Options for a second year IMG/US citizen transferring to US

[Flower_girl]

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Question about a Third Culture Kid/US citizen who's about to finish MSII in Argentina with a 3.7 GPA (academic schedule in S. Hemisphere is Feb - Dec), and would like to transfer to a US medical school (State of residence is California) as an MSIII for the 2015/2016 school year.

Assuming money isn't an issue:

1) Which universities in California or any State - either public or private - currently accept IMG/US citizens?
2) Which med schools make exceptions for "hardship" cases?
3) What qualifies as a hardship?
4) What is the process for enrolling?
5) Where to start?
6) Who to contact?

Repeating MSI and/or MSII is not a problem if necessary, but is that process different than transferring as an MSIII?

Serious replies would be greatly appreciated because this truly is a difficult time.

Thank you

(By MSI, II and III, I'm referring to med school years 1, 2 and 3. Am I using that correctly?)

 

[darklabel]

Even as a US student, transferring between school is extremely hard and only reserved for those who have extenuating circumstances. As an IMG, it's very doubtful you can transfer into a USMD as a third year, especially in Cali. Most schools only accept transfers from LCME accredited schools and that's if they even accept one.

Here's a database of schools with their transfer policies: https://services.aamc.org/tsp_reports/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.search_school

Doing a search of schools in Cali, the only school that accepted a transfer was Loma Linda and they only accept transfers from an LCME accredited school.

 

[alpinism]

Yep. Unfortunately very likely not going to happen. You'll have to finish up med school in Argentina then apply to residency here.

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

Even as a US student, transferring between school is extremely hard and only reserved for those who have extenuating circumstances. As an IMG, it's very doubtful you can transfer into a USMD as a third year, especially in Cali. Most schools only accept transfers from LCME accredited schools and that's if they even accept one.

Here's a database of schools with their transfer policies: https://services.aamc.org/tsp_reports/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.search_school

Doing a search of schools in Cali, the only school that accepted a transfer was Loma Linda and they only accept transfers from an LCME accredited school.

NEOUCOM (or NEOMED or whatever it is called now) has an established pathway for this:

http://www.neomed.edu/admissions/medicine/transfer

 

[Say]

The transfers I have heard of all had very high step 1 scores, high GPA, and some close ties to their state school. Most of these students came from the Caribbean though.

 

[DermViser]

The transfers I have heard of all had very high step 1 scores, high GPA, and some close ties to their state school. Most of these students came from the Caribbean though.

Yes. It happens more at certain schools - NEOMED, Drexel, possibly Tulane, etc.

 

[darklabel]

NEOUCOM (or NEOMED or whatever it is called now) has an established pathway for this:

http://www.neomed.edu/admissions/medicine/transfer

True, but Op is a California resident, so the likelihood of Op being accepted out of state, especially at NEOMED or similar schools, is already less than it normally would be (which was already low to begin with).

 

[Flower_girl]

Thanks for your replies. May I ask another question on this thread, or is it better to open a new thread re: a couple of other U.S. options in mind?

 

[FIREitUP]

Yes. It happens more at certain schools - NEOMED, Drexel, possibly Tulane, etc.

the guy from 'the rumors were true' blog matched into drexel for his MS3 year.

here a link from his blog:

http://rumorsweretrue.wordpress.com/transfer/

 

[fancymylotus]

My question is- do hurricanes spin the other way in your hemisphere?

y or n

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

the guy from 'the rumors were true' blog matched into drexel for his MS3 year.

here a link from his blog:

http://rumorsweretrue.wordpress.com/transfer/

Still didn't exactly work out for him...

 

[FIREitUP]

Still didn't exactly work out for him...

i remember reading that he was gunning for plastics and didn't end up matching. i think he's doing research now

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

i remember reading that he was gunning for plastics and didn't end up matching. i think he's doing research now

One of his last posts said something about going back to be an anatomy professor in Grenada

 

[FIREitUP]

One of his last posts said something about going back to be an anatomy professor in Grenada

'Grenada is in my thoughts again. Since leaving it as a transfer to Drexel, I have had an amazing time as a 3rd and 4th year student, dabbled in the world of pick-up artists, applied for and failed to match into a Plastic Surgery residency, traveled to Ecuador for a month to learn Spanish, traveled to South Africa for ****s and giggles, filed a patent on a medical device to help hospital workers wash their hands more often, worked on a few more books and projects with the folks over at First Aid, become a research physician at a prestigious institution, met my future wife, and I have manage to put a ring on her finger.

In April, I’m headed back to Grenada as a Visiting Professor of Anatomy and I am excited to see what they’ve done with the place.'

based on his posts, he seems like a jack of all trades of sorts. i'm sure he's doing fine. either way, hopefully that link was helpful to the OP

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

'Grenada is in my thoughts again. Since leaving it as a transfer to Drexel, I have had an amazing time as a 3rd and 4th year student, dabbled in the world of pick-up artists, applied for and failed to match into a Plastic Surgery residency, traveled to Ecuador for a month to learn Spanish, traveled to South Africa for ****s and giggles, filed a patent on a medical device to help hospital workers wash their hands more often, worked on a few more books and projects with the folks over at First Aid, become a research physician at a prestigious institution, met my future wife, and I have manage to put a ring on her finger.

