Getting Into Med School

[Dr.Kush]

Hey Guys!!!
I'm a student who is about to finish a degree in communication disorders and hearing sciences in India (basically I'm speech language pathologist and a audiologist), and as I'm gonna reside in US from this November and also I'm so deeply, madly and crazily wanna be a doctor I need someone to help through the process of getting into med school.
First I wanna know, can I just do MCAT and get into a med school or do I need to do some degree to get into one? Can someone please help me as where to start??? Please it would be a great help!!!
Cheers,
Thanks!!!

 

[Catalystik]

Hey Guys!!!
I'm a student who is about to finish a degree in communication disorders and hearing sciences in India (basically I'm speech language pathologist and a audiologist), and as I'm gonna reside in US from this November and also I'm so deeply, madly and crazily wanna be a doctor I need someone to help through the process of getting into med school.
First I wanna know, can I just do MCAT and get into a med school or do I need to do some degree to get into one? Can someone please help me as where to start??? Please it would be a great help!!!
Cheers,
Thanks!!!

If you want to get into a USA med school:

AMCAS, the application system for most MD schools (except for Texas public schools), does not accept foreign transcripts. If MD is your goal, you'd need to complete 60-90 semester hours of college coursework in the US or Canada prior to applying, including all prerequisites. I can only think of one med school where you'd need to get another bachelors degree if you already have one.

DO schools using the AACOMAS application do accept foreign transcripts. There is another SDN forum called Pre-Medical Osteopathic where you can direct further questions.

 

[itsthat1guy]

You need a bachelors from an American school and while you certainly do need to take the MCAT, to say you can "just do [it] and get into med school" is wildly misleading because 1)it's not easy to do well on and 2)successful applicants have hundreds of hours of volunteering , shadowing, and likely a lot of research as well as a good GPA/MCAT. S start working on all those things

EDIT: Never mind about the bachelors thing

 

[Dr.Kush]

If you want to get into a USA med school:

AMCAS, the application system for most MD schools (except for Texas public schools), does not accept foreign transcripts. If MD is your goal, you'd need to complete 60-90 semester hours of college coursework in the US or Canada prior to applying, including all prerequisites. I can only think of one med school where you'd need to get another bachelors degree if you already have one.

DO schools using the AACOMAS application do accept foreign transcripts. There is another SDN forum called Pre-Medical Osteopathic where you can direct further questions.

Hey Catalystik,
Thank you so much for the reply, the thing is I'm very new to the American Education System bottom line I don't know anything!! So what you are saying is that I need to do a degree in States before doing MCAT and getting into a med school??? Is it? Oh wow, that's gonna take a long time.. right?? 60-90 semester hours of college is like how much???
And what you are suggesting is that only AACOMAS accept foreign transcripts yeah? but, the thing is I don't really like bone stuff.. I like to be a neurologist, so what do you suggest I do, if you can help me a little more?
Thanks a lot!!!

 

[Dr.Kush]

You need a bachelors from an American school and while you certainly do need to take the MCAT, to say you can "just do [it] and get into med school" is wildly misleading because 1)it's not easy to do well on and 2)successful applicants have hundreds of hours of volunteering , shadowing, and likely a lot of research as well as a good GPA/MCAT. S start working on all those things

EDIT: Never mind about the bachelors thing

Hi itsthat1guy!!!
Thank you for your reply, believe me I know I can't just do MCAT and get into med school.. but still thanks for the advice!!! So I need an American Degree before doing my MCAT??!! Phew.. that goes another 3years of my life I think.. Then my 4 years degree would be so in vain!!!

 

[hoihaie]

you don't need a whole new degree, but you need to at least complete that many units at an accredited US college and prove you have competent English skills

 

[itsthat1guy]

Hi itsthat1guy!!!
Thank you for your reply, believe me I know I can't just do MCAT and get into med school.. but still thanks for the advice!!! So I need an American Degree before doing my MCAT??!! Phew.. that goes another 3years of my life I think.. Then my 4 years degree would be so in vain!!!

No, I was mistaken. See my edit and also Catalystik's post.

 

[itsthat1guy]

Hey Catalystik,
Thank you so much for the reply, the thing is I'm very new to the American Education System bottom line I don't know anything!! So what you are saying is that I need to do a degree in States before doing MCAT and getting into a med school??? Is it? Oh wow, that's gonna take a long time.. right?? 60-90 semester hours of college is like how much???
And what you are suggesting is that only AACOMAS accept foreign transcripts yeah? but, the thing is I don't really like bone stuff.. I like to be a neurologist, so what do you suggest I do, if you can help me a little more?
Thanks a lot!!!

You can match into a neurology residency as a DO graduate, it's not a very competitive field

 

[Dr.Kush]

You can match into a neurology residency as a DO graduate, it's not a very competitive field

Hey thanks, this might really dumb but what does DO graduate means? and I didn't get you do you mind explaining, please?

 

[Dr.Kush]

you don't need a whole new degree, but you need to at least complete that many units at an accredited US college and prove you have competent English skills

Hi hoihaie, thanks!!!

