International student.I need help regarding medicine in the US

[alex2395]

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Hello guys!
Just as the title states I am from Greece(currently still a high school student)Im 16
Last year my grades were 19,75/20 and this year is turning pretty much to be the same!(just some info to tell me if I got what it takes)Yes I know it's early to decide.
I just need some info about how medical schools work in the USA.
Well After searching on the net I found out that There are some pre med courses to be taken.I just need some help and explanation on this.
What courses do I need to take?
Do you know any good universities that have a good pre med and med program?
Any other info I should know???
Im really confused....

Suggestions and comments are accepted(thats why Im asking LOL)
Thanks a lot...
Sorry if this is in the wrong place!

 

[unhappytnt]

Yassou 🙂

Pre-med is not a program. It's just the core classes that you need to take in order to apply to medical schools. These classes are:

- 1 year of chemistry with lab
- 1 year of biology w/ lab
- 1 year of physics w/ lab
- 1 year of organic chemistry w/ lab
- 1 year of calculus (not all schools require this)

Keep in mind that you can take these classes at any university in United States, so it doesn't matter which school you go to. What matters is good grades and a good MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test) score.

Having said that, I must warn you before: Admission to medical schools for foreign students is HIGHLY competitive, as most schools have quotas for international applicant. An average American medical school matriculant has a 3.6 sGPA and a 30 MCAT. These values are significantly higher for foreign students. So, if you are sure that you want to pursue a medical education in United States, you must study really hard. 🙂

Hope that was helpful!

 

[Electronegative]

Also, If you're a permanent resident with green card you will not be considered international student, you will be competing with U.S applicants equally.

 

[Ischemic]

"you have to study really hard" is an understatement. Almost dang near impossible is more like it, but there's always a chance. Just know the deck is stacked heftily against you if you're not a permanent resident or citizen.

 

[alex2395]

thanks a lot for the replies...
I didn't know that there was such discrimination against foreign students.
Some more questions:
Do I give MCAT after pre med right???
Do you know any good universities with a strong med program???

btw I heard that pre med at MIT is less competitive(comparing to others)

 

[Electronegative]

You can take the MCAT whenever you want, but the test covers the medical school required subjects like SU1989 described, so you should complete them before taking it. And as for the pre med, it really doesn't matter where you complete your undergrad degree as long as you have good grades and ECs. There are few schools that offer pre med degree, but it's not recommended, you should major in a degree you can fall back on in case you don't make it to med school, Just imagine how you're gonna look in front of potential employer that's not related to medicine with a pre med degree without medical degree.

 

[alex2395]

nah working in Greece aint an option....not studying either....educational system here sucks !!!
well I am aware of the costs
Didnt know it was that hard to practice medicine in the US!

 

[alex2395]

well I would like your advise about which uni to choose...
one with a good pre med program???
thank you!

 

[indya]

unless you are a genius who really cares about name brand schools like Harvard, Princeton, MIT, etc., you should go to whichever school gives you the most money (probably a state school.) The level of *undergraduate* education at all of the top 30-40 schools is the same (and even to the top 100, they are pretty much the same). In other words, MIT=University of North Carolina. Don't be fooled. The only reason they are ranked so high is because of their graduate programs, not undergraduate.

 

[alex2395]

unless you are a genius who really cares about name brand schools like Harvard, Princeton, MIT, etc., you should go to whichever school gives you the most money (probably a state school.) The level of *undergraduate* education at all of the top 30-40 schools is the same (and even to the top 100, they are pretty much the same). In other words, MIT=University of North Carolina. Don't be fooled. The only reason they are ranked so high is because of their graduate programs, not undergraduate.

nah I dont care about the names and they are more expensive...
Just looking for some opinions on the programs and the unis...
I will do some more research!

 

[alex2395]

So I am Greek do you think that this will put me at a disadvantage when entering for an undergrad and later a med student???
What is the school I should go for my pre-med???
I am not considering Greek schools cause our education system sucks

 

[Ischemic]

doesn't matter where you go to for undergrad as long as they teach you your prereq classes.

Being an international student definitely puts you into a MAJOR disadvantage when applying to medical school as 1. you're not a citizen or permanent resident so you are ineligible for gov. student loans 2. you have to have really good stats superior to most US applicants. All in all you're fighting a steep uphill battle.

 

[alex2395]

well perhaps I could stay one more year and get my green card .
there arent any international students here who would be able to advice me?

 

[shopsteward]

Yassou, Alex

Not an international student, but I suspect you've had good advice above. Your difficulties are 1) getting into an undergraduate degree course in the USA that meets the pre-med requirements 2) paying for it 3) getting into med school in the USA as an international student (said to be extremely difficult, although not impossible) or getting a green card before you apply to med school (also likely to be very difficult) 4) paying for med school in the USA.

If you have Greek nationality, you are entitled to study and work in any country in the European Union with the same rights as nationals of that country, with no quotas or discrimination. So if you would not be happy studying in Greece, there are 26 other countries for you to consider which might be a better/easier/cheaper option than the US one.

 

[alex2395]

Yassou, Alex

Not an international student, but I suspect you've had good advice above. Your difficulties are 1) getting into an undergraduate degree course in the USA that meets the pre-med requirements 2) paying for it 3) getting into med school in the USA as an international student (said to be extremely difficult, although not impossible) or getting a green card before you apply to med school (also likely to be very difficult) 4) paying for med school in the USA.

If you have Greek nationality, you are entitled to study and work in any country in the European Union with the same rights as nationals of that country, with no quotas or discrimination. So if you would not be happy studying in Greece, there are 26 other countries for you to consider which might be a better/easier/cheaper option than the US one.

Γεια σου και εσενα
hope you dont mind the Greek.
well You know I have to learn the language.I was thinking German(I speak some German) or maybe the UK
but hey getting in an undergarudate degree in the USA cant be that hard.and some universities/colleges offer financial support.The thing is the Green card problem
Any ideas for studies In Europe?

 

[shopsteward]

No need for thanks, and I don't mind the Greek but I'm not up to internetting in it.

UK and Republic of Ireland both teach in English. Not sure if there are medical schools elsewhere in Europe which teach in English. The general rule (for example, when taking the entrance tests for EU Institutions) is that however good you are at languages, you are best at test-taking in your mother tongue, and using any other language is a disadvantage, however slight. So you do need to take language issues pretty seriously into account. If English is your second language, it is likely to be a better choice for you than studying medicine in a third or fourth language.

If Greek is your first language, then the advantages of studying in Greek might outweigh the disadvantages (?) of studying in Greece. (On those disadvantages, remember that to become a doctor you will be studying for years, and that things change, sometimes even for the better, over a period of years.)

You are probably right that getting into undergrad in the US is doable, but it would be a big choice to make and I would have thought that before your start it would be a good idea to have a realistic plan for what you will do when you've finished.