Difficult Situation

[OKCTHUNDER]

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Im in a very difficult spot right now. I started med school in the fall of 2009 as a pre med bio major. That same semester i found out that i would not be able to go to med school because my immigration application was rejected (Through no fault of my own. Its long and complicated and has to do with my dads case. I was under 18 when i moved here through his immigration application). So they gave us a notice to appear in court in a few months to see when we would be deported.

My initial passion and optimism completely fell apart. The realization that i would not be able to stay with people i had known my whole life sunk in quickly. I had never been one to slack off but i didnt have any motivation. I started not going to a majority of my classes. I would skip alot and barely study. I dont know why i kept going to classes. I guess because i didnt have to pay. I was on a scholarship so i wasnt paying anything out of pocket. On top of that my dad, the only other family i have here, moves back overseas.

Im not pretending that all this caused me massive amounts of depression and explains my behavior and grades fully but it contributed a great deal. My court date just kept getting put off. Then about a semester ago i got good news from my lawyer. The "Dream Act" had been put through and might pass and i qualified for it. It gives me permanent residency. After that i started trying to salvage my grades. That semester i tried a lot harder and got A's in Org Chem and lab, Physics 2 and lab and the rest of my classes. This summer i took Evolution and Ecology and got A and B respectively. Could have gotten a A in ecology but the grades were solely based on exams and i did mediocre on the first exam and got a high B.

Im sitting at a ~3 science and a little over a 3.5 cumulative GPA.
I have 2 more semesters left to go and they are all upper level bio courses and org 2. Im sure i can keep my grades almost all A's. But i cant finish with more than a 3.2-3.3 GPA in science.
I have been doing volunteer work and have also shadowed for a considerable amount of time both at clinics and at hospitals.
I busting my butt studying for the MCAT and am confident i can do pretty well on that as well.

Ill be applying to some med schools soon. (KU, OU college of medicine, etc.)
Do you think i have a chance of being accepted?
Will they look at my grades and just turn me down immediately even if i manage to do well on the MCAT, or will they like how i improved and stayed consistent?
Will they even care about my reasons for doing bad my initial years?

Thanks for reading this long post. I look forward to your replies.

 

[red doctober]

1) You're going to be put under more scrutiny as a non-US citizen. Combine that with a low GPA, and your chances are really going to be slim at a US MD program.
2) No, you won't be automatically turned down just because of your GPA because its on the low end but not abysmal. You need to do well on the MCAT, but you didn't need me to tell you that.
3) This is sort of a toss up. You have an interesting story that's also part of a huge political debate right now. I don't really know how adcoms would view it. In contrast to other people's reasons for low grades (illness, death in the family, etc.), in your own words, yours was ultimately a choice not to do well: "I started not going to a majority of my classes. I would skip alot and barely study. I dont know why i kept going to classes. I guess because i didnt have to pay." To reiterate though, it is harder for non-citizens to get into med school.

In short, if you do well on your MCAT, maybe 34+, you might have a shot at an MD program if you apply broadly and to many schools. Consider also DO programs where you'd have a better shot.

 

[OKCTHUNDER]

1) You're going to be put under more scrutiny as a non-US citizen. Combine that with a low GPA, and your chances are really going to be slim at a US MD program.
2) No, you won't be automatically turned down just because of your GPA because its on the low end but not abysmal. You need to do well on the MCAT, but you didn't need me to tell you that.
3) This is sort of a toss up. You have an interesting story that's also part of a huge political debate right now. I don't really know how adcoms would view it. In contrast to other people's reasons for low grades (illness, death in the family, etc.), in your own words, yours was ultimately a choice not to do well: "I started not going to a majority of my classes. I would skip alot and barely study. I dont know why i kept going to classes. I guess because i didnt have to pay." To reiterate though, it is harder for non-citizens to get into med school.

In short, if you do well on your MCAT, maybe 34+, you might have a shot at an MD program if you apply broadly and to many schools. Consider also DO programs where you'd have a better shot.

Thanks for the reply. I understand and agree with most of your points.
As for the last thing you mentioned, i really didnt know how things would turn out. I was simply told to get ready to be deported. So under those circumstances i dont see what motivation i would have had to keep at it. I was 18 at the time so i wasnt really established on my own. The thought of being thrown out there without any financial or family support scared the heck out of me lol.

I fully realize how bad my start up looks. I have no false ideas that adcoms will have pity on me or anything. I just want to gauge what people think about my situation.

Again, thank you for the reply.

 

[rubisco88]

If all else fails, you can go to med school in Mexico. I'm sure they need good doctors there too.

I agree though that you'll have a tough time getting in as a non-citizen and some adcoms may not have the most positive view on your situation.

 

[OKCTHUNDER]

If all else fails, you can go to med school in Mexico. I'm sure they need good doctors there too.

