International transfering

[cdave]

Does anyone know any transfered students from foreign medical school?
I know most of the US med school only take students form LCMA schools, but the program just started in 2000. Before that, most people did not evne know LCMA. Is there a special consideration for the student who intend to transfer in these year....

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[gower]

There are students who transfer from foreign medical schools each year, but not very many. They are US citizens or permanent residents who went abroad, commonly because they were rejected from medical school or believed their chances were so poor that they did not waste their time and money. Most who do in fact transfer do so only into 3d year classes, fewer into 2nd year. Such students had also taken the common US medical school admission requirements and the MCAT before going abroad and now must take and score well on the USLME I. There are medical schools which accept transfers, and very few at that, only from other LCME accredited US medical schools

If you are Taiwanese in a Taiwanese medical school and never had a US college education, the chances of transferring must be about zero. I never say impossible, to leave myself an escape hatch.

 

[gower]

Addendum: the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)is not recent: it has been in existence for a very long time.

 

[kimberlicox]

As gower points out, the number of students transferring between medical schools is low; the number of INTERNATIONAL students able to transfer into a US medical school is EXCEEDINGLY LOW.

Why? Well, because schools have several reasons:

1) many do not accept transfers at all
2) some only accept transfers from other LCME schools
3) some only accept transfers when a spot opens up - either due to death, transfer, failing or drop out. These don't happen with any regularity.
4) some schools restrict transfers to state residents
5) some restrict transfers to those with significant ties to the university (ie, family on faculty)

The schools which take the most transfers, particularly international ones, are private colleges of medicine. These are generally very expensive and as an international student, you will be ineligible for US government or bank loans. Thus, many schools may require that you have the full tuition and living expenses for the remainder of the program banked.

There are a couple of books written about transferring. I cannot recall their titles, although one was written by Stanley Z (his last name escapes me, but he writes a great deal of books about USMLE, IMGs, etc.). In addition, you should consider contacting any schools in which you might be interested in transferring into. If you are in a 6 year program in Taiwan, then you would be minimally eligible for transferring after year 4, and after taking the USMLE Step 1. There is no guarantee that the expensive undertaking of applying and interviewing for such a position will result in an offer.

Hope this helps.

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Kimberli "Like a sturgeon" Cox