Here's my story - need some help and advice.

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hobbitle

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Hi everyone. This is my first post here and I was wondering if anyone could offer their thoughts and advice. I'll try to be brief but to get the full picture it may take a little while.

I'm 28, an Australian citizen. I also have an EU passport, but that is not relevant to this particular thread.

After finishing high school in 2003 I worked for 9 years as a designer (performing arts world). In 2012 my father died of cancer and my brother had died (also of cancer) a few years previously, and I started rethinking my life. I knew I had to go do something medical field/cancer related. Oncology was calling me but I resisted the idea of Medical School (I felt too old, it felt like too much of a long haul).

So in 2013 I began a Bachelor of Science (3 yr)/Master of Biomedical Engineering (2 yr) here in Melbourne. I'm just commencing my last semester of the B.S. now and will enter the Masters in 2016.

But I am rethinking. I have a job as an RA (of sorts) right now and I lack motivation for it. I work best when I can help people in a more immediate sense, offering guidance, or giving them a product or service where I know they can walk away feeling happy or satisfied. All the past jobs I've enjoyed have been like that, even when I was working in a cafe making sandwiches - I always liked knowing several people that day had enjoyed their lunch! But research... I don't know. There is no satisfaction in it for me. Which came as a surprise, but that's just how it is.

I have two passions: one is science/learning, the other is mountains and climbing them. This becomes relevant, sort of... as it has been a pipedream for a while to try to find a way to move to California, Colorado (or BC/Alberta in Canada) to be in close proximity to the mountains.

So here are my questions, I guess. There are a small handful of medical schools I am considering applying for in the USA (only a few accept international applicants, and of those only a small handful are in locations I would wish to live in - remember that this is a $200,000+ outlay for an international student).

US schools on the list are: University of California, Davis or SF. University of Utah. Stanford.

There are also a couple of Canadian schools.

It is almost impossible to accurately try and convert my current Australian GPA to a US GPA, but from what I can tell the US schools are pretty aware of the conversion system and take this into account (I think often a good Australian GPA comes out as a 'low' US GPA numerically). My GPA here in Australia is good, by Australian standards, and within my school/cohort. (I get about 60% HDs and 40% Ds)

1) I will only have a 3-year B.S. degree which, from what I can tell, would be inadequate for a US med school application. Would completing my Masters degree make up for the fact that my Bachelor is only 3 years?

2) Just hypothetically say I do have $200k to get me through US Medical School. Is this still insanity to even try? Do I have any hope of even getting through the application process?

3) Is there any advantage to being an international student at a US med school?

4) The other (and probably better) option is to do 4 years of med school in Australia but I have heard that it is difficult to break away from the location where you trained... is doing my training in Melbourne and then trying to do a residency (and continue life as a junior doctor) in the US/Canada an impossibility? I can't find out much information on this...

This is obviously kind of insane and I am aware of how difficult I'm making it for myself. I could just try for med school in Australia or even Europe (where I have citizenship!).... but I just thought I'd see what insights people have.

Thanks for reading, and thanks in advance for your thoughts.

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This becomes relevant, sort of... as it has been a pipedream for a while to try to find a way to move to California, Colorado (or BC/Alberta in Canada) to be in close proximity to the mountains.
Using an attempt to get into med school in the US as leverage to get you closer to good mountains is by far the most expensive, most difficult, least efficient way to get closer to good mountains. Two birds, need more stones.

I can't help you with the school list, and I know nothing about Canadian med school admissions. Except that UBC & Whistler are entirely obvious here.

But you have to understand that 50-60% of the US kids who try to get into US med schools get rejected every year. You have to be in the top 5% of all applicants applying to schools as an international. Most schools get 5000+ apps for ~150 seats. You have to bring some very special sauce. Assume that any data you find that includes a count of international students means Canadians.

That said, there are a lot of schools who will take one or two special sauce internationals per year, or every few years.
It is almost impossible to accurately try and convert my current Australian GPA to a US GPA
You're required to pay a service to do the conversion. And then the converted grades don't count for much.
but from what I can tell the US schools are pretty aware of the conversion system and take this into account
Nope. Not even close. There is exactly no "understanding" of non-US coursework that will help you in US med school admissions.
(I think often a good Australian GPA comes out as a 'low' US GPA numerically). My GPA here in Australia is good, by Australian standards, and within my school/cohort. (I get about 60% HDs and 40% Ds)
Nope. Nobody in the US who didn't study in Australia is going to know, care, or want to know what HD or D means.
1) I will only have a 3-year B.S. degree which, from what I can tell, would be inadequate for a US med school application.
Doesn't matter how long your non-US program was. Most schools will require you to do 1-2 full time years of US study before they'll let you in. Other than Canada, the education systems outside the US are very very very different and US med schools won't take a risk that you can handle being in a very very very unfamiliar learning environment.
Would completing my Masters degree make up for the fact that my Bachelor is only 3 years?
Nope. Not even if that grad work is in the US. US med schools evaluate applicants on undergrad coursework.
2) Just hypothetically say I do have $200k to get me through US Medical School.
...which needs to be put in escrow, 1-4 years of it, before you start school, and this would be verified very early in the process.
Is this still insanity to even try? Do I have any hope of even getting through the application process?
Personally I'd vote no. Better idea below.
3) Is there any advantage to being an international student at a US med school?
Not in an academic sense. Australians are always going to get plenty of attention anywhere in the US, assuming that if we squint and muffle our ears we can easily confuse you for a Hemsworth or similar.
4) The other (and probably better) option is to do 4 years of med school in Australia but I have heard that it is difficult to break away from the location where you trained...
Sure it's difficult. It's difficult for everybody in every situation to get into a residency in the US.
is doing my training in Melbourne and then trying to do a residency (and continue life as a junior doctor) in the US/Canada an impossibility? I can't find out much information on this...
http://www.nrmp.org

You won't be able to tease out the odds for an Australian medical school grad trying for a US residency in all that data, but I'd predict the odds are somewhere between non-Commonwealth IMG (<50%) and DO (79%).

Note that you have to take all the US board exams through ECFMG, and you also have to do observerships or rotations in the US, and you have to be in the US during interview season (Oct-Feb), and you have to deal with work visas.

People do it all the time.

Best of luck to you.
 
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Thankyou so much. Your response was so valuable.
 
Just throwing this out there about the topography of the US- California is not the only state with mountains!
But as the great Dr Midlife said- don't apply here for that ;)
 
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