Do I have a chance?

[rhp123]

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Hi guys:

First thanks in advance for any suggestions, advice and help.

My situation is so different from most people here, I don't know whether I should try to get into a US medical school and what should I prepare, and how much chance I have.

I got a BA (GPA 3.19) and MA (GPA 3.3) in Business from a foreign country, I worked one year as an accountant there. And then I came to US, got a MA in Economics (GPA 3.75) and a MS in Computer Science (GPA 3.9) from two US universities. I worked one year as a Computer Programmer, and then I worked as a CPA in accounting field ever since for about 4 years now.

Do I really need to get a BA in biology from a good university first before I apply for medical school? To improve my GPA as well.

Also age is a big issue, I am 34 now. By the time I applied, I will be about 37. Will age be a big disadvantage for me?

My real dream is to be a doctor, and I am willing to do everything I could to realize this dream. But I don't want to go to another country to get a MD because my family is here. How much chance do I have to get admitted by a US medical school? What should I do to maximize my chance?

 

[skypilot]

Your GPA is fine. Your age is not an issue. (I am 40) You definitely don't need another degree! Just prep for the MCAT.

The only problem you may have is borrowing the money to pay for med school if you are not a permanent resident of the U.S.

Do you have a visa to work here?

 

[MaineDocToBe]

I'm assuming for the degrees that you have that you haven't done the prerequisites yet. So, this is probably stupid to say, but you'll have to knock them out first. So, take the chem, bio, etc.. at a school where you feel you can do well at. Shop around, take them at a cheap school. Save your money. I don't think it matters too much where you take as long as it's a solid school, state or something like that, proably not community college. Don't spend your money on a program like Columbia or Bryn Mawr. There are tons of postbac programs out there. The most important thing is to take a rigorous course of study in which you prove you can handle a full course load of the sciences for a year and then take your MCAT.

Good luck.

 

[Sweet Tea]

You don't need another degree-- you have plenty of 'em! But you do need to have taken the pre-reqs recently-- within the past 5-6 years. Do a postbacc, or if you don't want to devote all your time to a prereq then take classes when you can at your local university. I think its really a question of if you want a more formal, intense way to get your prereqs done of if you want to spread them out and work while you take them. But either way is fine as long as you do well.

Best of luck to you!

 

[elias514]

You don't have to earn a BA in Biology to gain admission to an allopathic or osteopathic med school in the US. However, you must take all of the pre-med course requirements prior to matriculation at any med school. These course requirements are as follows: 1 year of general chemistry, 1 year of organic chemistry, 1 year of English (including a composition class), and 1 year of physics. Med schools typically have a math requirement, too. Generally speaking, one semester of college algebra is mandatory for matriculation; but keep in mind that this explicit requirement is pointless, because college algebra is a prerequisite for physics. Go figure. (Note: some prestigious med schools in the US require a semester or two of calculus).

In light of these requirements, I recommend that you enroll yourself in a respectable post-baccalaureate program, which is a rigorous sequence of pre-med courses for pre-meds who have already graduated from college. These programs have a twofold purpose: 1) they satisfy the entrance requirements for the vast majority of med schools in the states and 2) they prepare students for the MCAT. Most universities have post-bac programs.

You should take the MCAT in April of the year you apply to med school. YOUR PERFORMANCE ON THIS EXAM WILL MAKE OR BREAK YOU. Take it very seriously. The best preparation for the exam is a combination of studying hard in your pre-med courses and taking as many practice tests as possible. An excellent study aid for the MCAT is Examkrackers; you can find these books at any major bookstore. They provide excellent content review and there are thousands of practice questions in them. In addition, you need to purchase full-length exams from AAMC (website: www.aamc.org). Take them on the Saturday's leading up to test day. Take no less than 6 full-length AAMC exams. Thoroughly review the explanations for ALL of the questions after every exam, so that you learn from each test. Expect to devote 200+ hours in preparation for the MCAT.

I can't emphasize enough how important the MCAT is for your gaining admission to med school. The sad truth is that med schools are very hesitant to admit nontraditional applicants in their mid-thirties or older, UNLESS they have excellent numbers, or they are truly exceptional individuals (e.g., tenured professors at Harvard). Look at the statistics for admission according to age--they are truly abysmal for thiry and forty-somethings (less than 1% acceptance rates).

So, the bottom line for your chances of gaining admission: maximize your chances by acing your pre-med courses in a post-bac program and the MCAT. As for your GPA, don't worry about it. A 3.5+ GPA in a graduate program is excellent, far better than a comparable GPA in an undergraduate program. Moreover, your GPA as a foreign student will not adversely impact your chances of gaining admission for two reasons: 1) people change a tremendous amount in a decade, especially during the 20-something years and 2) foreign schools are not guilty of grade inflation like schools in the U.S. Thus, a 3.1 GPA in a foreign program may be the equivalent of a 3.6 GPA in the US. Who knows, right?

One other thing: during your med school interviews, the biggest issue is WHY YOU HAVE DECIDED TO CHANGE CAREERS. You must be able to thoroughly answer this question and convince the interviewers that you are 100% serious about becoming a doctor.

Best of luck in the pursuit of your dream!

