Beginner questions!!!

[gebremaryam]

Hello,

I'm glad I found this place, since there are few questions in my mind that desperately need answers...
It would be very much appreciated if somebody could help a beginner out.


I am in the process of moving to the United States, and my foremost ambition is to get the M.D. degree and start practicing medicine in the US.
Unfortunately I cannot afford the tuition for an American university pre-med program, at least not at the moment. I do not wish to take a big student loan for the pre-med program, when it's not even certain that I will be admitted to med school later on.


Is Baccalaureate degree an absolute requirement, or will I be qualified to apply to med school without it? My intention is to start studying courses in Biology, Chemistry, Math, Physics and English (the same ones which are part of the university pre-med curriculum) in my local community college as soon as possible.


In case I absolutely have to have the B.S. to be qualified to apply, is it possible to study the first three years in a community college and then transfer to a university to complete the degree there?


I also know that different med schools have different standards, so it would also be nice to get some info on what schools would be good for a man in my situation. I'm especially intrested in Texas schools.


I'm asking these questions well in advance, so I won't go into wrong direction later.
Just in case somebody wants or needs to email me, I can be reached from [email protected]
Thanks everybody!

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[snowbear]

Most, if not all of the schools I applied to said that you need a Bachelor degree, but I am not completely sure which ones said so, 'cuz I wasn't paying much attention to that.

You can definately do two years at a junior college, or three, but I am pretty sure that universities require that you are at their school for approximately 2 years to get a degree. If you transfer to a state university then, it shouldn't be that expensive. You can also make it a point to apply for some scholarships and definately get financial aid. Try finding a low key job while you're at your junior college, preferably one that you can study at. Receptionist jobs are great for that, because you have a lot of downtime and they pay descent. Often real estate companies need receptionists on the weekend--so that will probably not conflict with your schedule.

If you do well at a Junior college and then also when you transfer to a university, the fact that you went to a junior college will not matter to a lot of medical schools. Try to transfer to one of the more reputable state universities though, because it will help you in your med school applications.

Good luck! From the sound of your post, I think you will definately achieve your goal; you sound very determined.

snowbear

 

[lilstina]

Are you looking to become a resident of the US? If you're really interested in TX schools, you might want to consider becoming a legal resident of the state, as that will make a very very big difference on your chances of getting an acceptance to one of the TX schools as most are required to accept a very large percentage that are residents.

I can't remember off the top of my head what the residency requirements are, but they probably have something to do with residing here for some period of time, or like me, being a dependent of my parents who live here. I might be wrong, but I don't think you can gain residency if you are in the state for the sole purpose of going to school... maybe if you are working.

Anyway, lots of luck, I'm sure you'll get a lot more helpful responses here!

 

[Amy B]

I concure, you will have to have a BS or a BA to get into a med school here in the states. Perhaps you could do a year and a half at a community college and then transfer to a university. Most community colleges don't have the upper level science courses you will need anyway.

Are you moving to a certain place? Have you done a search to find a cheaper university. I paid double for my undergrad degree what my sister paid for hers and she went to a better reputation univer. So pick wisely.

Good luck.

 

[gebremaryam]

Hey You and thanks for the replies and advice!

Snowbear, thanks. Yes, I'm very determined. However, the US educational system is quite different from the system in my own country (FINLAND), so I'm a bit lost with all this...
Anyway, it's cool to have boards like this...


Lilstina, I will be coming to the US on a K1 fiancee visa, and after marrying my lovely girlfriend I will be applying for permanent residency. And since I will not be applying to med school before 2009 so being a resident should not be a problem for me then.


Amy B, I'm moving to Kansas City, as that is where my girlfriend is living at the moment. My plan is to start studying in a community college in KC. However, my girlfriend is missing her family in Dallas and we're gonna be relocating there in a few years. So basically that is why I'm intrested in TX state medical schools.
Sooooooo, does this sound realistic:

KC community college 2005-2006
KC community college 2006-2007?
transfer to Dallas County community college 2007-2008?
transfer to UTD (or other university) 2008-2009
maybe one more year at UTD 2009-2010

med school 2010-2014?



It's a loooooooong way....

 

[jlee9531]

well just remember that transfer to a univ from a community college happens after 2 years and most universities require that you stay 2 years at their place to get a degree from them. not just one.

so 2005-2007 CC
2007-2009 University

 

[Disgruntled One]

its possible to go on to med school without an undergraduate degree, but its very difficult (the only person i know who has done it had ~4.0 with a 40+ mcat) and impossible at a cc.