how do you guys feel about....

[Munchkin6245]

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Hello everybody! Few questions and hopefully I will get some great advice...I'm a med tech in Houston, I did my undergrad at SWTSU '01 and my gpa was a 3.37...will be taking the April MCAT and currently taking prereq. at UH with a gpa of 3.65. I want to be a pathologist and have wanted to do so since my junior yr, which is why I chose MT for my degree. Anyways, I haven't applied to any US schools yet, will be this June, but it has been brought to my attention that I could start at a foreign school this August and not wait until August 2005 to marticulate. Should I take this risk and go for the foreign school and start a year early or should I wait and get into a US school, preferably one with a PSF in pathology. All your advice helps....so be completely honest how you feel. Thanks!

 

[ioana]

Go to a US Med School.... it will be much easier when you apply for a residency. In the last years the # of position in DO schools increased ..and I predict that in a few years there will be very few positions for FMGs citizens or not...You'll be under a lot of stress regarding USMLE scores as a FMG... if I would be you I'll wait and go for a US Med School...

 

[yaah]

I would wonder what your other qualifications besides the GPA are. If your MCAT isn't great (don't ask me for numbers, I don't really know what is considered a good score) or you don't have other things on your application that stand out (research experience, lots of extracurriculars, an interesting job) it might be tough to get into a US med school, at least on the first try. Some people apply to US schools for a couple of years before they actually get in. Foreign schools are a bit less stringent, and if you do well in school and your USMLEs, and have other things on your rec, you can probably get a good spot from a foreign school.

That being said, your chances are considerably better from a us school. Definitely your best option, unless you think your chances of getting in are not so great.

 

[Brian Pavlovitz]

I was in a similar situation as you. I am also a former med tech (and cytotech), and decided to go to med school in the hopes of becoming a pathologist. I agree with yaah--I would try to get into a US school first. If all else fails, I'm sure you'll have no trouble getting into a decent foreign school (such as SGU, where I currently am). Being a foreign grad will definitely make things a bit more difficult for you, but it is certainly an option. Having laboratory experience will help out a lot--it certainly has helped me in my first 2 years.

To give you my story, My GPA was pretty good (I think a 3.3 overall? Hard to remember). Working in the laboratory for years, I had plenty of experience. My MCAT's were horrible, however (hence my not getting into a US school).

Feel free to PM if you have any specific questions regarding the offshore med school experience.

Good Luck!

 

[pathologypete]

I would say go to a US school. I wanted very badly to go to med school at Dalhousie in Nova Scotia (for a number of long drawn out reasons) but they don't take many people from outside the Canadian maritimes, so I went there to do a M.Sc. I was told by the Dean of Admissions that they would take me as a resident and to come to her when I was ready to apply. In retrospect I should have got it in writing. When I went back she said that i had to have applied for landed immigrant status. Anyway, I missed the dead line to apply to US school. I knew about the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin Ireland because I had lived in Dublin before, so I applied, not wanting to wait a year. I got in and moved acorss the Atlantic. I wish I had waited the year now. being away is hard and I really don't think I would do it again if I had the chance to do it over. If you just can't wait to go to med school then go for it! But I think that to survive a FMS you have to REALLY REALLY want to be a doctor. If you do consider a FMS also look at some the the Irish/UK schools. I was amazed at how well known my school was, especially on the East Coast. So at least give them a look. Well, that is my usual 25 dollars worth of advice. Good luck! pete

 

[Weil-Felix]

I agree with the other posters who said to go to a US medical school. It just makes your life a lot easier!

I was also a med tech before medical school. I will say this....although having that experience will help you in many ways once you get into med school (and certainly it will help you if you go into pathology), I did not feel that it helped me get INTO medical school in the first place. For some reason, I encountered a lot of misunderstanding about what a med tech actually is, and consequently I think that this was a bit of a barrier. I don't want to scare you or anything. I think it's a great background to have (although of course I am biased!) Just be prepared to explain what you do to everyone you interview with, because you would be surprised how many of them just don't get it.


I think your grades are good enough that you should be able to get into a med school somewhere in the US. Be sure you study hard for the MCAT. Apply to a wide range of US schools. You could apply to a few DO schools, too. Just don't go overseas unless you have to because it has the potential to make it more challenging to come back here and practice.

Good luck!

 

[Munchkin6245]

thanks for all your help. I must say that it's true that I have to explain exactly what I do to most people b/c they just don't understand that there is a job that is specifically for the time between their blood is drawn and the time the doctors get their results back. I guess since they throw us into the basement of the hospital most people don't see us too often. Anyways, I've decided that I'm going to apply to US schools first. I've just been out of school so long and I'm not confident with my MCAT score right now. but thanks for your help

 

[Non-Trad DO]

Munkin,
I have to say that I was in your almost exact position 3 yrs ago. I was worried about the same things and come from the same professional background. I'm finishing up my second year at LECOM (Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine). I have heard some nasty stories on this web site about difficulties with FMG's but if I were you I talk to one of the Doc's at the hospital you work at that is a FMG. I personally opted for a post-bacc.
Good Luck!

 

[Doctor B.]

I don't mean to simply echo what has been said above but I guess I'm going to end up doing that anyway...

Definately try for US medical school. Things will be easier for you down the road.