Future Plan Confusion

[El Curandero]

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So I'm posting in this forum because I would consider myself a non traditional medical student..I am in my last semester at of my senior year at university but the only pre reqs I have taken are the gen Bio sequences. I did this because I wasn't really sure on my future goals and I wanted to explore other options so that I would be certain that medical school was the right path for me. I know that I want to take general chemistry over the summer and take orgo/physics together during the next academic year but I have some questions..

I was planning on teaching English abroad (Japan) as a part time job next year. Would medical schools take my pre req courses from a university in Japan?

I took pre calculus and a stats course already, is this good enough for the math requirement? I hope so because I do not see myself using calculus as a physician lol.

Also, I'm confused about the time period of admissions. Is it possible I can get accepted for the 2015 Fall semester class or will I have to wait an additional year to apply as I'm finishing up orgo/physics next year? I rather not wait ANOTHER year but if I have to so be it..

Thank you for your time.

 

[hawkbit]

It's common for medical schools to require either calculus or statistics,
But not both. Unfortunately, this varies by school, so you'll need to check with the schools you will be applying too. I'm thinking it's not a good idea to take courses from out of country institutions, I know people in the past have had difficulty getting those courses accepted. Medical schools are not known for being accommodating since they basically have their pick of applications. I think the overseas English teaching is awesome! Good luck!

 

[El Curandero]

It's common for medical schools to require either calculus or statistics,
But not both. Unfortunately, this varies by school, so you'll need to check with the schools you will be applying too. I'm thinking it's not a good idea to take courses from out of country institutions, I know people in the past have had difficulty getting those courses accepted. Medical schools are not known for being accommodating since they basically have their pick of applications. I think the overseas English teaching is awesome! Good luck!

That is rather disappointing. Are there any exceptions, such as a foreign university is associated with a US based one? Also, when in the academic year do you apply?

 

[umcig]

Also, I'm confused about the time period of admissions. Is it possible I can get accepted for the 2015 Fall semester class or will I have to wait an additional year to apply as I'm finishing up orgo/physics next year? I rather not wait ANOTHER year but if I have to so be it..

It is not mathematically possible.

Based on your comments, your plan is...
Summer 2014 - Gen Chem
Fall 2014 - Orgo I, Phys I, and maybe Calculus I
Spring 2015 - Orgo II, Phys II, and maybe Calculus II
Spring 2015 - MCAT

Unfortunately, by Spring of 2015, it's too late to apply for Fall 2015. (Application deadlines are probably around Nov 2014, but you should verify this.) So at best, you're looking at a Fall 2016 admission.

Also, FWIW, to have the best chance for a Fall 2015 admission, you need to apply to medical school June 1, 2014. (You apply 15 months ahead of time.) This is to take advantage of the rolling admission policies of most medical schools, where those who apply earlier have a better chance.

I was planning on teaching English abroad (Japan) as a part time job next year. Would medical schools take my pre req courses from a university in Japan?

I agree that taking prereqs overseas is taking a risk, and may hurt your chances.

Also, do you think you can move to a new country, start a new job ... AND do well in Organic and Physics? As I recall, there was a lot of crying in Organic Chemistry. These are tough courses. My suggestion is that you take these courses at a respected university where you feel you have the best chances of getting A's.

You have some choices. Do you want to teach in Japan or do you want to have the best chance of getting into medical school? If you want to do both, you might want to complete your courses in the U.S., apply to medical school June 1, 2015 (for Fall 2016 admission), and during the Fall 2015 / Spring 2016 year you might be able to teach in Japan. In will take an extra year, but that's okay, and it's a small price to pay to get into medical school.

 

[MedPhys2MD]

I agree with umcig except for the fact that you'll need to be in the states during fall 2015 and spring 2016 for med school interviews...

You have some big choices to make... You have to decide what's most important to you. Is teaching abroad something you're passionate about or was it just something you fixated on to fill in your gap year?

 

[El Curandero]

I agree with umcig except for the fact that you'll need to be in the states during fall 2015 and spring 2016 for med school interviews...

You have some big choices to make... You have to decide what's most important to you. Is teaching abroad something you're passionate about or was it just something you fixated on to fill in your gap year?

I guess I do have some choices to make. I would be giving up quite a lot to get into medical school..2 years of my life. I know this is what I want to do but ugh,

Is it possible I will be able to do my interviews via skype since its' a special circumstance or am I SOL?

 

[SN12357]

I guess I do have some choices to make. I would be giving up quite a lot to get into medical school..2 years of my life. I know this is what I want to do but ugh,

Is it possible I will be able to do my interviews via skype since its' a special circumstance or am I SOL?

Teaching english abroad voluntarily is not a special circumstance. You MIGHT get some leeway if you were an active member of the military stationed abroad or something like that.

 

[El Curandero]

Teaching english abroad voluntarily is not a special circumstance. You MIGHT get some leeway if you were an active member of the military stationed abroad or something like that.

I didn't know having to have a job was voluntary when you need to pay rent? Sigh

 

[SN12357]

I didn't know having to have a job was voluntary when you need to pay rent? Sigh

Don't be entitled. Having a job in another country is not required. Teaching english is a very run of the mill activity and definitely not anything special.

Schools will generally work with people abroad to allow them to schedule their interviews into a specific time. But this generally means you will have to postpone your interviews if you want to minimize travel back to the states--schools are very willing to let applicants move interviews later, but much less likely to let you move an interview earlier. So since it is advantageous to interview earlier, you are putting yourself at a slight disadvantage if you have to interview later due to being out of the country.

 

[hawkbit]

It's always a downer when things don't go the way we want. Med school admissions is like a game, with very specific rules. To win you have to play by those rules, however inconvenient they might be for individuals. To be certain about the overseas courses, call up a few medical school admissions departments, and ask them about taking courses overseas.

 

[Quik]

From the general tone of your original post, I would title the theme of it as "Hasty." Don't be. Considering you're still a senior in your UG, I suspect you're still fairly young. Remember the median age of MD matriculants is 25. If you're just getting started building your application now, you'll have a ton of work to do. It's not just pre-reqs and an MCAT score adcoms are looking for, but years of dedication and commitment with many hours of EC's and volunteering/shadowing to show for it. Building an application is nothing to rush. Your chances increase with the more time and energy put into building a comprehensively strong application. Don't worry about time, worry about the strength of your application when you're up against everyone else who's been working their ass off for years with the goal of med school at the front of their mind.