Have a BS in US but am international student

[OrthoRehab33]

So, I'm posting on behalf of my friend. She is from South Africa but has been in the US since high school and has finished up her BS in Molecular Bio. She has a high gpa -3.7 and a 34 MCAT and good volunteering but she's struggling to get interview invites. I dont think she applied broadly enough but I was wondering what if she decided to do a Post-Bac program with a medical school that pretty much gives you a seat (or at least an interview) if you do well in the curriculum? Would that probably be her best way to getting into a US med school? She's also not opposed to DO either, but she hasn't even heard from any DO either (not sure how many she applied to though)

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[bedevilled ben]

What is her citizenship status? She shouldn't be having much difficulty getting interviews with those stats, unless there is some major red flag on her app or she is applying only to competitive programs. I would encourage her to submit her applications as early as possible, cast a wider net, and to follow up with the admissions offices to verify they have all the information necessary to extend her an interview.

The post-bacc programs are great if she can find one, but when I was calling around getting information on them, it seemed most of them had very few spots and the average applicants were on par with medical school applicants (high GPAs, and High MCATs). Granted this was almost two years ago now, so things may have changed. Also, if she's doing all of these things and still having trouble getting an interview, strongly encourage her to have somebody with admissions experience review her application.

 

[Leforte]

If she is a Permanent Resident or Citizen, she should be fine. Medical school entrance has become quite competitive (as it usually is) and she should not be too concerned at this point. Interviews will come.

 

[gyngyn]

I agree that this may come down entirely to her residency status. if she is here on a student visa most schools will not consider her.

 

[Quaero]

Even if she is international on an F-1, she may still have a chance.

I took a year off and work for a year, using my OPT.

My gpa and MCAT are a bit better than hers but not that significantly.

I did apply twice and got in the second time.

Make sure she applies EARLY! It made a huge difference for me.