 

[elias514]

You don't have to earn a BA in Biology to gain admission to an allopathic or osteopathic med school in the US. However, you must take all of the pre-med course requirements prior to matriculation at any med school. These course requirements are as follows: 1 year of general chemistry, 1 year of organic chemistry, 1 year of English (including a composition class), and 1 year of physics. Med schools typically have a math requirement, too. Generally speaking, one semester of college algebra is mandatory for matriculation; but keep in mind that this explicit requirement is pointless, because college algebra is a prerequisite for physics. Go figure. (Note: some prestigious med schools in the US require a semester or two of calculus).

In light of these requirements, I recommend that you enroll yourself in a respectable post-baccalaureate program, which is a rigorous sequence of pre-med courses for pre-meds who have already graduated from college. These programs have a twofold purpose: 1) they satisfy the entrance requirements for the vast majority of med schools in the states and 2) they prepare students for the MCAT. Most universities have post-bac programs.

You should take the MCAT in April of the year you apply to med school. YOUR PERFORMANCE ON THIS EXAM WILL MAKE OR BREAK YOU. Take it very seriously. The best preparation for the exam is a combination of studying hard in your pre-med courses and taking as many practice tests as possible. An excellent study aid for the MCAT is Examkrackers; you can find these books at any major bookstore. They provide excellent content review and there are thousands of practice questions in them. In addition, you need to purchase full-length exams from AAMC (website: www.aamc.org). Take them on the Saturday's leading up to test day. Take no less than 6 full-length AAMC exams. Thoroughly review the explanations for ALL of the questions after every exam, so that you learn from each test. Expect to devote 200+ hours in preparation for the MCAT.

I can't emphasize enough how important the MCAT is for your gaining admission to med school. The sad truth is that med schools are very hesitant to admit nontraditional applicants in their mid-thirties or older, UNLESS they have excellent numbers, or they are truly exceptional individuals (e.g., tenured professors at Harvard). Look at the statistics for admission according to age--they are truly abysmal for thiry and forty-somethings (less than 1% acceptance rates).

So, the bottom line for your chances of gaining admission: maximize your chances by acing your pre-med courses in a post-bac program and the MCAT. As for your GPA, don't worry about it. A 3.5+ GPA in a graduate program is excellent, far better than a comparable GPA in an undergraduate program. Moreover, your GPA as a foreign student will not adversely impact your chances of gaining admission for two reasons: 1) people change a tremendous amount in a decade, especially during the 20-something years and 2) foreign schools are not guilty of grade inflation like schools in the U.S. Thus, a 3.1 GPA in a foreign program may be the equivalent of a 3.6 GPA in the US. Who knows, right?

One other thing: during your med school interviews, the biggest issue is WHY YOU HAVE DECIDED TO CHANGE CAREERS. You must be able to thoroughly answer this question and convince the interviewers that you are 100% serious about becoming a doctor.

Best of luck in the pursuit of your dream!

 

[elias514]

Sorry about the duplication. Stupid computer.

 

[toomuch]

If you are a US citizen, then yes, you have a good chance. If not, then no. I would probably look into carribean medical schools if the latter is true and you want to practicein the US. Just do the premed requirements. Math will not be a problem for you. I could imply that you have already taken at least one english course and one basic science course if your Bachelor's degree requires it. This is true in the US at least. If you're willing to go to a DO school then your chances are great as long as you start doing a few ECs. The premed requirements don't take that long to do unless you will be taken them at night. The only real time consuming thing about the prereqs is that it is usually best to take organic chemistry after chemistry. Studying for MCAT is the next time consuming thing so make sure it is taken in April first. You can do a search in this forum and see what schools aren't friendly to non-trads, but many state schools are. Otherwise, don't worry about age.

tm

 

[trauma_junky]

You'll do fine, it's all in how you roll the dice (essay, secondary's, how much you call and bug the school).

On another note, We get like one of these a week. We should have a whole form dedictated to this specific question.

 

[skypilot]

Originally posted by toomuch
If you are a US citizen, then yes, you have a good chance. If not, then no. I would probably look into carribean medical schools

Or if you have the cash or someone to sponsor you so you wouldn't need government loans some private schools will take you I believe. Sometimes the government of your own country would loan you the money.

Or if you have permanent resident status that may make it easier as well.

 

[rhp123]

Thanks for all that replied. Right now I am holding a work visa, but I am expecting to get a GC very soon through my employment, so money shouldn't be a problem for me. I guess all I need is just working very hard.

That's the beauty of America and one of the reasons that I love this country so much. It gives everybody a chance to try.

Good luck to everyone here.

 

[Renovar]

Originally posted by rhp123
Thanks for all that replied. Right now I am holding a work visa, but I am expecting to get a GC very soon through my employment, so money shouldn't be a problem for me. I guess all I need is just working very hard.

That's the beauty of America and one of the reasons that I love this country so much. It gives everybody a chance to try.

Good luck to everyone here.

And try you will! Work hard and everything is possible.

Dont forget to throw in some osteo schools for good measure - if you want to take care of patients and do primary care. Those schools have slightly lower requirements in terms of MCATs and GPAs, but still reasonably hard to get in, and you still going to be well trained doctor.