Are these the best options?

[Freesia88]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Hi guys,

Here's something I'd like your collective in put on.

Currently, I hold an undergrad degree from a non-US University and my GPA is not competitive for US medical schools. I anticipate it will drop even further after evaluation and credit transfer.

Considering the stigma againt non US undergrad institutions (especially African ones) by most US medical schools, I decided to pursue a second Bachelors degree here in the US. The idea was to select one which ultimately will allow me to pursue my mission, which is to improve the conditions surrounding the provision of healthcare in my country.

I chose Public Health because I will still be able to contribute to the changes I wish to bring about with the knowledge provided by an undergrad as well graduate degrees in that field. However, I believe that a medical degree will provide me with even more knowledge and skills to do so more effectively, which is why I am trying to get one.


I am on the verge of transferring from CC to a 4-year institution to complete the last couple of my med school prereqs (Org Chem I and II and one more Gen Biology class) as well as complete requirements for a Bachelors in Public Health.

I am confused however as to if I am making the right decision.

I wonder if I should continue with my current plan, which will enable me to gather the academic credentials and put together an application worthy of an MD school (and the gunner in me is trying to shoot for schools with good Public Health Policy/Global Health programs which from my understanding tend to be the ones on the mid to upper range of classification systems). The advantage to this, aside from a good quality education, is that it will carry a lot of weight with regards to my future plan. If there is one thing that is respected where I come from, it is quality education and for the kind of changes I want to push for back home, I will be greatly helped by the prestige of a recognized US MD school. The downside is of course cost which I am not sure I can afford (Barring med school loans, I am trying to be as debt free as possible.)Then there is the fact that it will take longer.

On the other hand I wonder if I should complete my med school prereqs at a CC and go ahead to try and gain admission to a DO school with my foreign undergrad and the US CC courses I have gotten so far. This will save me the time and expense of a 4 year institution, and if I succeed, I will be entering med school completely debt free. I could always pursue an MPH from a good program after my DO degree.

These are the two options I can think of so far. I'm trying to weigh marginal costs vs marginal benefits and it would be helpful to get more perspectives on this.


Respectfully,

Freesia

 

[yellowperil]

If I were in your shoes, I would go the DO route since it will save me money and time. I have no problem with going DO route though and would go DO if given the chance. If you feel you have no regret going DO, then apply to DO school.

 

[Abider]

By the way you've framed your question you are already well versed in the information to make a decision. There's nothing any of us could add to a value assigned to a prestigious education or what exactly it would take to make changes in your home country.

I'm not sure if American tax payer funded medical education should be directed at exportation to your home country. When we have a line of people waiting for a shot to come here to become a citizen and take care of our under served.

Me personally I think it's a great idea. What I mean to suggest is if some of our people in the know here can indicate if this an effective admission strategy for you. I have no idea.

Otherwise your post has more to do with your own values and own resources.

 

[Freesia88]

By the way you've framed your question you are already well versed in the information to make a decision. There's nothing any of us could add to a value assigned to a prestigious education or what exactly it would take to make changes in your home country.

I'm not sure if American tax payer funded medical education should be directed at exportation to your home country. When we have a line of people waiting for a shot to come here to become a citizen and take care of our under served.

Me personally I think it's a great idea. What I mean to suggest is if some of our people in the know here can indicate if this an effective admission strategy for you. I have no idea.

Otherwise your post has more to do with your own values and own resources.

😕

Seeing as your country offered me a green card (without the condition that I rescind my natural citizenship) and also that I currently work and pay taxes too in the US, I am not sure where you are coming from.

It's alright though, if you'd rather your country kept on shipping billions of dollars worth of tax payer money in the form of "aid" to poor African countries, rather than add one more person to said African country , who is willing to work towards making that aid money unecessary... be my guest.😉

Oh but then again, I need not worry about the state of affairs in my country. There is a never ending supply of eager american volunteers willing to bring their medical expertise to my country with nary a thought to your under served languishing here. 🙂

 

[NuttyEngDude]

Currently, I hold an undergrad degree from a non-US University and my GPA is not competitive for US medical schools. I anticipate it will drop even further after evaluation and credit transfer.

