High School--->Med School

[swifteagle43]

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Hey Guys

I heard about these overseas programs where you can go directly out of high school overseas to become a doctor. You come back to take the step 1, step 2 and step 3 exam(or you can take them while you are in medical school) and basically you are a doctor at 22. I know people that have done this.

My little cousin was asking me questions about this stuff like: What are the disadvantages of doing this? Will the programs be too difficult without taking organic? And etc. She is looking to apply to Aga Khan Medical in Pakistan and a bunch of schools in india(where they speak english)

 

[Rzarecta]

Hey Guys

I heard about these overseas programs where you can go directly out of high school overseas to become a doctor. You come back to take the step 1, step 2 and step 3 exam(or you can take them while you are in medical school) and basically you are a doctor at 22. I know people that have done this.

My little cousin was asking me questions about this stuff like: What are the disadvantages of doing this? Will the programs be too difficult without taking organic. And etc.

My little cousin is currently in his second year at a foreign medical school. His is in India in a 5-year program. His parents paid $100,000 upfront for him to be in the program. This cost pays for all 5 years of education. I would say the advantage is that you are a doctor at a younger age and for a much cheaper cost than going through college and then to medical school. But there are disadvantages. From what I hear, placement for reisdency goes: American MD program, then American DO program, then Foreign MD. If he/she wants to go into competitive residency, odds are he/she won't make it. And on a personal level, I feel that undergrad is very important in providing maturity and balance. Imagine yourself as graduating high school and going to a completely foreign land and culture. Also, loads of kids fail their first year because they have problems initially adjusting. That's my two cents, hope it helps.

 

[MWillie]

Who trusts a 22 year old doctor? Traditionals that are MDs at 25 are too young looking as it is.

 

[flash]

"you learn the same stuff and in the end you're still a doctor practicing medicine" 🙄

it's lame idea imo. so many important negatives with only one perceived pro which is young age - which I think is negative too.

 

[drguy22]

Who trusts a 22 year old doctor? Traditionals that are MDs at 25 are too young looking as it is.

hey ....ill be a doctor at 24!

 

[avinash]

hey ....ill be a doctor at 24!

me 2, well i think il be otta med school at 25...


haha i take that back, thats assuming i can go to med school right after undergrad

 

[ravi]

Hey Guys

I heard about these overseas programs where you can go directly out of high school overseas to become a doctor. You come back to take the step 1, step 2 and step 3 exam(or you can take them while you are in medical school) and basically you are a doctor at 22. I know people that have done this.

My little cousin was asking me questions about this stuff like: What are the disadvantages of doing this? Will the programs be too difficult without taking organic? And etc. She is looking to apply to Aga Khan Medical in Pakistan and a bunch of schools in india(where they speak english)

I am from India. Honestly, I don't think it is such a good idea. Apart from the reasons mentioned in the above posts, life style is totally different and you(your cousin) are expected not to have any life out side the medical school. I am a female and started my veterinary school when I was 17. Our school never allowed female students to go out after 6' clock in the evening (I was living in ladies hostel). And it is not much different for the medical schools. Before somebody blasts me, I would like to clarify something 'I WENT TO STATE FUNDED SCHOOL AND I DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT PRIVATE SCHOOLS'.

 

[drguy22]

me 2, well i think il be otta med school at 24...

ya ill graduate may 2009.....age 24......

ill turn 25 Dec 2009

 

[Docta "O"]

Everybody in my family is pushing for me to do Agha Khan straight out of high school( I'm still a young'n), wait till they hear that I want to do traditional route, boy will their panties be in a knot.

 

[drguy22]

Everybody in my family is pushing for me to do Agha Khan straight out of high school( I'm still a young'n), wait till they hear that I want to do traditional route, boy will their panties be in a knot.

tell em that u wont have good opps when u come back to the states.

 

[Karine04]

Who trusts a 22 year old doctor? Traditionals that are MDs at 25 are too young looking as it is.