 

[Dr.Kush]

Hey thanks, this might really dumb but what does DO graduate means? and I didn't get you do you mind explaining, please?

Doctor of osteopathy

 

[Dr. Retractor]

Doctor of osteopathy

A DO does not mean they only work on bones. DOs are trained the same as MD except they take an extra course where they learn manual manipulation (ie treating illnesses using their hands rather than with drugs). You should absolutely be able to become a neurologist as a DO.

 

[Mad Jack]

Yeah, matching neuro as a DO would be a cakewalk. Even top programs take DOs.

Anyway, you're going to have to take all of the prerequisite courses at an accredited university in the United States. In addition, I'd take some extra courses in English, as the VR section of the MCAT is notoriously difficult for those who use English primarily as a second language. Take 60 credit hours, take the MCAT, and apply. Continue taking courses while you are waiting for the schools to get back to you, so that you'll have up to 90 or so credits if you need to re-apply.

American medical schools generally need to see that you can handle the very different nature of American education before they will take you on, hence all the additional coursework.

 

[Catalystik]

60-90 semester hours of college is like how much???

This would be two to three years of full time college coursework. A US bachelors degree usually requires about 120 semester hours.

You could consider applying to enter a masters degree program and take the usual and customary undergrad pre-med prerequisites during that same time. Perhaps some of your foreign coursework would transfer to a US school if you'd prefer to enter a bachelors degree program.

Another issue: Do you already have permanent residency or assylee status?

 

[Dr.Kush]

Hey thanks all of you!!!! (Dr.Retractor, Mad Jack, Catalystik)
All your advices and ideas and suggestions were a great help..
Yeah I have my PR why do you ask so?

 

[Dr.Kush]

 

[Mad Jack]

Hey thanks all of you!!!! (Dr.Retractor, Mad Jack, Catalystik)
All your advices and ideas and suggestions were a great help..
Yeah I have my PR why do you ask so?

Most schools will not consider those that do not have PR/assylum status

 

[Dr. Retractor]

As someone else said, you may want to consider a masters in biology or biomedical sciences, or a special master's program (SMP) because they may value your work experience and you would be able to take all your pre-requisites like Biology, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physics and also Genetics and Biochemistry for some schools. Then you could take your MCAT and apply. Another point is med schools look for volunteering, both clinical and non-clinical, as well as physician shadowing, so you should consider getting those extracurriculars (ECs). I'm not sure what your work entails but if it is clinical in nature you wouldn't need clinical volunteering. The ECs are pretty flexible, and if you have to work while you take classes and don't have time for them medical schools usually understand.

 

[Dr.Kush]

Thanks Mad Jack & Dr. Retractor!!!

Yeah doing a master's sounds good!!! Well, my degree had 50% clinical work but still I need some volunteer hours and other ECs. Since I'm new to this stuff can you tell me how to get into shadowing a physician??? You just ask the hospital for internship thing or how do you do it?

 

[Dr. Retractor]

Thanks Mad Jack & Dr. Retractor!!!

Yeah doing a master's sounds good!!! Well, my degree had 50% clinical work but still I need some volunteer hours and other ECs. Since I'm new to this stuff can you tell me how to get into shadowing a physician??? You just ask the hospital for internship thing or how do you do it?

Just call physicians near you, whether at a hospital or private practice. You will probably get to a receptionist or something. You should just say "Hi, I'm a graduate student interested in medicine and I was wondering if Dr. X accepted students for shadowing." They'll either say no, in which case you call the next physician on your list, or they'll transfer you to an office manager or nurse (in one case I was transferred directly to the physician, but that's rare), and you'll explain why your interested in their specialty and why you want to shadow. From there it's getting approved to observe/shadow (if that's necessary) and setting up dates/times to shadow. I've been told that its best to shadow physicians in many specialties than a few physicians extensively. At least include Primary Care Physicians (Internists, Pediatricians, Family Medicine Physicians) and surgeons.

 

[Dr.Kush]

Just call physicians near you, whether at a hospital or private practice. You will probably get to a receptionist or something. You should just say "Hi, I'm a graduate student interested in medicine and I was wondering if Dr. X accepted students for shadowing." They'll either say no, in which case you call the next physician on your list, or they'll transfer you to an office manager or nurse (in one case I was transferred directly to the physician, but that's rare), and you'll explain why your interested in their specialty and why you want to shadow. From there it's getting approved to observe/shadow (if that's necessary) and setting up dates/times to shadow. I've been told that its best to shadow physicians in many specialties than a few physicians extensively. At least include Primary Care Physicians (Internists, Pediatricians, Family Medicine Physicians) and surgeons.

Hey thanks again.. I really need to know all the info I can get before even thinking of doing anything.. so I can get all stuff together and plan what I really need to get done.. So what ever suggestions and ideas given I'm all ears!!!

 

[Dr.Kush]

Is there anyone from Washington State who can really tell what can be my options???

 

[Dr.Kush]

Is there anyone who can really tell what can be my options in Washington State ???