Course Overlap Between 1st and 2nd Degree?

[nosuperman]

Anyone know how a Med School would view taking a course during a second degree that is similar to a course you took during your first degree?

 

My second degree is at different school than my first degree and the course names and outlines are slightly different... I just haven't taken the one (maybe two?) I'm looking at in literally 8 years so I'd hate to jump into a higher level course (using my 1st degree course as a pre-req) where my classmates took it last semester and I took it 8 years ago at a different school with a somewhat different course outline.

 

Obviously I'd have to email every school to get the actual answer in writing, but I was wondering if anyone has had experience with this?

[rmorelan]

Anyone know how a Med School would view taking a course during a second degree that is similar to a course you took during your first degree?

 

My second degree is at different school than my first degree and the course names and outlines are slightly different... I just haven't taken the one (maybe two?) I'm looking at in literally 8 years so I'd hate to jump into a higher level course (using my 1st degree course as a pre-req) where my classmates took it last semester and I took it 8 years ago at a different school with a somewhat different course outline.

 

Obviously I'd have to email every school to get the actual answer in writing, but I was wondering if anyone has had experience with this?

 

did the second school evaluate your transcript for transfer credits? I have heard they rely considerably on the school itself to evaluate whether there is actual overlap.

[nosuperman]

did the second school evaluate your transcript for transfer credits? I have heard they rely considerably on the school itself to evaluate whether there is actual overlap.

 

I met with the program's Academic Counsellor over the summer and she said "you can use these as transfers if you want." So I explained the above situation to her and she said "Oh then just take (the equivalent course for my second degree) if you want". [Edit: This wasn't official as I was/am still waitlisted, but she reviewed my transcript from my 1st degree]

 

This, I suppose, means that the second school would designate them as transferable, which probably means the course is ineligible from the Medical School's perspective, right? (not allowed to re-take a course AFAIK)

[bsm]

well based on the comment above, seems like the course would be eligible...

 

because if med schools rely on the university to prohibit students from taking repeat courses, then you're basically deciding that right now with that counsellor

[nosuperman]

As it turns out, the only way I can do a second degree at UWO is if I take a double major. Since my 1st degree was an Honours, my second has to be an honours, which means apparently either 4 years (20.0 credits) or a double major (6 credits in each faculty = 24 courses = ~2 years)

 

The course demands will be such that even after a full summer of courses I won't be able to take any electives... which does away with the whole overlap problem!

 

Sigh.

[rmorelan]

well based on the comment above, seems like the course would be eligible...

 

because if med schools rely on the university to prohibit students from taking repeat courses, then you're basically deciding that right now with that counsellor

 

I should also say there is an obvious check (computerized) to make sure you aren't taking the exact same courses twice. I was referring to the more usual case of similar courses or going to two different schools

 

UWO seems to have some interesting rules!

[nosuperman]

I should also say there is an obvious check (computerized) to make sure you aren't taking the exact same courses twice. I was referring to the more usual case of similar courses or going to two different schools

 

UWO seems to have some interesting rules!

 

Indeed. None of this was brought up the first time I met with the academic counsellor over the summer either.

 

Something to think about for my fellow prospective non-traditionals:

 

According to Western's rules, as I learned today, you aren't allowed to go 'backwards' i.e. you can take consecutive non-honours degrees, or you can go from a non-honours to an honours, you just cant go 'backwards' from an honours to a non-honours. Personally I don't see why they'd care.

 

Also, any second honours degree requires that you do at least 20.0 credits (40 courses) at UWO. The honours modules (the course requirements) only require 6.0 (12 courses) which normally is fine because they expect you to do it in 4 years (40 courses, remember).

 

If you double-major, though, you only need to take 10.0 credits at UWO. Now I've met with 4 academic counsellors from 3 faculties and nobody understands how this works since each module (i.e. each of your two majors) requires 6.0 credits so ultimately that adds up to 12.0 credits (24 courses) which can't be done in 2 years.

 

^ If I ever figure it out I'll update

[Caylynn]

I'm trying to find out how they consider "repeat" courses that I'm being forced to repeat because for some reason the second university hasn't given me transfer credits for the same courses from my first university.

 

Case in point: I've discovered I have to re-take first year chemistry at U of A despite having taken first year chemistry at Guelph a few years back. Same with microbiology - they aren't giving me transfer credit.

 

The strange thing, of course, is that U of A gave me transfer credit for organic chem part I, intro biochem and intro physiology part I and II, and, well, first year chem was a pre-requisite for all of those courses.

 

I honestly don't understand how this whole transfer credit process works. Another strange example: despite having taken intro nutrition, as well as a second and third year nutrition courses, and several food science courses, during the course of my engineering degree, I have to re-do first year introductory nutrition.

 

Of course, I haven't heard back from my program counsellor yet, despite emailing him several times since April. Now that I'm finally in Edmonton, I hope to make an appointment to see him in person someone in August, and maybe get some of these credits approved for transfer. It can't simply be the length of time since I took the courses, since I did get credit for other courses I took in first year.

[nosuperman]

I'm trying to find out how they consider "repeat" courses that I'm being forced to repeat because for some reason the second university hasn't given me transfer credits for the same courses from my first university.

 

Case in point: I've discovered I have to re-take first year chemistry at U of A despite having taken first year chemistry at Guelph a few years back. Same with microbiology - they aren't giving me transfer credit.

 

The strange thing, of course, is that U of A gave me transfer credit for organic chem part I, intro biochem and intro physiology part I and II, and, well, first year chem was a pre-requisite for all of those courses.

 

I honestly don't understand how this whole transfer credit process works. Another strange example: despite having taken intro nutrition, as well as a second and third year nutrition courses, and several food science courses, during the course of my engineering degree, I have to re-do first year introductory nutrition.

 

Of course, I haven't heard back from my program counsellor yet, despite emailing him several times since April. Now that I'm finally in Edmonton, I hope to make an appointment to see him in person someone in August, and maybe get some of these credits approved for transfer. It can simply be the length of time since I took the courses, since I did get credit for other courses I took in first year.

 

That's incredible. So they've given you *some* permissions which means they have actually looked at your transcript... weird.

 

With UWO I had to have my previous school email them .pdf's of a few of my old course outlines. There were a number that the councellor instantly recognized as being equivalent (student's had transferred them in the past and this transfer was logged for all to see) but some I had to get them the info. Your situation has got to be something like this and you just need to meet with the guy.

 

Ugh its such a headache though.

[Mark Peter]

I think, it depends upon the rules of that college where you want to take admission.

[Caylynn]

That's incredible. So they've given you *some* permissions which means they have actually looked at your transcript... weird.

 

With UWO I had to have my previous school email them .pdf's of a few of my old course outlines. There were a number that the councellor instantly recognized as being equivalent (student's had transferred them in the past and this transfer was logged for all to see) but some I had to get them the info. Your situation has got to be something like this and you just need to meet with the guy.

 

Ugh its such a headache though.

 

Yeah. I've sent the advisor all the outlines and syllabi from the courses, but haven't heard anything back, so I hope a face-to-face meeting will take care of things. I'll re-do the courses if I have to, but it will be a real pain. I'd rather study something interesting than re-do chem 101 and nutrition 101. On the other hand, I'm sure I'd be able to get a high mark in those courses, so it would no doubt be good for my GPA. Ah well, I'll have to wait and see what happens.