Funny...22 in this country is a lot younger than 22 in other cultures. My mom was done with medical school by age 22 (6-yr combined med/undergrad program in the former USSR; we immigrated to the US when I was 5 and she re-did her residency here) and was reportedly quite a well-respected physician right out of med school. Then again, she also married my dad at age 21 and I was born when she was 22, so that just goes to show you the cultural differences between this country and our former home.

 

[Mediculous]

Funny...22 in this country is a lot younger than 22 in other cultures. My mom was done with medical school by age 22 (6-yr combined med/undergrad program in the former USSR; we immigrated to the US when I was 5 and she re-did her residency here) and was reportedly quite a well-respected physician right out of med school. Then again, she also married my dad at age 21 and I was born when she was 22, so that just goes to show you the cultural differences between this country and our former home.

*Maya Rudolph doing lame Paris Hilton impression*
22 year old doctor? That's hot.

 

[MWillie]

ya ill graduate may 2009.....age 24......

ill turn 25 Dec 2009

Yeah, good for you buddy.

 

[swifteagle43]

Everybody in my family is pushing for me to do Agha Khan straight out of high school( I'm still a young'n), wait till they hear that I want to do traditional route, boy will their panties be in a knot.

I heard great things about Agha Khan. And that is the #1 choice for my little cousin. She tells me that she heard that the campus is exactly like an american campus(what ever that means). All i hear are pros from most people. Btw...she will be a doctor when she turns 21...but 24....big difference......

 

[Farvah]

I've also heard great things about AKU. However, I agree with the whole culture change thing and landing a lower residency. For me, I think staying in the US is the ideal option. I will check out AKU this summer when I go back and see how it is (hs senior here).

I dunno though, if you're that intent on saving years, maybe you should...

 

[Blake]

hey ....ill be a doctor at 24!

23 here. I win !

 

[MedDreamer]

Actually, a lot of programs in the world use the 'right out of high school method', but usually the program is around 6 years, so the first 2 years you have your basic sciences (related to medicine, much more useful than the time we waste in undergrad taking all kinds of things that we don't like just to finish our degree!) and the last 4 years you do the real medicine stuff. I know that in the middle east, europe and some parts of asia they do have that system. The advantage is that once you start you are guaranteed to be a doctor, wheras in here we might or might not get in after undergrad. Medical education in lots of places is very cheap too (and free in some places), but you have to start the competition when you're in high school. You have to have a very competitve average in grade 12.

And it is true that a 22 year old here is less mature than a 22 year old from a country in the middle east for example. In the middle east, 22 -23 is when you graduate, start looking for a job and lots of people start looking to get married. It just the culture that matures people faster in there. I would like also to mention that most kids live with their parents till they get married, and thus it is more likely that the kids get married at an earlier age (trying to get their independence).

 

[JuicyDay]

Hey Guys

I heard about these overseas programs where you can go directly out of high school overseas to become a doctor. You come back to take the step 1, step 2 and step 3 exam(or you can take them while you are in medical school) and basically you are a doctor at 22. I know people that have done this.

My little cousin was asking me questions about this stuff like: What are the disadvantages of doing this? Will the programs be too difficult without taking organic? And etc. She is looking to apply to Aga Khan Medical in Pakistan and a bunch of schools in india(where they speak english)

i know many ppl who went to aga khan and dao (sp?) who were born in pakistan, and yeah, they were young doctors. but...

1. you have to ACE your boards, and i mean 98% or more to get into a good residency

2. it's next to impossible to get into the competetive residencies, like derm, rad, etc.

3. there will certainly be a noticeable bias towards AMGs, whether its from the administration or your peers

but, it also depends on the person... these are merely some things to consider...

btw, n=6 for my "stats"

 

[Shredder]

Hey Guys

I heard about these overseas programs where you can go directly out of high school overseas to become a doctor. You come back to take the step 1, step 2 and step 3 exam(or you can take them while you are in medical school) and basically you are a doctor at 22. I know people that have done this.