I agree though that you'll have a tough time getting in as a non-citizen and some adcoms may not have the most positive view on your situation.

Do you think it would matter if they knew that i was on the path to citizenship?
Or do they only care about your current legal standing?

 

[rubisco88]

I think they base it off your official current legal standing like they do with state residency. You'd probably get similar consideration that a Canadian applicant gets. They usually need to have a higher GPA (nearly a 4.0) and high MCAT 34+ to be competitive.

 

[ZJX90]

If all else fails, you can go to med school in Mexico. I'm sure they need good doctors there too.

Why do you assume the OP is from Mexico? Although he or she may very be, there are enough non-Mexicans in similar situations that such an assumption is a bit hasty, without further info from the OP.

I think they base it off your official current legal standing like they do with state residency. You'd probably get similar consideration that a Canadian applicant gets. They usually need to have a higher GPA (nearly a 4.0) and high MCAT 34+ to be competitive.

Many schools consider Canadians on similar grounds to citizens and permanent residents, so if anything the OP will probably be considered an international student, meaning that their chances of getting into a US med school just got tougher. That being said, however, it is definitely not true that you need a near perfect GPA, though that obviously would help a lot.


As for a direct response to the OP's question: First of all, I really sympathize with you. The US immigration system is ridiculous and inefficient, and we really need reform. Yeah, your GPA is on the low side, and schools won't look favorably on that. If you have a positive upward trend though, that is something schools will see as a positive sign, especially if you can explain your situation in a way that shows you've changed and grown a lot from it. But don't make it an excuse! Your previous comment about not studying because you were possibly getting deported is going to sound like an excuse, though I do sympathize with your situation. The thing is to portray it as a difficult experience that motivated you become more hardworking/dedicated to medicine/etc.

I'd say do your research on US med schools and see which ones match your stats. And definitely consider DO schools. Because of your immigration status, however, your choice of schools are going to be limited because a lot of schools flat out state they don't accept non-permanent residents/citizens. You don't want to waste money applying to those schools. So definitely do your research!

Also, I'd talk again to your lawyer if I were you. As far as I know, the DREAM Act didn't go through the Senate back in 2010. I've heard that it's been reintroduced, but with the current political climate and economy, it might be a while before it even gets voted on. But your lawyer may be able to shed more light on the situation. There is also Obama's executive order that defers young adults from deportation and grants a work permit, so you may want to see if that applies or helps you at all.

So overall, is it impossible for you to get into a US med school? No, especially if you do well on your MCAT and have strong ECs. But it is going to be a lot tougher for you, both because of your immigration situation and low GPA. I'd recommend you to do your research and talk to your lawyer. I know of people in similar circumstances so if you have any questions feel free to PM me.

 

[OKCTHUNDER]

Why do you assume the OP is from Mexico? Although he or she may very be, there are enough non-Mexicans in similar situations that such an assumption is a bit hasty, without further info from the OP.



Many schools consider Canadians on similar grounds to citizens and permanent residents, so if anything the OP will probably be considered an international student, meaning that their chances of getting into a US med school just got tougher. That being said, however, it is definitely not true that you need a near perfect GPA, though that obviously would help a lot.


As for a direct response to the OP's question: First of all, I really sympathize with you. The US immigration system is ridiculous and inefficient, and we really need reform. Yeah, your GPA is on the low side, and schools won't look favorably on that. If you have a positive upward trend though, that is something schools will see as a positive sign, especially if you can explain your situation in a way that shows you've changed and grown a lot from it. But don't make it an excuse! Your previous comment about not studying because you were possibly getting deported is going to sound like an excuse, though I do sympathize with your situation. The thing is to portray it as a difficult experience that motivated you become more hardworking/dedicated to medicine/etc.

I'd say do your research on US med schools and see which ones match your stats. And definitely consider DO schools. Because of your immigration status, however, your choice of schools are going to be limited because a lot of schools flat out state they don't accept non-permanent residents/citizens. You don't want to waste money applying to those schools. So definitely do your research!

Also, I'd talk again to your lawyer if I were you. As far as I know, the DREAM Act didn't go through the Senate back in 2010. I've heard that it's been reintroduced, but with the current political climate and economy, it might be a while before it even gets voted on. But your lawyer may be able to shed more light on the situation. There is also Obama's executive order that defers young adults from deportation and grants a work permit, so you may want to see if that applies or helps you at all.

So overall, is it impossible for you to get into a US med school? No, especially if you do well on your MCAT and have strong ECs. But it is going to be a lot tougher for you, both because of your immigration situation and low GPA. I'd recommend you to do your research and talk to your lawyer. I know of people in similar circumstances so if you have any questions feel free to PM me.