Considering the stigma againt non US undergrad institutions (especially African ones) by most US medical schools, I decided to pursue a second Bachelors degree here in the US.

Hi Freesia,
Forgive my ignorance, but do you have to report the out of country institution if you were to earn a degree in the united states? If not, and assuming you are pulling some good grades, you could be setting yourself up for some nice success. Sorry I am not offering much in the way of advice, sort of out of my area of expertise, but wanted to know and offer some support whichever way you go........

 

[Freesia88]

Hi Freesia,
Forgive my ignorance, but do you have to report the out of country institution if you were to earn a degree in the united states? If not, and assuming you are pulling some good grades, you could be setting yourself up for some nice success. Sorry I am not offering much in the way of advice, sort of out of my area of expertise, but wanted to know and offer some support whichever way you go........

I would imagine so. I graduated HS in 2005, so I don't think I will be able to get away with not accounting for those three years I spent completing undergrad back home.

And I am hoping I can transfer some of that credit here, so I don't have to take a crap ton of classes to finish my second undergrad degree.

Thanks for chiming in. 🙂

 

[Abider]

😕

Seeing as your country offered me a green card (without the condition that I rescind my natural citizenship) and also that I currently work and pay taxes too in the US, I am not sure where you are coming from.

It's alright though, if you'd rather your country kept on shipping billions of dollars worth of tax payer money in the form of "aid" to poor African countries, rather than add one more person to said African country , who is willing to work towards making that aid money unecessary... be my guest.😉

Oh but then again, I need not worry about the state of affairs in my country. There is a never ending supply of eager american volunteers willing to bring their medical expertise to my country with nary a thought to your under served languishing here. 🙂

Alright boss take it easy. I was just wondering what your best personal statement angle would be. Most schools have a mission of training docs to work in their community. But less so I would imagine at big prestigious private school. You mentioned being debt free. So?

Otherwise I see nothing advisable because your situation is unique to and conditioned on your own desires.

 

[Freesia88]

Alright boss take it easy. I was just wondering what your best personal statement angle would be. Most schools have a mission of training docs to work in their community. But less so I would imagine at big prestigious private school. You mentioned being debt free. So?

Otherwise I see nothing advisable because your situation is unique to and conditioned on your own desires.

Of course you were....😉

 

[Abider]

Of course you were....😉

Hey mano. Working to improve the health of the world is noble. Not sure that state university where tuition is cheap sees it as the most attractive aspect of an applicant or that it should be worried about such things. If that's not guilty vanilla liberal enough for you know where you can go with it.

Cut the sarcasm and say it like a man if you mean to say something.

 

[Freesia88]

Hey mano. Working to improve the health of the world is noble. Not sure that state university where tuition is cheap sees it as the most attractive aspect of an applicant or that it should be worried about such things. If that's not guilty vanilla liberal enough for you know where you can go with it.

Cut the sarcasm and say it like a man if you mean to say something.

I would say it like a man, but I lack the essential body parts to make me one. 🙁

How about you let the State University worry about what they consider an attractive applicant?

With all due respect, you have already stated what your opinion is on the issue. I do not see what further insight you have to offer....

 

[Skeeks]

WOAH bessy! Everyone is here to help 🙂 Lets all just take a moment to dream about putting on that white coat! 😀 thats a happy thought!

 

[Abider]

I would say it like a man, but I lack the essential body parts to make me one. 🙁

How about you let the State University worry about what they consider an attractive applicant?

With all due respect, you have already stated what your opinion is on the issue. I do not see what further insight you have to offer....

Fair enough premed. Go get it.

 

[sk7]

Hi guys,

Here's something I'd like your collective in put on.

Currently, I hold an undergrad degree from a non-US University and my GPA is not competitive for US medical schools. I anticipate it will drop even further after evaluation and credit transfer.

Considering the stigma againt non US undergrad institutions (especially African ones) by most US medical schools, I decided to pursue a second Bachelors degree here in the US. The idea was to select one which ultimately will allow me to pursue my mission, which is to improve the conditions surrounding the provision of healthcare in my country.

