I need to make a decision about where to go to med school. I've been accepted to the U of Melbourne in Australia and the U of Minnesota in the USA. My girlfriend is from Australia, so I thought that I'd apply to schools out there on the off chance that I could get in. Well, it worked! Now, I've got to decide between a school which I don't know much about (U of Melb), but which could turn out to be a much more enriching experience, and one which I know a lot about, having received my Bachelor's from there (U of MN).
I know that both of these schools have a good reputation and will provide me with a good medical education, but what concerns me is that I may not be able to get into a competitive residency in the US afterwards. At the moment, and I know that this will probably change, I am planning on doing a medical subspeciality res. program in the US. However, I could end up changing my speciality or the country in which I do the training for that matter. I've met a few students from the U of Melb, and based on what I've gleened from conversations with them, I think that the training there would be really good, but will this fact be recognized by American residecny selection committees? I've had a look at some of the threads in the other forums concerning US FMGs, and I am definitely put off. Some people seem to think that, when given the choice that I have, I should choose the American school hands down.
How much weight will these selection committees give to my USMLE scores, MCAT scores, research background, etc. and how much question will be raised by the fact that I went outside of the US to train? This might throw up warning flags and cause them to reject me without bothering to read the covering letter, explaining that I chose U of Melb for personal reasons and that I was offerred a place in America.
When it comes down to it, if I train in Oz, I'm not sure how successful I will be when looking for residencies and jobs in America given the prejudices that exist towards FMGs. They may be small-minded, but they could affect my future. Should I sacrifice a more pleasant lifestyle in order to ensure that I have secure US prospects? How much will the school that I attended matter? Do I want to work with people who are not open to foreign-trained students? Will I be making life more difficult for myself by becoming a US FMG? I've contacted some residency programs and asked them these questions, but they say that the school I've attended will not matter as long as it has a good reputation. I'm not sure that I believe them. They must have some kind of quota that they have to fill, and when faced with the prospect of giving the position to me or a US grad., they'll probably give it to the US grad.
I might be a little paranoid, but it's just that, I don't want to limit my options later on down the line. If anyone who has been through this could please offer some advice, it would be very appreciated. Thank you.
I know that both of these schools have a good reputation and will provide me with a good medical education, but what concerns me is that I may not be able to get into a competitive residency in the US afterwards. At the moment, and I know that this will probably change, I am planning on doing a medical subspeciality res. program in the US. However, I could end up changing my speciality or the country in which I do the training for that matter. I've met a few students from the U of Melb, and based on what I've gleened from conversations with them, I think that the training there would be really good, but will this fact be recognized by American residecny selection committees? I've had a look at some of the threads in the other forums concerning US FMGs, and I am definitely put off. Some people seem to think that, when given the choice that I have, I should choose the American school hands down.
How much weight will these selection committees give to my USMLE scores, MCAT scores, research background, etc. and how much question will be raised by the fact that I went outside of the US to train? This might throw up warning flags and cause them to reject me without bothering to read the covering letter, explaining that I chose U of Melb for personal reasons and that I was offerred a place in America.
When it comes down to it, if I train in Oz, I'm not sure how successful I will be when looking for residencies and jobs in America given the prejudices that exist towards FMGs. They may be small-minded, but they could affect my future. Should I sacrifice a more pleasant lifestyle in order to ensure that I have secure US prospects? How much will the school that I attended matter? Do I want to work with people who are not open to foreign-trained students? Will I be making life more difficult for myself by becoming a US FMG? I've contacted some residency programs and asked them these questions, but they say that the school I've attended will not matter as long as it has a good reputation. I'm not sure that I believe them. They must have some kind of quota that they have to fill, and when faced with the prospect of giving the position to me or a US grad., they'll probably give it to the US grad.
I might be a little paranoid, but it's just that, I don't want to limit my options later on down the line. If anyone who has been through this could please offer some advice, it would be very appreciated. Thank you.
