foreign bachelor, Phd quitter, Career changer plus Army Medic

[armynontrad]

I am from Asia. I studied chemistry, physics for 5 years, Biology for two years with straight A in High School. I wanted to become a physician since high school ... but it turned out to be a skewed path...

Because of family hardship and arranged both major and school by Education System, I stayed in Computer Science field for over 10 years, which I never liked.

I have a foreign bachelor degree, and get free ride of Master Degree at Villanova University (2016 NCAA Champion...).
Due to family issue, I left US for 2 years and came back as a PhD student on student Visa...

I suspended my PhD program and now have a full-time job to make some money for Medical schools (cost of living for 4 years...).

Recently I am enlisted as Medic in US Army Reserve, will get Medic training for 16 weeks, and hopefully will get my citizenship next year. While I am waiting for shipping, I plan to finish 16 credits for prerequisites at community college in the evening since I have full-time job.

Any thoughts or opinions to help me wrap the whole things up? Thank you!

To whoever is curious about my age, I am 30 years old

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[Goro]

First off, many thanks to you for your service to our country.

If you can demonstrate a sustained commitment to academic excellence, you'll be OK.

 

[armynontrad]

First off, many thanks to you for your service to our country.

If you can demonstrate a sustained commitment to academic excellence, you'll be OK.

Thanks for reply. I am confident I will do.

I have additional questions if you can help.

1. Is acceptance to medical school very subjective?

2. Since I have full-time job now, I have to take half of prerequisites from Community college and later another half from 4 years college. Will this hurt my application?

 

[deleted480308]

1. Hell yes, it's hard but attainable

2. It will hurt with a lot of MD programs but not most DO programs. What is your total gpa for all classes taken so far?

 

[armynontrad]

1. Hell yes, it's hard but attainable

2. It will hurt with a lot of MD programs but not most DO programs. What is your total gpa for all classes taken so far?

Can I redeem prerequisites from CC with good MCAT score?

undergraduate GPA in computer sciences is above 3.3, which is uncurved... Graduate GPA doesn't really matter I assume.

I am really not happy with Asian grades system... My school gives low grades even though I graduated with summa cum laude.

But I want to go to MD programs not DO...

 

[FCMike11]

Why not DO?

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[armynontrad]

Why not DO?

Sent from my Nexus 6P using SDN mobile

I want to become a surgeon if attainable

 

[deleted480308]

Can I redeem prerequisites from CC with good MCAT score?

undergraduate GPA in computer sciences is above 3.3, which is uncurved... Graduate GPA doesn't really matter I assume.

I am really not happy with Asian grades system... My school gives low grades even though I graduated with summa cum laude.

But I want to go to MD programs not DO...

I want to become a surgeon if attainable

you don't know enough about this process to turn your nose down at DO if your reason is wanting to be a surgeon. 3.3 really isn't strong for MD, the DO retake strategy would really increase your odds

just take your prereqs and see where you end up

 

[armynontrad]

you don't know enough about this process to turn your nose down at DO if your reason is wanting to be a surgeon. 3.3 really isn't strong for MD, the DO retake strategy would really increase your odds

just take your prereqs and see where you end up

I agree with you.

Without strong credentials, I can approve nothing at this moment.

Thanks.

 

[Goro]

60% of applicants get rejected. The odds of getting accepted to any one MD school are about 1-3%, depending upon what state the school is in, its mission and whether it's public or private.

Getting an interview is one thing, but getting accepted is 100% on you.


1. Is acceptance to medical school very subjective?

No. You're in a marathon, not a sprint. I want to reiterate sb247's comments that beggars can't be choosy.

2. Since I have full-time job now, I have to take half of prerequisites from Community college and later another half from 4 years college. Will this hurt my application?

 

[hopefulERdoc251]

OP, FWIW, hard work, good board scores, and solid rotation grades in Surgery at almost any DO school will make you competitive for surgery! Now if you wanted radiology/derm/ortho/optho/ENT/uro, then you'll face more scrutiny as a DO student applying for such residencies. If you're gung-ho for surgery, then DO will get you to that goal.