My little cousin was asking me questions about this stuff like: What are the disadvantages of doing this? Will the programs be too difficult without taking organic? And etc. She is looking to apply to Aga Khan Medical in Pakistan and a bunch of schools in india(where they speak english)

Stay away from overseas programs, you won't get a good education and there is a lot of corruption. Upon coming back to the states your degree won't warrant any respect. Have her stay in this country if at all possible. If not, it's going to be an uphill battle. But, I should add that my brother went overseas, aced his boards, and got into radiology. So, good things can happen, but it takes much hard work.

 

[Farvah]

Hey drguy22 and Blake,
How are you guys (girls?) going to be doctors so young? Did you do a BS/MD prog or graduate from hs early or something?

 

[aleezay]

What is the RUSH to be a doctor? And for you people that are interested in going abroad for med school, is it because you want to avoid taking the MCAT? Being South Asian myself, that is one of the biggest things I hear about why Auntie and Uncle are sending Pinky to India/Pakistan for med school -- oh I won't have to take the MCAT and I can still get into med school and be a doctor. What's the big deal, your whole life as a doctor is gonna revolve around standardized exams--USMLEs, board certification etc.

But hey to each his own. Just know that you are indeed limiting yourself in terms of residency placement and selection, and you're going to be competing with a ton of folks who have grown up there in India/Pakistan and are dying to come to the States.

Being a doctor at 21 versus 24, are you kidding me with this? What are you gaining?

 

[Blake]

Hey drguy22 and Blake,
How are you guys (girls?) going to be doctors so young? Did you do a BS/MD prog or graduate from hs early or something?

Guy here. It's normal to be that young in med school where I live. People can keep complaining about young people in med school. I'm sure all of us made the wrong choices, and our parents forced us🙄 I did 2 years of college after HS, then I got accepted to med school. Pretty straightforward path...

 

[drguy22]

Guy here. It's normal to be that young in med school where I live. People can keep complaining about young people in med school. I'm sure all of us made the wrong choices, and our parents forced us🙄 I did 2 years of college after HS, then I got accepted to med school. Pretty straightforward path...

im stared kindergarten early, thus started college early too..at 17....im also finishing college in 3 yrs...and i also got into a BA/MD program.

 

[acl3623]

i wouldnt recommend going unless youre from pakistan or have some serious family/support group over there. if you are, cool but right now the situation for foreigners there is not safe and living over there is not just like "mmm...go to my american-looking school and yay! im going to be a doctor when im 22!" i lived in pakistan as a foreigner for a very long time and although i loved my time while i was there, it is not all fun and games...especially if your cousin is a female...whats the rush anyways!?!? a highschooler cant even wipe their as$ on their own, much less figure out such a big committment to medical school without going through undergrad to make sure they can handle it.

 

[aleezay]

whats the rush anyways!?!? a highschooler cant even wipe their as$ on their own, much less figure out such a big committment to medical school without going through undergrad to make sure they can handle it.

amen. I'm sure Blake not withstanding 🙄 (geez, touchy much?), this is a harsh but a relatively true sentiment. some individuals indeed are that outstanding where they can, but i think most struggle. but hey thats just my experience with what i've seen.

 

[swifteagle43]

Stay away from overseas pro`grams, you won't get a good education and there is a lot of corruption. Upon coming back to the states your degree won't warrant any respect. Have her stay in this country if at all possible. If not, it's going to be an uphill battle. But, I should add that my brother went overseas, aced his boards, and got into radiology. So, good things can happen, but it takes much hard work.

True. but no degree warrant respect once you become a doctor(except the ivys...except for brown).

Plus she has a huge network of doctors over here(my parents, her parents, our family connections including 10+ doctors and they know people too).

So far i have gotten:

-She is too immature(which she is)
-She won't as good of an education(she is VERY bright. She argued that once she becomes a doctor she can spend her time doing her own research)
-She won't get a residency(naw...she is CONNECTED!!...cause her parents have sick connections!)

