Credits from a different country

[Medglory]

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Hi everyone,

As I said before I am enrolled on the Medical technologist program at UCO. I am interested on the MD/PHD program after finishing my bachelor degree. I just started the fall semester and I find myself facing a dilemma. Since I am an international student, I have some math, chemistry and biology credits from my country. However the grades aren't so great ( B and Cs). My adviser told me that this will affect the decision of the MD/PHD comity and will affect my GPA as well. But one of the professors told me that they will be looking at what I did here in the US ( Grades and research experience).
I need some help to see if I will keep these credits or if I will take the classes again here in the US.

My other question is about the undergraduate research. Is it fine if I participate in an animal biology project like studying animals outside?

Thanks

 

[PfNO22]

Hi everyone,

As I said before I am enrolled on the Medical technologist program at UCO. I am interested on the MD/PHD program after finishing my bachelor degree. I just started the fall semester and I find myself facing a dilemma. Since I am an international student, I have some math, chemistry and biology credits from my country. However the grades aren't so great ( B and Cs). My adviser told me that this will affect the decision of the MD/PHD comity and will affect my GPA as well. But one of the professors told me that they will be looking at what I did here in the US ( Grades and research experience).
I need some help to see if I will keep these credits or if I will take the classes again here in the US.

My other question is about the undergraduate research. Is it fine if I participate in an animal biology project like studying animals outside?

Thanks

First of all, AMCAS does not accept foreign transcripts. So, any grades you earned abroad that were not in an official study abroad program with a U.S. or Canadian university will not be included. That is to say, you will type the course name but no one will see the grade because you won't enter it.

Two possibilities:
1) For some reason, you need the credits to satisfy the prerequisites. You pay to have the transcripts translated and then analyzed to have them converted to US grades (~$400). You will then send the transcripts and the grade analyses to every school you apply to.
2) You take the courses in the U.S. You use those for the prerequisites and your foreign grades disappear.

You have the unique opportunity of retaking courses with grades you don't like and no one will ever see the original grades. I think a lot of people would pick that option.

However, in no case will foreign courses affect your GPA as calculated by AMCAS.

 

[Medglory]

Thank you for your answer.

Do you mean that my GPA of the medical technologist program will not be affected at all by my 62 credits earned?

Among the prerequisites of the medical school, I have some that I already had in my country like math and general chemistry with a B grade. Shall I take them again or is it fine that I take only the ones missing?

In sum, the AMCAS will look only at what I did in the US no matter what?!

Thanks

 

[PfNO22]

In sum, the AMCAS will look only at what I did in the US no matter what?!

yes.

 

[Ombret]

This seems paradoxical but it is just the way the system works. It is just too hard for AMCAS, medical schools or anyone else to determine whether bio 101 at XYZ foreign university has been taught to a reasonable standard. I am not necessarily defending this, but having been involved in resident selection, I now understand somewhat first-hand how difficult it is to do this fairly. Ironically many courses taught outside the U.S. are probably more rigorous than the equivalent within the U.S. (I know this was true of my elementary/middle school education which occurred in Europe). Also ironic is the fact that college level teaching varies wildly among our more than 2000 colleges in the U.S.

 

[Medglory]

This seems paradoxical but it is just the way the system works. It is just too hard for AMCAS, medical schools or anyone else to determine whether bio 101 at XYZ foreign university has been taught to a reasonable standard. I am not necessarily defending this, but having been involved in resident selection, I now understand somewhat first-hand how difficult it is to do this fairly. Ironically many courses taught outside the U.S. are probably more rigorous than the equivalent within the U.S. (I know this was true of my elementary/middle school education which occurred in Europe). Also ironic is the fact that college level teaching varies wildly among our more than 2000 colleges in the U.S.

Indeed. The level of studies in my country was different from here.
But my main question is: Do you advice me to valid some prerequisite courses that have a B or C grade ( according to the equivalency they gave me here in the US) or is it better to take them again so my application will be stronger?

Thanks