 

[armynontrad]

60% of applicants get rejected. The odds of getting accepted to any one MD school are about 1-3%, depending upon what state the school is in, its mission and whether it's public or private.

Getting an interview is one thing, but getting accepted is 100% on you.


1. Is acceptance to medical school very subjective?

No. You're in a marathon, not a sprint. I want to reiterate sb247's comments that beggars can't be choosy.

2. Since I have full-time job now, I have to take half of prerequisites from Community college and later another half from 4 years college. Will this hurt my application?

Thank you.

Since I can transfer majority of credits into second bachelor degree, I will probably try to get another bachelor degree in Biology, which will help me surpass preferred US bachelor degree and also improve sGPA.

Will this way be helpful for my application?

 

[Goro]

Yes

Thank you.

Since I can transfer majority of credits into second bachelor degree, I will probably try to get another bachelor degree in Biology, which will help me surpass preferred US bachelor degree and also improve sGPA.

Will this way be helpful for my application?

 

[DrMikeP]

If you want MD then you need around a 3.7 GPA is that possible without retakes? That or you do a darn near perfect formal postbac and pay around $100k plus.



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[68PGunner]

I am from Asia. I studied chemistry, physics for 5 years, Biology for two years with straight A in High School. I wanted to become a physician since high school ... but it turned out to be a skewed path...

Because of family hardship and arranged both major and school by Education System, I stayed in Computer Science field for over 10 years, which I never liked.

I have a foreign bachelor degree, and get free ride of Master Degree at Villanova University (2016 NCAA Champion...).
Due to family issue, I left US for 2 years and came back as a PhD student on student Visa...

I suspended my PhD program and now have a full-time job to make some money for Medical schools (cost of living for 4 years...).

Recently I am enlisted as Medic in US Army Reserve, will get Medic training for 16 weeks, and hopefully will get my citizenship next year. While I am waiting for shipping, I plan to finish 16 credits for prerequisites at community college in the evening since I have full-time job.

Any thoughts or opinions to help me wrap the whole things up? Thank you!

To whoever is curious about my age, I am 30 years old

A word of caution to the Army Reserve:

You're pretty much locking yourself to the Army HPSP or USUHS if you do get accepted to medical school. If you don't go either paths, this is what's going to happen:

1st year medical school went by smoothly. In your 2nd year, President Trump invades Syria to root out ISIS. Because of that, you have been ordered to deploy to Syria for 18 months. Your medical school dream just burns into nothingness and you hate your life.

 

[armynontrad]

If you want MD then you need around a 3.7 GPA is that possible without retakes? That or you do a darn near perfect formal postbac and pay around $100k plus.



Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

The reason I have low GPA is that my school gave low grades without curve although I was among top 15% in the department and received sum cum laude honor(4 out of 160). And I didn't take any general science for under.
Also my school is similar to NYU in US and they have cooperation school in Asia.

The reason I plan to do second bachelor in Biology is to bypass the requirement of preferred US or Canada degree. Besides I have to finish prerequisites anyway and wait for a glide year. Second bachelor degree can be done by finishing around 40 credits with transfer credits.

 

[armynontrad]

A word of caution to the Army Reserve:

You're pretty much locking yourself to the Army HPSP or USUHS if you do get accepted to medical school. If you don't go either paths, this is what's going to happen:

1st year medical school went by smoothly. In your 2nd year, President Trump invades Syria to root out ISIS. Because of that, you have been ordered to deploy to Syria for 18 months. Your medical school dream just burns into nothingness and you hate your life.

Thanks for the word of caution.

I don't know why I am locked if I don't sign the HPSP.

I met a reserve who didn't get deployed even though they served for over 30 years...

I can't really hate or complain about my life. I didn't get chance to study what I like and I am good at for over 10 years.

Computer Science is my weakest subject... But I made through in the middle of PhD program...

