Foreign school vs US school for 40 yo

[Lisa P]

Hi all,
I would really appreciate some advice.
I have struggled for years to overcome my interest in medicine (psychiatry) but I finally accepted that I will never be happy doing anything else so I will be applying to med school. I did not apply earlier because I only obtained a US green card several years ago and my prerequisites are from a non-US school. I am Eastern European and could go to a really cheap med school in my home country to avoid debt. However, I’m only interested in psychiatry and would prefer to practice in the US. Med school cost is a concern so I’m willing to take a chance with a non-US school but I am not sure that it is worth it to safe $$ if it would be so much (and increasingly ) harder to get a residency spot. My family is supportive either way so it is up to me.

I can obtain a high MCAT score and I’m wondering if I should do that first, then contact US schools to see if they would consider my application without repeating prerequisites (that are not only from a foreign school but also quite old.

Do yo have any other advice or feedback? I’m particularly worried about the chances of being accepted into a psych residency in my late 40s. Thanks in advance !

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[Goro]

If you wish to practice medicine in the US, go to a US med school.

 

[Just Call Me Doc]

Hi all,
I would really appreciate some advice.
I have struggled for years to overcome my interest in medicine (psychiatry) but I finally accepted that I will never be happy doing anything else so I will be applying to med school. I did not apply earlier because I only obtained a US green card several years ago and my prerequisites are from a foreign school. I am Eastern European and could go to a cheaper med school in my home country (5-6 yr program). I would need to re-take some prerequisites if I want to apply to a US school. I’m only interested in psychiatry and would prefer to practice in the US. Med school cost is a concern so I’m willing to take a chance with a non-US school but I am not sure that it is worth it to safe $$ if it would be so much (and increasingly ) harder to get a residency spot. My family is supportive either way so it is up to me.
I tried a practice MCAT test and should be able to obtain a good score after preparing for a few months. I’m wondering if I should do that first, then contact US schools to see if they would consider my application without repeating all prerequisites (I have them from my foreign BS and I have additional graduate science coursework).

Do yo have any other advice or feedback? I’m particularly worried about the chances of being accepted into a psych residency in my late 40s. Thanks in advance !

I got accepted into a 7-year surgery residency at 45 so wouldn't worry about it. I only encountered one hint of ageism during my interview trail (which didn't affect my acceptance) and otherwise no one seemed to concerned about my age. And I'd say surgeons have a shorter shelf-life than psychiatrists since you mostly just need to be able to think and talk versus standing over an OR table for hours at a time.

Follow your dream and good luck.

 

[Lisa P]

I got accepted into a 7-year surgery residency at 45 so wouldn't worry about it. I only encountered one hint of ageism during my interview trail (which didn't affect my acceptance) and otherwise no one seemed to concerned about my age. And I'd say surgeons have a shorter shelf-life than psychiatrists since you mostly just need to be able to think and talk versus standing over an OR table for hours at a time.

Follow your dream and good luck.

Thank you so much and congrats ! What an incredible accomplishment and I hope you enjoy (almost every moment of the journey.

Do you recommend retaking the prerequisites or focusing on preparing for the MCAT? I scored 512 on a practice test without any prep and I will be able to improve my score in several months. I know the general advice is to take the prerequisites if they are old and/or foreign but I am not really sure if this is the best path for me since I am a college prof (public health) and I teach science courses, including to premeds… maybe I should try to get a stellar score and apply to schools that are not very strict about US/recent prerequisites ?

 

[Goro]

Thank you so much and congrats ! What an incredible accomplishment and I hope you enjoy (almost every moment of the journey.

Do you recommend retaking the prerequisites or focusing on preparing for the MCAT? I scored 512 on a practice test without any prep and I will be able to improve my score in several months. I know the general advice is to take the prerequisites if they are old and/or foreign but I am not really sure if this is the best path for me since I am a college prof (public health) and I teach science courses, including to premeds… maybe I should try to get a stellar score and apply to schools that are not very strict about US/recent prerequisites ?

How long ago did you take the pre-reqs? Knowledge decay is a thing, and people always bat .300 in batting practice. It's different when they face a 95 MPH fast-baller on the mound for real.

 

[Lisa P]

How long ago did you take the pre-reqs? Knowledge decay is a thing, and people always bat .300 in batting practice. It's different when they face a 95 MPH fast-baller on the mound for real.

13-15 years ago. If no schools would overlook this and take into consideration the fact that I teach science at the college level and have worked as a toxicologist (requires a lot of chemistry and biology), then I would have no choice but to retake them. What do you think?

I was thinking that maybe I should study for the MCAT, get a high score and apply to schools that are don’t have strict rules about prereqs. Then if I need to repeat classes I can do that and reapply…isnt the MCAT good for 2-3 years?

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[chilly_md]

Foreign transcripts are not typically certified or included by AMCAS. Schools are unlikely to take an applicant without any coursework then.

I agree with Goro that a practice test does not necessarily translate to a real score.

 

[Goro]

13-15 years ago. If no schools would overlook this and take into consideration the fact that I teach science at the college level and have worked as a toxicologist (requires a lot of chemistry and biology), then I would have no choice but to retake them. What do you think?

I was thinking that maybe I should study for the MCAT, get a high score and apply to schools that are don’t have strict rules about prereqs. Then if I need to repeat classes I can do that and reapply…isnt the MCAT good for 2-3 years?

Thanks for the feedback!

Many medical schools have expiration dates for prereqs