 

[Brain]

She won't get a residency(naw...she is CONNECTED!!...even more than me....cause her parents have sick connections!)

Then why not use these connections to get into a program in the US? If she's truely bright, then a 4 year degree program shouldn't be a problem for her and will give her time to mature, as you imply that she needs to. Also, she can use the time to do some research and get real training in it if that's what she wants to do.

 

[swifteagle43]

Then why not use these connections to get into a program in the US? If she's truely bright, then a 4 year degree program shouldn't be a problem for her and will give her time to mature, as you imply that she needs to. Also, she can use the time to do some research and get real training in it if that's what she wants to do.

Its not a matter for getting into a medical school after college. She wants to skip college and go directly into medical school and save 4 years.

🙂 She can probably get into a top notch school on her own merits in the states. LOL...she is trying to pickup a jet booster....

lol @ "pinkey" !!! YEAH! I know what you mean. My aunti is like that too.


and yes my cousin is south asian and she can speak Urdu/Hindi(somewhat).

She wants to be like Doogie Howser MD! or so she tells me 🙂

And does age really matter?

 

[Slowmo214]

I don't understand why most of you think you have to be atleast 22 or something to enter medschool. In many/most European countries people go in at a younger age. In those countries nobody questions this because it's the norm. Just because people generally complete an undergrad degree in the states before entering doesn't mean you have to do this to become a good doctor. Med school isn't so difficult that mature HS graduates couldn't cope.

 

[Blake]

I don't understand why most of you think you have to be atleast 22 or something to enter medschool. In many/most European countries people go in at a younger age. In those countries nobody questions this because it's the norm. Just because people generally complete an undergrad degree in the states before entering doesn't mean you have to do this to become a good doctor. Med school isn't so difficult that mature HS graduates couldn't cope.

👍

 

[masterMood]

👍

all asian parents want their sons or daughters to go into medicine for money and money only basically.


a doctor at 21 years in the u.s. is like having a 12 year old in 12th grade. Everyone would not like that kid.

look at this picture and tell me you don't want to stuff him in a locker.
http://www.sidis.net/index.11.jpg

lol

but honestly, i'd say 99 percent of asian parents (china, korea, pakistan, india, etc etc) want their children to go into medicine solely for the financial benefits. having your cousing skip undergrad in under four years only shows you that his/her parents are telling him what to do and might not make a very good doctor.

 

[Blake]

Good for them. I could hardly care less whether people think I'm in it for money, status or whatever. And I'm not asian btw.

 

[Rendar5]

I don't understand why most of you think you have to be atleast 22 or something to enter medschool. In many/most European countries people go in at a younger age. In those countries nobody questions this because it's the norm. Just because people generally complete an undergrad degree in the states before entering doesn't mean you have to do this to become a good doctor. Med school isn't so difficult that mature HS graduates couldn't cope.

Med school isn't that difficult in general. the subject material is eaiser than stuff I did in college. just there's a lot more of it at once. Difficulty isn't any reason why a HS graduate couldn't cope. The problem with going straight from HS in the US is that you really miss out on the college experience. You never get that opportunity again to really just spend time working on personal development. (broadening horizons, taking classes you won't have a chance to take again, social maturation, etc.) I'm not sure it's necessarily like that in other countries where this is needed. perhaps people are less sheltered in high school there and already mature at much younger ages. But in the US, sacrificing college experience just to save a couple years is not a good decision at all.

 

[jake2]

Speaking of young med students:

http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~53~2630482,00.html

 

[bbaek]

it's not all about med schools... it's about where they go to residency where it really counts. i am not here to say don't go to a great med school, because i most certainly want to. if you do well, you well be accepted into great residencies.

if you go overseas, however, it will be very difficult to go into great residencies, esp very competitive residencies which most of the time, if not all the time, accept outstanding and excellent med students from all universities, usually the tier-1 and tier-2 schools. definitely would not go overseas when america has the best of everything. and that most certainly goes with the med schools.