Just for any one wondering, im not from mexico im from south east asia.
Also, i know that the dream act hasnt passed but im qualified under the 2 year extention of a permit. Also my lawyer thinks i have a way to get citizenship. But ovbiously the process isnt a few months long. It takes a couple of years.
They also dont consider me an international student. Im considered a resident of oklahoma..
Thanks for the input

 

[coolingglasses]

So are you a "permanent resident"? That might help.

 

[himat]

You can do it. People here are debbie downers, so I highly suggest not to go on this site. You don't HAVE to get a 3.9+ GPA and a 37+MCAT to get in. Does it help? Absolutely, but that's not your situation so that's not the advice you need to hear right now.

First I'll go over the bad, but like anything in life you can turn something bad into something great if you just don't quit

1)Your GPA is struggling a little so here's the hard news, but I know you can do it...You have to get IMPRESSIVE numbers from now on. Why? As much as it sucks that you went through a tough situation, you want to apply so that the med school WANTS you there and not because they feel sorry for you.

Example: Your grades dipped down and now you're sitting at 3.0-3.3 somewhere right?
The average kid who gets accepted is a bit above that (again you don't have to get a 4.0. Life is about making mistakes and bouncing back), so as a law of averages you don't have the luxury of getting the numbers that most kids get accepted with (i.e. a 3.6-3.7) because you're already below that. It would really help to start getting above that so your trend can become really good.

2) Do well on the MCAT. This is the one aspect of the numbers portion where you have a clean slate. You don't have a previous bad MCAT score. If you go in there and do very well it will really help you out. Here's my advice on this though....take it when YOU are ready. Again get off this site because people here laugh about how everyone lies about there numbers etc. but guarantee you 50%+ of people here lie about there numbers too. Study hard, feel good about it, and take the test. That's all you can do. Again don't let the people here who said they only studied 2-3 months get to you. Take as much time as you need. Do NOT feel like you have to take it soon and rush into medical school because that is how you will end up getting rejected.

3) And here's the biggest one...with your EC's and everything. Do something YOU like to do. Everyone here (again I know I'm bashing this site, but I've been on here for a week and can already tell how bad of an environment it can be), tries to put 500 things on there list of EC's as if it's impressive. I guarantee you the medical schools get 10,000 applicants (who volunteered at___, shadowed___ for ___hours, and had ___research hours). Again this is where you can show your passion and story. If all this unfortunate stuff happened to you maybe get involved in something that makes you try to help other people solve that type of situation? Just do something you like and are passionate about so that you can become the person you want to become. Because if you want to become a doctor just for the money then you won't make it. Some people can, but you're at the stage where you have to make an uphill climb, so do the things you care about and be yourself. It will give you a chance to grow up as a person, get away from the stresses of school, and then ultimately do better in school
Finally incorporate this all so that you can also enjoy your life, or else you might burn out. This will probably be a process of time, but you can accomplish it.

And just so that you know, and that you don't feel like you're alone, I'm going through my struggles right now too. My freshman year at Michigan went really well...not perfect but pretty well and I finished with a 3.7 GPA. Sophomore year I went through some serious family issues, went through some anxiety and depression, stopped doing my work and saw my GPA slip to a 2.5-2.6 sophomore year which put me back at a 3.0. That's not good. I'm taking spring/summer classes now and the problems that started my anxiety and struggles in schools are reoccurring. I'm getting better at handling it and hopefully I can finish off the spring/summer term with a combined GPA of a 3.8 but I'm still not satisfied. Again remember how I said that we don't have the luxury of putting up average acceptance numbers anymore? So it's a struggle and I have to overcome this, but with faith and persistence I know I can overcome this. Is it going to be hard? Hell yes, but I'm going to make sure I come out the best man I can be from this. Am I going to be able to apply right after junior year and be the strong applicant I expected? Not anymore, but that's okay because I'm going to keep working harder and harder and see where it takes me.

All in all don't let anyone take your dream from you...especially yourself. Many people in here will tell you that you can't do it, and that's okay. You should never expect people to uplift your goals and dreams. If you quit on yourself though....that's where I can guarantee you that you won't make it. Keep believing in yourself, and do what you need to to bounce back. They don't call it a comeback for nothing.

 

[ZJX90]

They also dont consider me an international student. Im considered a resident of oklahoma..
Thanks for the input

That may be true for some schools but not for others. Some med school websites state specifically that all non-permanent residents and non-US citizens would be considered international students, while others are very vague. Some schools also just don't accept applications from non-perm res/citizen. Maybe they'll take exception to your situation though, doesn't hurt to ask a school directly and check.

 

[rubisco88]

Sorry for the assumption. I thought I had seen Mexico somewhere mentioned but I saw dream act and automatically thought of Mexican because I live in Texas and before lived in California and usually Mexican immigrants are mentioned when talking about the dream act. Sorry about that.