA.
Thank you as well for the update on COSC's offerings

Avoid doing these with clep, ace, nccrs, etc. And in person is favored over online. If you do online a 4 yr university would be better. So you could just do all these B&M or online actual classes from a Uni.

A better option though might to be to choose a school that accepts ace, etc. Like for example SNHU. And then do the courses I said above and then transfer as much as you can with alt credit. Because if you already have 40 credits at one school might make sense to finish your bachelors there. 

Either way no matter where you go clep, ace etc is perfect for non science gen eds and electives. However I am not a med student so if someone else says free electives with alt credit are bad listne to them.

No one can do in person right now, so I believe adcoms will be more understanding of online classes.
SNHU is an interesting idea, mostly for the recognized name, but the required 30 credits will be very expensive. I might rather go into a post-bacc, but either way, I can cross that bridge once I get to it. 

In my opinion, doing all of your classes in person, keeps an applicant's choices open. If OP wanted to become a nurse practitioner, then online would never be a problem or even a question. So I guess this brings up another question; does the OP want the title of MD/DO or are they genuinely interested in helping others as a practitioner?

Will you have ego issues being called a Nurse Practitioner or a Physician Assistant as opposed to “doctor “?
Does he want to do surgery? If so go to medical school, but if not, I would highly recommend that OP consider the amount of debt he will rack up. 

If you are "dying" to have the MD title, be prepared to pay for it with money (that you most likely don't have yet) and time. If you are willing to deal with the time, money, disappointments, setbacks that will surely await you on that path, then take the path that will open up the most doors for you in terms of sending out your application---which means avoiding doing things online.  

Keep in mind, this recommendation is coming from someone who is attending WGU. I have nothing against online classes, but medical school admission boards are extremely conservative and they think online prerequisites are easier. If it comes down to 2 applicants with the same GPA, MCAT, volunteer time, etc, they will start to dig deeper into stupid shit, like if you did anything online. It's dumb and unfair, but that's how it is for now.

Later on in my career, I would like to give back by leading health initiatives in my parent's country. When was the last time you heard of an NP creating or leading major public health initiatives? Building a hospital? Doing impactful research in scalable medicine?
I agree with you about medical schools' conservativeness when it comes to this stuff- but what I think might hurt my application even more than my educational provenance would be a lack of extracurricular activities, research, and good LoRs. Luckily, I can get 2 of the three at a post-bacc.

I just looked more into post bacc's, and I feel like they could be just what I need.

Anyways, ignoring for now the tricky question of clinical requirements and the audacity of this whole idea, can anyone recommend a roadmap for any non-professional degree programs at either COSC(preferable) or TESU? The ones on the wiki seem to be either outdated or non-functional.a