2 unrelated questions...

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MuscleCrunch

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I've always had a dilemma whether to study medicine or pharmacy. I recently decided I would apply to both a pharmacy school and a medical school, and see what will happen.. I know all the information about getting into a pharmacy school, but not so much about medicine. I got 2 completely unrelated questions...

- I took my pre-reqs at a community college. Is that really gonna make such a big difference at the application process? My gpa is 4.0.

- I am an international student, but me and my fiancee are getting married this summer. He is a citizen. I won't get a permanent green card right away, but I will get a temporary one.. Can I still apply for 08?

Thank you to anybody who knows the answers.

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If you haven't had a lot of clinical experience, I would say go with the Pharm.

If you plan on having a couple of kids, Pharmacy will probably suit your lifestyle a little better.

If you plan on having a lot of free time, Pharmacy allows you more free time than does medical school.

My vote: Pharmacy

But hey, I'm a hypocrit.
 
- I took my pre-reqs at a community college. Is that really gonna make such a big difference at the application process? My gpa is 4.0.

It might be a disadvantage if ALL of your classes come from a community college, however, this is debatable. Be aware that medical schools state that they require at least 90 hours of credit in order to matriculate, although the truth is that most require you to have a Bachelor's degree (prior to matriculation, not application).

Also, pre-reqs are different for pharm and med school, so check to see that you have both covered. Most medical schools require:

8 hours of biology w/labs
8 hours of physics w/labs
8 hours of inorganic chemistry w/labs
8 hours of organic chemistry w/labs
6 hours of english/writing classes
6 hours of math (cal 1 + cal2 or statistics)

That is pretty general, check specific school's website for their specific requirements, which are more likely than not the same as above, but some schools may require Cal2 or biochemistry.

- I am an international student, but me and my fiancee are getting married this summer. He is a citizen. I won't get a permanent green card right away, but I will get a temporary one.. Can I still apply for 08?

Thank you to anybody who knows the answers.

You can apply without the green card, but I think that unless you have already been approved and have the card or your passport stamped with the I-84 stamp (I think that is what it is...might be the wrong number...and this is NOT the same as your temporary permit...this is something you do once you get your approval letter in the mail), you will still be considered an international student and will therefore be at a great disadvantage.

It is very difficult for international students to get in, and if all of your coursework is from a CC it will make it harder for you. I would recommend waiting until you have your PR approval in order to apply to medical school, it will make a lot of things easier for you.

In the meantime, if you are serious about medical school, you can use that time to get clinical experience (which is pretty much a huge requirement) and extra curricular/volunteering experiences or job experiences that might boost your application.

You can also use that time to take any classes/pre-reqs you might be missing, and take them at a university if possible. It also gives you time to study for your MCAT so you may do better in it.
 
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It might be a disadvantage if ALL of your classes come from a community college, however, this is debatable. Be aware that medical schools state that they require at least 90 hours of credit in order to matriculate, although the truth is that most require you to have a Bachelor's degree (prior to matriculation, not application).

Actually most medical schools require 90 semester (or 120 quarter) credit hours to apply and a bachelors to matriculate.

You can apply without the green card, but I think that unless you have already been approved and have the card or your passport stamped with the I-84 stamp (I think that is what it is...might be the wrong number...and this is NOT the same as your temporary permit...this is something you do once you get your approval letter in the mail), you will still be considered an international student and will therefore be at a great disadvantage.

It's the I-551 stamp.


And to the OP, Baylormed hit the nail on the head in answering most of your questions and I am also of the opinion that you should wait at least a year before you apply because of your unique situation. 4.0 or not, transfer your CC credits to a 4-yr college and continue from there.

And getting accepted is going to be an uphill battle for you if you apply now with your current status as an int'l student. Without your GC in hand or the I-551 stamp in your passport, marrying a USC does you no immediate good in this process as most schools require applicants to be USCs or LPRs AT the time of application. You are eligible to apply once you get your conditional (temporary) GC.

Also note that the very few med schools that accept int'l students accept only a handful (1 - 5% of the entering class). And even then you must have a cosigner, make huge deposits and demonstrate how you will be paying for all 4 years before they let you matriculate since you will not be eligible for federal aid.

Good luck.
 
It's the I-551 stamp.

Right, that's what it is. I couldn't remember the number. :) This stamp can be put on your passport once you have received the approval letter from the INS (which takes about 1-2 years if you are married to a citizen).


And getting accepted is going to be an uphill battle for you if you apply now with your current status as an int'l student. Without your GC in hand or the I-551 stamp in your passport, marrying a USC does you no immediate good in this process as most schools require applicants to be USCs or LPRs AT the time of application. You are eligible to apply once you get your conditional (temporary) GC.

Right. I just wanted to make clear to the OP that the temporary permit (that is, permit to live here and work here and to travel outside of the US, is not the same thing as the temporary 1-551 stamp on your passport. In other words, with the temporary permit you can apply, but you will still be considered international.

Like Guzzy Ron said, wait until you are approved and have either your 1-551 stamp or your green card in order to apply, it will make everything easier.

I'm a PR (petitioned by citizen father...my app took ~1.5 years to be processed and approved) and I just got accepted to medical school, and I don't think it put me at a disadvantage at all, since PRs and USCs are considered on the same level. Also, you'll qualify for all forms of financial aid and loans.

Good luck.
 
Thanks for your responses. I knew it was not going to be easy, but I think I will still give it a try. I'll use the xtra time to volunteer in a hospital and study, and I'll transfer to a four-year university next year to get my BC. Will see from there.
 
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