Any international applicants now in US med schools?

[rockdoc]

My cousin is a nurse who recently graduated from the University of the Philippines (the most prestigious school in PI). She is now going to move to the US, and has expressed interest in applying to US medical schools, but does not know how to go about it. Apart from taking the MCAT and somehow relaying her undergrad grades to med schools, I didn't really know what else to tell her, since I don't know how much different it is to apply from other countries. I'm an MSII, but I have not met anyone yet who is an international applicant, so I have very little information to offer her.

I should say that she is not applying to med school with an international visa. She is a US immigrant who will be moving here permanently (if that makes a difference). I would like to hear from other people who have some advice for her regarding what steps she needs to take in order to apply. I understand how competitive it is (heck, I went through the same grueling process), and how much more it will be for graduates from foreign universities, but I would still appreciate any advice anyone could offer.

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[MeowMix]

do you mean that she will have either a green card or citizenship by the time she applies?

 

[rockdoc]

do you mean that she will have either a green card or citizenship by the time she applies?

She should have a green card... I believe she needs to stay here a few more years in order to get the citizenship?

 

[erin682]

One of my roommates is international. She did her undergrad here though so I don't know how much of that would make. But yeah they have to be a permanent resident and have a green card and all that. You don't have to be a citizen to get in.

 

[f_w]

Most medical schools seem to require that the undergrad work qualifying someone for admission has to be done in the US (or at least 2 years of it). So in order to get into a regular medschool she would probably have to put in at least another year or two of college in the US.

Another option worthwhile for her to look into, might be to become a nurse practicioner or CRNA. In order to do that she would probably have to become an RN first (this would require her to write the NCLEX exams and getting her nursing education recognized by the american college of nursing. Many nurses from the philipines have done this successfully). The NP programs are usually 2-3 years and some of it can be done while holding a job. Instead of pumping a lot of money into the uncertain prospect of gaining admission into medical school, this would give her a perspective to make decent money after only a few years.

 

[dot]

One of my roommates is international. She did her undergrad here though so I don't know how much of that would make. But yeah they have to be a permanent resident and have a green card and all that. You don't have to be a citizen to get in.

Sorry, but I'm confused. So the person would have to be a permanent resident with a green card to get into a US medical school? I thought being an international student means that they're only here for school, and no green card.

 

[f_w]

You don't have to be a permanent resident or citizen in order to attend medical school in the US.

The only time your citizenship or residency status comes into play is financing. You have to be a PR or citizen in order to qualify for goverment guaranteed loans. If you can pay your own way or if you have property to borrow against, you can study medicine as a non-citizen/non-PR.

(most state medical schools give priority to residents of their own state, but that is something else)

 

[Telemachus]

I suggest calling the admissions offices of schools she is interested in and asking them (not in these exact words) whether or not it is a waste of time for her to apply to that particular school. Everyone in my class has a degree from an American college, but I go to a state school which prefers residents of this state.

 

[Neunuebel]

There is a 'sticky' thread in pre-allo forum, the one that covers admissions and application processes. Someone has compiled a list of all US allo school with the following categories:
applied interviewed accepted inrolled
for all type of aplicants (in-state, out-state, international).
So for any given school you can see how many internationals were interviewd, accepted, etc.
Good luck to your cousin.