In April, I’m headed back to Grenada as a Visiting Professor of Anatomy and I am excited to see what they’ve done with the place.'

based on his posts, he seems like a jack of all trades of sorts. i'm sure he's doing fine. either way, hopefully that link was helpful to the OP

Eh.

Writing projects for FA doesn't impress me.

Becoming a "research physician at a prestigious institution" is basically the academic equivalent of being a pack mule.

I hope he is doing well, but that paragraph is fluff.

Bottom line is I doubt he is an employed physician in any capacity that will aid getting a residency and (ultimately) a clinical career as a physician.

 

[FIREitUP]

Eh.

Writing projects for FA doesn't impress me.

Becoming a "research physician at a prestigious institution" is basically the academic equivalent of being a pack mule.

I hope he is doing well, but that paragraph is fluff.

Bottom line is I doubt he is an employed physician in any capacity that will aid getting a residency and (ultimately) a clinical career as a physician.

lol, you might be right. the point is, it was his choice to take the gamble to apply to plastics which is notorious for low match rates. he was successful in transferring from an international school, though

 

[DermViser]

the guy from 'the rumors were true' blog matched into drexel for his MS3 year.

here a link from his blog:

http://rumorsweretrue.wordpress.com/transfer/

Yup, that's where I got it from: http://rumorsweretrue.wordpress.com...from-the-caribbean-which-schools-accept-fmgs/

 

[DermViser]

Thanks for your replies. May I ask another question on this thread, or is it better to open a new thread re: a couple of other U.S. options in mind?

Ask it in the same thread if you can if it's in the same topic.

 

[DermViser]

i remember reading that he was gunning for plastics and didn't end up matching. i think he's doing research now

Where? His last post was February 2012?

 

[DermViser]

lol, you might be right. the point is, it was his choice to take the gamble to apply to plastics which is notorious for low match rates. he was successful in transferring from an international school, though

He could have easily taken a year off before graduating and done research. Plastics is difficult even for the best applicants who are on the mainland for all 4 years. I would be jumping up for utter joy to get to transfer for the last 2 years and be considered an AMG, and he shot unnnecessarily high for a Plastic Integrated fellowship. He could have just as easily done Gen Surgery + fellowship.

 

[FIREitUP]

He could have easily taken a year off before graduating and done research. Plastics is difficult even for the best applicants who are on the mainland for all 4 years. I would be jumping up for utter joy to get to transfer for the last 2 years and be considered an AMG, and he shot unnnecessarily high for a Plastic Integrated fellowship. He could have just as easily done Gen Surgery + fellowship.

Yeah, I agree. I think he probably would've matched with a year of research and connections under his belt (he had a 240 step score, I believe). It feels like a waste.

 

[DermViser]

Yeah, I agree. I think he probably would've matched with a year of research and connections under his belt (he had a 240 step score, I believe). It feels like a waste.

Yeah, that's ridiculous, for a residency like Plastics, you can't just waltz in with a high Step score and think your work is done. What an utter shame.

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

He could have easily taken a year off before graduating and done research. Plastics is difficult even for the best applicants who are on the mainland for all 4 years. I would be jumping up for utter joy to get to transfer for the last 2 years and be considered an AMG, and he shot unnnecessarily high for a Plastic Integrated fellowship. He could have just as easily done Gen Surgery + fellowship.

It's like he won the lottery, then doubled down his earnings on winning it a second time

 

[Flower_girl]

Very interesting comments. I've been reading that link. Thanks!

One big obstacle about transferring internationally is that in South America (as with many med schools abroad), students enter straight from high school into a 6 year medical program - thus, bypassing a Bachelor's Degree.
{note: I didn't do this to cut 2 years off schooling. We are expats, and I wanted to remain close to my family. However, they've recently relocated to Asia and rather than living alone in a foreign country for 4 more years (which has been quite challenging), I'd like to move back to the States where I have a network of extended family and friends, as well as that's where I plan on practicing medicine.}

I've just completed the first 2 very intense years (and proud to say that I aced microbiology in my final exam! 👍), and have 4 more years.

So my questions are:

1) Is it possible to be accepted as a first year student in the States without having an undergraduate degree? Taking into consideration that I've just completed 2 years of the basic sciences and labs, et al, with top grades.

2) Does anyone have an opinion if it's better to just get a foot-in-the-door at any US med school, no matter the rank or tier, just so long that I graduate from an LCME accredited program? (I recently read a discussion related to Caribbean vs US schools which has me concerned)

*** I don't know about hurricanes, but toilets do indeed flush in the opposite direction 😉