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Kelpy, hagakure and others,
getting into medical school in the United States as an int'l student (and by this I mean a non-citizen, non-resident, usually F1 status, typically non-Canadian) is very hard, but not impossible. You have to understand that it's an uphill battle, and that you will have things going against you from the very start.
Medical education in the US is heavily subsidized by the gov't (not just MSTP). Hence, it only make sense that a heavy preference is given to US citizens and residents who will not only bring benefit by practicing in the US, but whose parents' taxes have been paying for some of that funding. So why then accept any int'l students?
However, in a few instances the schools decide that it would be actually worth it to accept an international student (and I really mean few: in 2002, out of 16,488 matriculants, 81 or 0.49% were int'l students, with the matriculation rate of US applicants being 49% and int'l applicants 13.8% [ref] ).
It's clear that there has to be a reason to accept an int'l student over a US one. And contrary to what someone has written, no school has reserved spots for int'l students; there are just some that have spots available to int'l students.
This is where the discussion diverges into the MD and an MD/PhD one.
I don't feel particularly qualified to talk about the MD route, as I was never an MD applicant. From the int'l MD students I talked to, it's clear that it's doable and there are ways to pay for it. These are usually private (meaning bank, not gov't) loans that have higher APRs and require a cosigner. I don't know the specifics, but they exist.
MD/PhD is different in that, generally speaking, there is not an issue with funding, but is even harder to get into.
And this is where I see something that really bothers me. I've seen a disproportionately larger number of int'l students talk about MD/PhD because, I'm convinced, of money.
There are two reasons why this is wrong. One is the philosophical, because that is not what MD/PhD programs are meant for and it's just not right. The other one is much more practical: all adcoms, and MD/PhD in particular, are very much on the lookout for these kinds of applicants, and they are even more careful with int'l students. So if you are only considering MD/PhD because it's paid for, don't. There are much easier (and cheaper in the long run!) ways to go to med school.
This is also why it's wrong to approach the whole thing with the attitude of what do I have to do to get into medschool in the US. It's the very approach that will NOT work for int'l students, because that's not what the medschools are looking for in int'l students. Being another perfect/typical applicant will not help your cause.
Guys, do what, above all, you WANT to do. That's the only way you can really get the most out of your experience and allow your true strengths to come out.
Most of you have very interesting and unique life stories and experiences by the simple virtue of being a foreigner. You all have reasons you left your home countries to pursue education in the US, and that in itself shows drive and committment. The adcoms know that the paths you've chosen are hard.
So, will computer science and biology look better than biology alone? Are you INTERESTED in computer science? Would you double major if you weren't trying to get into medschool? Then do or don't.
What kind of volunteering would look the best? How many hours a week? What kind of volunteering would make YOU keep coming back?
What interests you? What doesn't?
Do you get a masters before applying? PhD? Would you have gotten it if you never went to medschool?
You may not believe me now, but take my word for it, after having finished college in the US and having gone through the application process: these things matter, and they do come out.
Now before I get too philosophical on you (it's the Yale system, I promise 😉), make no mistake, as far as the numbers go, you will be judged by much tougher standards. That is a given. Your grades and MCAT scores have to be very good for any of this to even matter. But that's not enough, and while it can keep you out, your scores won't be what gets you in.
There are a few other threads here that talk about these things, so do a search.
And, finally, for those that have decided to apply MD/PhD here is a working list of programs that are willing to consider int'l applicants.
Good luck, Serge.
getting into medical school in the United States as an int'l student (and by this I mean a non-citizen, non-resident, usually F1 status, typically non-Canadian) is very hard, but not impossible. You have to understand that it's an uphill battle, and that you will have things going against you from the very start.
Medical education in the US is heavily subsidized by the gov't (not just MSTP). Hence, it only make sense that a heavy preference is given to US citizens and residents who will not only bring benefit by practicing in the US, but whose parents' taxes have been paying for some of that funding. So why then accept any int'l students?
However, in a few instances the schools decide that it would be actually worth it to accept an international student (and I really mean few: in 2002, out of 16,488 matriculants, 81 or 0.49% were int'l students, with the matriculation rate of US applicants being 49% and int'l applicants 13.8% [ref] ).
It's clear that there has to be a reason to accept an int'l student over a US one. And contrary to what someone has written, no school has reserved spots for int'l students; there are just some that have spots available to int'l students.
This is where the discussion diverges into the MD and an MD/PhD one.
I don't feel particularly qualified to talk about the MD route, as I was never an MD applicant. From the int'l MD students I talked to, it's clear that it's doable and there are ways to pay for it. These are usually private (meaning bank, not gov't) loans that have higher APRs and require a cosigner. I don't know the specifics, but they exist.
MD/PhD is different in that, generally speaking, there is not an issue with funding, but is even harder to get into.
And this is where I see something that really bothers me. I've seen a disproportionately larger number of int'l students talk about MD/PhD because, I'm convinced, of money.
There are two reasons why this is wrong. One is the philosophical, because that is not what MD/PhD programs are meant for and it's just not right. The other one is much more practical: all adcoms, and MD/PhD in particular, are very much on the lookout for these kinds of applicants, and they are even more careful with int'l students. So if you are only considering MD/PhD because it's paid for, don't. There are much easier (and cheaper in the long run!) ways to go to med school.
This is also why it's wrong to approach the whole thing with the attitude of what do I have to do to get into medschool in the US. It's the very approach that will NOT work for int'l students, because that's not what the medschools are looking for in int'l students. Being another perfect/typical applicant will not help your cause.
Guys, do what, above all, you WANT to do. That's the only way you can really get the most out of your experience and allow your true strengths to come out.
Most of you have very interesting and unique life stories and experiences by the simple virtue of being a foreigner. You all have reasons you left your home countries to pursue education in the US, and that in itself shows drive and committment. The adcoms know that the paths you've chosen are hard.
So, will computer science and biology look better than biology alone? Are you INTERESTED in computer science? Would you double major if you weren't trying to get into medschool? Then do or don't.
What kind of volunteering would look the best? How many hours a week? What kind of volunteering would make YOU keep coming back?
What interests you? What doesn't?
Do you get a masters before applying? PhD? Would you have gotten it if you never went to medschool?
You may not believe me now, but take my word for it, after having finished college in the US and having gone through the application process: these things matter, and they do come out.
Now before I get too philosophical on you (it's the Yale system, I promise 😉), make no mistake, as far as the numbers go, you will be judged by much tougher standards. That is a given. Your grades and MCAT scores have to be very good for any of this to even matter. But that's not enough, and while it can keep you out, your scores won't be what gets you in.
There are a few other threads here that talk about these things, so do a search.
And, finally, for those that have decided to apply MD/PhD here is a working list of programs that are willing to consider int'l applicants.
Good luck, Serge.