I chose Public Health because I will still be able to contribute to the changes I wish to bring about with the knowledge provided by an undergrad as well graduate degrees in that field. However, I believe that a medical degree will provide me with even more knowledge and skills to do so more effectively, which is why I am trying to get one.


I am on the verge of transferring from CC to a 4-year institution to complete the last couple of my med school prereqs (Org Chem I and II and one more Gen Biology class) as well as complete requirements for a Bachelors in Public Health.

I am confused however as to if I am making the right decision.

I wonder if I should continue with my current plan, which will enable me to gather the academic credentials and put together an application worthy of an MD school (and the gunner in me is trying to shoot for schools with good Public Health Policy/Global Health programs which from my understanding tend to be the ones on the mid to upper range of classification systems). The advantage to this, aside from a good quality education, is that it will carry a lot of weight with regards to my future plan. If there is one thing that is respected where I come from, it is quality education and for the kind of changes I want to push for back home, I will be greatly helped by the prestige of a recognized US MD school. The downside is of course cost which I am not sure I can afford (Barring med school loans, I am trying to be as debt free as possible.)Then there is the fact that it will take longer.

On the other hand I wonder if I should complete my med school prereqs at a CC and go ahead to try and gain admission to a DO school with my foreign undergrad and the US CC courses I have gotten so far. This will save me the time and expense of a 4 year institution, and if I succeed, I will be entering med school completely debt free. I could always pursue an MPH from a good program after my DO degree.

These are the two options I can think of so far. I'm trying to weigh marginal costs vs marginal benefits and it would be helpful to get more perspectives on this.


Respectfully,

Freesia

Personally, I don't know about getting a second bachelor's degree unless you're really interested in what you're currently studying. I got my bachelor's outside the US as well in Africa but when I moved to the US I did an MPH and then took the pre-requisites as a post-bacc student.
In terms of transferring courses from your undergrad institution, as long as they're not pre-requisites you should be fine. US med schools do not consider pre-requisites taken outside the US or Canada, and AMCAS doesn't verify foreign transcripts so keep that in mind.
DO and MD are extremely similar here in the US, but if your goal is to eventually go back to Africa to work you might want to go the MD route since not all countries recognize DO (mine doesn't).
Don't let the time involved deter you. We all have different ways of getting to our destinations. It only matters that you get there (ie become a doctor)
Just a few things to keep in mind. Either way, I'm sure you'll do well.

 

[Freesia88]

Personally, I don't know about getting a second bachelor's degree unless you're really interested in what you're currently studying. I got my bachelor's outside the US as well in Africa but when I moved to the US I did an MPH and then took the pre-requisites as a post-bacc student.
In terms of transferring courses from your undergrad institution, as long as they're not pre-requisites you should be fine. US med schools do not consider pre-requisites taken outside the US or Canada, and AMCAS doesn't verify foreign transcripts so keep that in mind.
DO and MD are extremely similar here in the US, but if your goal is to eventually go back to Africa to work you might want to go the MD route since not all countries recognize DO (mine doesn't).
Don't let the time involved deter you. We all have different ways of getting to our destinations. It only matters that you get there (ie become a doctor)
Just a few things to keep in mind. Either way, I'm sure you'll do well.

Thank you so much!!!

What worries me is that from what I have read, even if you have a graduate GPA adcoms, still look at your UG GPA and as I said mine is not competitive. My sGPA with the prereqs will probably be greater than 3.8 based on my performance so far but all but ~3 of them will be from a CC which creates the potential of them being regarded as sub par...I am just trying to position myself for success as best as I can.

With regards to MD vs DO, MD is definitely the safe choice given I want to go back home so i am focusing my efforts in that direction. If I am good enough for MD, i will definitely be good enough for DO. I think I found a DO who practices in my country but I am trying to confirm that.

I have been looking into MPH's and that is a route I might take if I can build a strong enough UG base without necessarily getting a 2nd bachelors.

