How do I handle the Anatomy and Physiology labs online?
Good news: there are no Anatomy & Physiology labs to arrange before you enroll
As of 09/2026, Human Anatomy and Human Physiology are not admission prerequisites at Five Branches — they're taught inside the program's own Western Medicine sequence once you're enrolled, so there's no A&P lab you need to arrange before starting.
What you do need to line up are the three required natural sciences — General Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, each a minimum of three semester credits — plus General Psychology, which is part of the general-education requirement rather than a natural science (Five Branches Educational Requirements page, revised 09/2026). These can be taken online from a regionally or institutionally accredited college — accreditation, not delivery format, is what decides whether a course transfers. For the lab-based ones (Biology, Chemistry, Physics), you'll need an acceptable lab component: an at-home kit or a virtual lab from an accredited provider, confirmed course-by-course rather than assumed.
Providers handle labs a few different ways:
| Provider | Lab format | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| University of New England Online | At-home lab kit (extra cost) | Covers required science prerequisites, ~$475/credit |
| Portage Learning | Integrated at-home labs | Credit issued via Geneva College transcript |
| Doane University Open Learning | At-home kits + virtual labs | Strong documented lab support |
| UC San Diego Extension | Confirm inclusion | Confirm lab component before enrolling |
| UC Berkeley / UCLA Extension | Often in-person | Some labs not fully online — verify |
| California community colleges (via cvc.edu) | Varies by campus | Often cheapest, all regionally accredited |
(Provider details as checked on each site in 07/2026 — confirm current specifics before enrolling.)
A couple of things worth knowing regardless of which provider you pick:
- The three sciences can be taken concurrently with your TCM coursework within the first two years of study, though completing them before you start is highly recommended.
- Once you've registered for a specific course, it's worth sending Admissions the syllabus so they can confirm the lab format satisfies the requirement before you pay for it — that avoids any surprise later.
Are you looking at this as someone who already has some science background, or starting the three sciences from scratch?
Sources
- Five Branches University — published materials checked 2026-07
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