Finally I made my way on the path I want even though it's very very tough. I really appreciate it actually.

I just hope future President won't initiate any war... Also there is always chance to avoid deployment

 

[armynontrad]

OP, FWIW, hard work, good board scores, and solid rotation grades in Surgery at almost any DO school will make you competitive for surgery! Now if you wanted radiology/derm/ortho/optho/ENT/uro, then you'll face more scrutiny as a DO student applying for such residencies. If you're gung-ho for surgery, then DO will get you to that goal.

Thanks for info. I will do my best to get into MD program!

 

[deleted480308]

A lot of reserve didn't get deployed even though they served for over 30 years...

Bull****

 

[deleted480308]

Side note: reservre/ guard has an mos for med students so if you get citizenship and an acceptance you should be able to commision as o1 and will be protected from deploment during school

 

[armynontrad]

Side note: reservre/ guard has an mos for med students so if you get citizenship and an acceptance you should be able to commision as o1 and will be protected from deploment during school

regarding clinical experience, since I will be expected to be a medic in military hospital, is it still important to keep volunteering hours every week while I work full-time and take General Chem I and English Composition?

 

[deleted480308]

regarding clinical experience, since I will be expected to be a medic in military hospital, is it still important to keep volunteering hours every week while I work full-time and take General Chem I and English Composition?

volunteering is about exhibiting care for those less stable than you in life, it's not the same as clinical exposure. Two separate categories

 

[68PGunner]

Side note: reservre/ guard has an mos for med students so if you get citizenship and an acceptance you should be able to commision as o1 and will be protected from deploment during school

Where does it say in the regulation allowing him to switch MOS? As far as I'm concerned, the only way you can do it is by a DD 4187 for a conditional release that is approved by your senior officer. So, do you really think that your officer cares if you're a medical student or not especially if the entire unit is called for a deployment? Even with HPSP or USUHS, you still need the DD 4187.

I'm not in the National Guard, so I can't confirm the details. However, it would be wise to speak to a medical student who's in the National Guard/Reserve here before you start making plans that could possibly backfire on you. Finally, don't believe a single word from your recruiter.

 

[deleted480308]

Where does it say in the regulation allowing him to switch MOS? As far as I'm concerned, the only way you can do it is by a DD 4187 for a conditional release that is approved by your senior officer. So, do you really think that your officer cares if you're a medical student or not especially if the entire unit is called for a deployment? Even with HPSP or USUHS, you still need the DD 4187.

I'm not in the National Guard, so I can't confirm the details. However, it would be wise to speak to a medical student who's in the National Guard/Reserve here before you start making plans that could possibly backfire on you. Finally, don't believe a single word from your recruiter.

I'm in the guard and serve with one that did an MOS switch. Yes they do have to be approved, but it's a chance to promote to officer and if you don't wait until you get deployment orders and you don't suck.....I would think most officers would approve.

I absolutely agree with not believing recruiters

 

[armynontrad]

Where does it say in the regulation allowing him to switch MOS? As far as I'm concerned, the only way you can do it is by a DD 4187 for a conditional release that is approved by your senior officer. So, do you really think that your officer cares if you're a medical student or not especially if the entire unit is called for a deployment? Even with HPSP or USUHS, you still need the DD 4187.

I'm not in the National Guard, so I can't confirm the details. However, it would be wise to speak to a medical student who's in the National Guard/Reserve here before you start making plans that could possibly backfire on you. Finally, don't believe a single word from your recruiter.

Thank you for this important information!

I've already signed reserve contract. Also I've heard from my colleague (who is Colonel) that it is possible to switch from reserve to national guard. I will double check it once I received my citizenship.

 

[armynontrad]

I'm in the guard and serve with one that did an MOS switch. Yes they do have to be approved, but it's a chance to promote to officer and if you don't wait until you get deployment orders and you don't suck.....I would think most officers would approve.

I absolutely agree with not believing recruiters

Thanks. have you heard how to transfer from reserve to national guard?