A Confused International Student Needs Your Help... Please

[Kaycee]

I got my undergraduate degree in Biochemistry/Microbiology from my home country Nigeria with a 3.99 GPA on a 5.0 scale. I intend moving over to the US in a few months to begin a masters program in a related field. My main worry is;

#will bagging a masters degree improve my chances?

#Do I still need to take all the pre reqs in a US school?

# Is taking the pre reqs the same a s post bacc programme?

#are there cgpas given in the post bacc programme, please if so will my cgpa from there be used instead of the one gotten from my bachelors In Nigeria?

#What will be your candid advise for some one in my situation, because I am deeply worried and utterly confused.... Thanks

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[NYCdude]

1.) Depends on if you have the main requirements.

2.) Yes.

3.) Yes.

4.) I'm not sure if cGPA's are weighed in altogether or if there's a separate GPA for undergrad and another GPA for post-bach. Maybe someone who has done a graduate program can chime in.

5.) Just visit the aamc website and see what the general requirements for schools are and get them.

 

[gyngyn]

1.) Depends on if you have the main requirements.

2.) Yes.

3.) Yes.

4.) I'm not sure if cGPA's are weighed in altogether or if there's a separate GPA for undergrad and another GPA for post-bach. Maybe someone who has done a graduate program can chime in.

5.) Just visit the aamc website and see what the general requirements for schools are and get them.

Graduate, post bac and undergrad grades are listed separately. Post bac grades are then averaged into undergrad grades. Graduate grades are not.
Non-Canadian international transcripts are not accepted by AMCAS. DO schools do accept international transcripts.

 

[NYCdude]

Graduate, post bac and undergrad grades are listed separately. Post bac grades are then averaged into undergrad grades. Graduate grades are not.
Non-Canadian international transcripts are not accepted by AMCAS. DO schools do accept international transcripts.

Wait, so how do international applicants apply if their transcripts are not accepted?

 

[gyngyn]

Wait, so how do international applicants apply if their transcripts are not accepted?

They are usually required to to complete at least one or two years of coursework in the US (sometimes an entire degree). Recommendations vary by school, though.

 

[deleted407021]

Echo the advice above, but I'd like to point out that if that's you in your profile pic, you may want to change it to protect your privacy.

 

[Kaycee]

Based on all said. I think I would follow the route of getting admitted for a masters program which earns me an F1 visa (and subsequently a post graduate degree,) which I can't get with a post bacc admission. Then in the course of doing my post graduate degree I would probably have to enrol for a post bacc, do all the pre req courses, take Mcat and do all the necessary extra requirements ( I only know of shadowing, please which other ones are there)... I hope this plan is feasible... I know I can work hard. I'm willing to. What do you guys think is this plan fool proof?

 

[Kaycee]

Echo the advice above, but I'd like to point out that if that's you in your profile pic, you may want to change it to protect your privacy.

Thanks... I just took it off. I really do I appreciate.

 

[mariambaby3]

You need to contact the US Dept. of Homeland Security to make sure that you can take post-bac classes since your F-1 would be for a different program.

 

[Kaycee]

Is that really necessary

You need to contact the US Dept. of Homeland Security to make sure that you can take post-bac classes since your F-1 would be for a different program.

 

[Kaycee]

Please pals what are your thoughts...

 

[candbgirl]

I can't offer you any advice but there is an International Forum on SDN. I've never looked at it but maybe someone in there can help you out. Good luck!

 

[FFH]

They are usually required to to complete at least one or two years of coursework in the US (sometimes an entire degree). Recommendations vary by school, though.

Yes. And sometimes even an entire degree is not sufficient--for example, UVa require 90 credits in the US, so eventhough I got a second US degree, but because I only had 70 something credits (+60 as transfer), I still do not qualify to apply to UVa.
Some schools do not explicitly require US education but when you ask them in person or over the phone, they would tell you "well...we almost never taken anyone without US/Canadian degree, maybe one or two who graduated from Oxford or Cambridge before, but that's about it".

You will also have to take English and writing in the US. Even if English is the language used by your home university in Nigeria. Applying without green card is a further hurdle. I know one girl from Nigeria who's now in Pitt on F1. But she did undergrad here.

 

[FFH]

Is that really necessary

F1 is an oddly restrictive visa. However your situation--wanting to take postbacc courses while doing a master degree--has definitely been experienced before. Some internet searching should give you the answer. Maybe look into some SMP program where you take med school class as a master student and if you do well, you get to go to the affiliated med school.

 

[Kaycee]

It appears I have to take an MCAT first before applying for the SMP... MCAT can't be taken in Nigeria...

F1 is an oddly restrictive visa. However your situation--wanting to take postbacc courses while doing a master degree--has definitely been experienced before. Some internet searching should give you the answer. Maybe look into some SMP program where you take med school class as a master student and if you do well, you get to go to the affiliated med school.

 

[FFH]

It appears I have to take an MCAT first before applying for the SMP... MCAT can't be taken in Nigeria...

For that, just be creative. Come for a trip and take it, or maybe enroll in another program, take MCAT then drop the program and enroll in SMP. Going to med school is a tough current to swim against for domestic students here already. You, coming from a different country with a whole lot different educational background, are essentially trying to cut midway through with tons of things dragging you back (residency, education etc)...it's either a very long haul, or you gotta come up with smart ways to catch up or to circumvent.