Interviewing when you're far far away

[MissGlassSir]

I'm starting med school this year at an Israeli school - a fantastic school with a fantastic program, just too damn far away. Ideally, I would like to tranfer to a U.S. allopathic school; I applied really late in the cycle this/last year, which I feel hurt my chances. I know that transferring is really REALLY difficult and that some schools don't accept transfers from international schools. But that being said, what if I do apply and I get an interview... And I can't go because I'm so insanely far away? Is there even a point in applying if I can't physically attend an interview?

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[LuciusVorenus]

Well, you need to interview to be accepted, so not really. I think there's one school that accepts without an interview but that's a DO state sponsored school as far as I know. Yale does regional interviews but then again...it's Yale so...

 

[TexasPhysician]

You need to be able to be available for interviews.

 

[fMRI]

I know that transferring is really REALLY difficult and that some schools don't accept transfers from international schools. But that being said, what if I do apply and I get an interview... And I can't go because I'm so insanely far away?

1) Please name a single school that accepts international transfers (i.e. students from non-US medical schools, I don't know of a single (decent) school).

2) Point 1 might preempt your problem. You can apply as a regular student to start the first year and you will be required to attend an interview, like everybody else.

3) If you are serious about attending med school in the US, you should be prepared to attend the interview -- after all, it shouldn't be the quantity of interviews you are hoping for, it would just be for "that special one" at the school you really want to attend, right? One flight is OK, Israel after all isn't that far. (Imagine you live in a rural area where it takes a day to get to the airport and then fly across the country to a given school -- that's surely as bad, right? And don't start whining about jet lag -- if you can't handle a little sleep deprivation, med school might not be for you.)

4) Think of it positively: You'll have something to talk about during your interview.

Good luck!

 

[MissGlassSir]

Any U.S. school is a "decent" school!!! I've heard of Caribbean students transferring into Temple, New York Med, and Mount Sinai... Perhaps a student from a Columbia-affiliated Israeli school would have an even better shot.

 

[TexasPhysician]

Any U.S. school is a "decent" school!!! I've heard of Caribbean students transferring into Temple, New York Med, and Mount Sinai... Perhaps a student from a Columbia-affiliated Israeli school would have an even better shot.

Heard of is very different than the norm. There are few transfer spots available at schools (some don't allow them). When transfer spots become available, you need a good reason to transfer. Getting out of the Carib, Israel, etc. rarely qualify. Most I've seen transfer are due to family problems, marriages, etc.

 

[roaming]

duke does on site, regional, and skype interviews. people have gotten in with all interviews.

however i agree. transferring from an international school is very difficult. also, i dont think it matters that its a columbia affiliated overseas school...the reason these schools are built (for example, the duke one in singapore) is to attract people to go there and stay there all throughout med school. im sure its very difficult to transfer out of it, much less transfer into another one.