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Help pls :) Missing pre-requisites


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Hey all!

 

Just wanted an opinion....what do you think is the best route for someone interested in pursuing med but is missing some of the "crucial" pre-reqs (mainly math/physics). I'm not sure whether to do the courses through Athabasca/online university....or just take them at the university I just graduated from (return as a non-degree student). The online courses via athabasca comes with more flexiblity in terms of schedule and pace...but I don't know whether Canadian/American medical schools will even consider those as actual pre-reqs and how it will be computed into the GPA calculations. Any thoughts?

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Hey all!

 

Just wanted an opinion....what do you think is the best route for someone interested in pursuing med but is missing some of the "crucial" pre-reqs (mainly math/physics). I'm not sure whether to do the courses through Athabasca/online university....or just take them at the university I just graduated from (return as a non-degree student). The online courses via athabasca comes with more flexiblity in terms of schedule and pace...but I don't know whether Canadian/American medical schools will even consider those as actual pre-reqs and how it will be computed into the GPA calculations. Any thoughts?

 

I would avoid the online route and take your pre-reqs at your university. I have a feeling the quality of learning would be much better. I'm assuming that these pre-reqs are science based? If so, online would be a terrible option as you wouldn't get the lab time (that a lot of other applicants would have put in!) and I think that would look bad.

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Doing pre-reqs online is fine if you are disciplined and committed. Lots of people take courses through Athabasca, it is an accredited university = it won't hurt your application. For lab courses they send you the kits and you do the experiments at home. I did it for bio and a math course. Good luck

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I would avoid the online route and take your pre-reqs at your university. I have a feeling the quality of learning would be much better.

 

My experience doing courses through Athabasca has been really great. The TAs give you way more 1on1 time than you would ever get at a major institution and the resources you're provided for your courses are better than anything I've ever received at any major university I've attended. Plus, the marking is fair and the feedback is thorough. If you have a good work ethic, then online courses can be rewarding and you can finish them quickly, if necessary.

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Thank you for your input guys! Athabasca was the online school I was thinking of b/c I'm missing math/physics which limits my options of applying to professional (med/pharm) schools in the US (and even Canada).

 

This question is directed at Fresh Fry - you took math...what was it like? Super difficult? I haven't done math in a very long time and my math knowledge is probably weaker than most peoples haha...but how'd you find it?

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I completed an entire science degree through Athabasca so I have a feel for a lot of the courses there. It didn't hinder my acceptance into medical school, but keep in mind that some non-Alberta med school are not as open towards online education. I think Ottawa is one? Make sure to check any universities that you are interested in applying too. Overall though I think most are fine with online.

 

Regarding AU science courses, the Chemistry courses are on-par with campus based IMO. I did some chemistry at UofC and the rest at AU and the lab time at AU was more 1 on 1 since the lab classes are small and you go for 4 full days. Organic Chemistry was really well done and requires a lab.

 

The Microbiology course was also excellent as the lab was run at SAIT, I believe over two weekends? I was amazed how much material we had access to. Ecology was also a blast, you go up to Athabasca for a one week lab and I loved wading into the creeks collecting samples. A couple years ago they built all new science labs at the main campus, so they are very nice. Other biology courses like cell biology are pretty much all text based.

 

Humanities and social sciences will be very much self-learning, so you need to be motivated. The physics and math courses are setup for complete self-learning, but if you were to follow the physics manual to a letter you would know the subject inside and out. Unless they have changed it, the physics textbook is quite good.

 

If you have any questions PM me, I could look up a course and give you my opinion if that helps.

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I completed an entire science degree through Athabasca so I have a feel for a lot of the courses there. It didn't hinder my acceptance into medical school, but keep in mind that some non-Alberta med school are not as open towards online education. I think Ottawa is one? Make sure to check any universities that you are interested in applying too. Overall though I think most are fine with online.

 

Regarding AU science courses, the Chemistry courses are on-par with campus based IMO. I did some chemistry at UofC and the rest at AU and the lab time at AU was more 1 on 1 since the lab classes are small and you go for 4 full days. Organic Chemistry was really well done and requires a lab.

 

The Microbiology course was also excellent as the lab was run at SAIT, I believe over two weekends? I was amazed how much material we had access to. Ecology was also a blast, you go up to Athabasca for a one week lab and I loved wading into the creeks collecting samples. A couple years ago they built all new science labs at the main campus, so they are very nice. Other biology courses like cell biology are pretty much all text based.

 

Humanities and social sciences will be very much self-learning, so you need to be motivated. The physics and math courses are setup for complete self-learning, but if you were to follow the physics manual to a letter you would know the subject inside and out. Unless they have changed it, the physics textbook is quite good.

 

If you have any questions PM me, I could look up a course and give you my opinion if that helps.

 

+1. Also, the text for physics right now is by Giancoli. I also like it, but find it quite verbose. You're the first person I've seen to do your degree fully online and transition to med. Awesome to see!

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+1. Also, the text for physics right now is by Giancoli. I also like it, but find it quite verbose. You're the first person I've seen to do your degree fully online and transition to med. Awesome to see!

 

There is another member on here (forgetting his name) that also got in with an AU degree.

 

But yeah, AU faculty is in large part UCalgary and UAlberta alumni.

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Just wanted to add that the University of Waterloo offers most of their core science courses through online/distance education for years 1-3. You won't be able to complete the labs online though if you need them.

 

They don't show up any different on your transcript either and look the same as the on-campus students.

 

I completed my first three years through online and then did my fourth year and labs on campus.

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I completed an entire science degree through Athabasca so I have a feel for a lot of the courses there. It didn't hinder my acceptance into medical school, but keep in mind that some non-Alberta med school are not as open towards online education. I think Ottawa is one? Make sure to check any universities that you are interested in applying too. Overall though I think most are fine with online.

 

I was just reading Ottawa's note about that , which says "Full-time studies completed by distance education will not be recognized since the spirit of the full-time studies requirements is to be able to assess and compare how candidates succeed in a full-time course load and to predict how the candidates will perform and cope with the rigorous demand of the medical program." I'm assuming that if you already have a degree and just take a few on-line pre-reqs this shouldn't be an issue?

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OP, how does the procedure work for returning as a non-degree student? You just take a few courses as part-time study? Do med schools then not see that you don't have all full-year courses?

 

I have the same question in a thread above, wondering how it works as I'm lacking orgo/physics that is required in the states and outside of ON. Please let me know.

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Hey! I think so...you just enrol in the courses you need and take it as either part-time/full-time study depending on how many courses you take. You wont get a degree for it...they'll just be extras. Although, I'm not sure how med schools count them --- I'm hoping someone can correct me on this if I'm wrong...but I believe some schools don't include the marks as part of your CGPA...but count the courses as completed (ie. for pre-requisites).

 

 

OP, how does the procedure work for returning as a non-degree student? You just take a few courses as part-time study? Do med schools then not see that you don't have all full-year courses?

 

I have the same question in a thread above, wondering how it works as I'm lacking orgo/physics that is required in the states and outside of ON. Please let me know.

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