 

[non trad]

AMCAS won't even count foreign grades unless they're transferred to a US school, so GPA repair is much easier for you than for someone who went to school in the US. Individual schools might, but each one is different. Some will make offers without even asking about grades (let alone verifying them.)

MD schools have widely differing attitudes towards international applicants: A private school that sees itself as (or aspires to be) a global leader in medicine will be much more friendly than a state-funded school that wants to train physicians who will practice locally.

 

[Freesia88]

AMCAS won't even count foreign grades unless they're transferred to a US school, so GPA repair is much easier for you than for someone who went to school in the US. Individual schools might, but each one is different. Some will make offers without even asking about grades (let alone verifying them.)

MD schools have widely differing attitudes towards international applicants: A private school that sees itself as (or aspires to be) a global leader in medicine will be much more friendly than a state-funded school that wants to train physicians who will practice locally.

Kinda got this vibe during my research. Thanks for pointing it out though. I will definitely be focusing on those schools which have global health as one of their missions.

 

[Solus]

Personally, I don't know about getting a second bachelor's degree unless you're really interested in what you're currently studying. I got my bachelor's outside the US as well in Africa but when I moved to the US I did an MPH and then took the pre-requisites as a post-bacc student.
In terms of transferring courses from your undergrad institution, as long as they're not pre-requisites you should be fine. US med schools do not consider pre-requisites taken outside the US or Canada, and AMCAS doesn't verify foreign transcripts so keep that in mind.
DO and MD are extremely similar here in the US, but if your goal is to eventually go back to Africa to work you might want to go the MD route since not all countries recognize DO (mine doesn't).
Don't let the time involved deter you. We all have different ways of getting to our destinations. It only matters that you get there (ie become a doctor)
Just a few things to keep in mind. Either way, I'm sure you'll do well.

👍

I'd say do your prereqs in a post-bacc program (1 to 2 years) , flush out your clinical experience volunteering and shadowing, and do well on the MCAT. I've also seen plenty of MD/MPH combined degree programs as well.

Good luck 🙂

 

[Solus]

Thank you so much!!!
My sGPA with the prereqs will probably be greater than 3.8 based on my performance so far but all but ~3 of them will be from a CC which creates the potential of them being regarded as sub par...I am just trying to position myself for success as best as I can.

That's something that concerns me as well, which is why I've opted to bite the debt bullet and do my prereqs at a university just to optimize my chances.

 

[Chip N Sawbones]

Have you looked at VCOM? They're a DO school that takes students with midrange stats, and they love international medicine. I can't remember, but I think they offer a DO/MPH dual degree that would give you the public health education you're looking for. I interviewed at their South Carolina campus, which is almost brand new. I was impressed by their commitment to rural and international medicine, but ultimately decided to go elsewhere.

 

[Freesia88]

Have you looked at VCOM? They're a DO school that takes students with midrange stats, and they love international medicine. I can't remember, but I think they offer a DO/MPH dual degree that would give you the public health education you're looking for. I interviewed at their South Carolina campus, which is almost brand new. I was impressed by their commitment to rural and international medicine, but ultimately decided to go elsewhere.

Thank you! Adding that to my list. I will still need to confrim that DO's can practise in my country... though...🙁

 

[DocVapor]

I am currently an MSI at VCOM's Virginia campus. They are very committed to underserved care, in the Appalachian region and internationally. There are several international mission trips each to (to South/Central America and Caribbean). I think your goals would fit in very well here.

Another good thing is the Post-Baccalaureate program. I graduated from it, as I'm non-traditional. They guarantee admission to either of the campuses as long as you get a certain MCAT, GPA, and good recommendations from the professors. It's only a couple years old, but they have been admitting more students each year, and so things are changing quickly, so be sure to contact them directly.

If you can confirm that DO's have full scope of practice in your home country, I think it's a very good option.

If you would like more information about it feel free to PM me.

 

[Freesia88]

I am so excited right now. Apparently DO's can practice in my country and one of them actually has a huge program running building a hospital to cater to people who cannot afford healthcare.

http://stillmagazine.atsu.edu/?p=336

Thank you all so much for the replies and the suggestions. Things are looking so much better now.