PhD to MD/PhD-Intl student

[RealDoc]

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Hi all,

This is my first post and i hope i am posting in the right forum. I did search thru the forum and got many answers I needed, I still need some clarifications tho.....

First my background....

I am an international student doing PhD in cancer biology

-my undergrad has been in Chemical engg. (2 years physics with labs, 3 years chemistry with labs, and other engg subjects but no biology)(GPA-3.3)
-did a masters in biotechnology (GPA-3.7)

then came to USA and joined PhD program
- i might have at least 3 first author papers and 3-4 misc papers by the time I finish.
- I may also do some volunteering work in a clinic before finishing PhD.

I am yet to give my MCAT ( im in my 3rd year planing to give in my 4th year before April/May)

My questions are....

1) I am planing to apply to MD/PhD or MSTP programs because I want to be in research aswell as in clinical side plus this is the only way I can get it funded.....can foreign nationals get loans to do M.D???......this is my biggest dilemma as to how the adcoms see a PhD getting another PhD..i mean is this normal......i am totally ok with another PhD I am sure i can approach a Proff in MS2 with my own proposal and finish PhD in 3 years......

2) so MD/PhD or MSTP is 2 yr MD + 3-4 yr PhD + 2 yr med school + 3 yr residency /speciality training right (or is it residency + another 3 yr specialty training) before you get a real job......was wondering how ppl manage in late 30's without a full paying job....

3) my GPA in PhD program is 3.5 ( I have A's in electives tho) will I still have to do undergrad biology/physics/chemistry or if I get good MCAT score(32+) will that balance off.....

4) i will be 31/32 when i finish PhD and probably start med school, will this effect in my choices like getting into a particular residency or speciality.....

Thanks a lot in advance.....

 

[BarmyArmy]

Hi

hi all,

this is my first post and i hope i am posting in the right forum. I did search thru the forum and got many answers i needed, i still need some clarifications tho.....

First my background....

I am an international student doing phd in cancer biology

-my undergrad has been in chemical engg. (2 years physics with labs, 3 years chemistry with labs, and other engg subjects but no biology)(gpa-3.3)
-did a masters in biotechnology (gpa-3.7)

then came to usa and joined phd program
- i might have at least 3 first author papers and 3-4 misc papers by the time i finish.
- i may also do some volunteering work in a clinic before finishing phd.

I am yet to give my mcat ( im in my 3rd year planing to give in my 4th year before april/may)

my questions are....

1) i am planing to apply to md/phd or mstp programs because i want to be in research aswell as in clinical side plus this is the only way i can get it funded.....can foreign nationals get loans to do m.d???......this is my biggest dilemma as to how the adcoms see a phd getting another phd..i mean is this normal......i am totally ok with another phd i am sure i can approach a proff in ms2 with my own proposal and finish phd in 3 years......

All mstp programs are restricted us nationals/permanent residents. I think loans for foreign students in the us can be quite difficult because the possibility leaving the country without full repayment.


2) so md/phd or mstp is 2 yr md + 3-4 yr phd + 2 yr med school + 3 yr residency /speciality training right (or is it residency + another 3 yr specialty training) before you get a real job......was wondering how ppl manage in late 30's without a full paying job....

Residency training pays about 40-50k a year, so it is decent money. Money should never the reason for anyone to get an mdphd.

3) my gpa in phd program is 3.5 ( i have a's in electives tho) will i still have to do undergrad biology/physics/chemistry or if i get good mcat score(32+) will that balance off.....

4) i will be 31/32 when i finish phd and probably start med school, will this effect in my choices like getting into a particular residency or speciality.....
I feel that surgical specialties might be difficult because of the length of programs. I am not too sure tho.
Thanks a lot in advance.....

 

[RealDoc]

Hi

Hey BarmyArmy,

I found this old thread before did the rules change drastically in the last few years and they dont admit international students in MSTP programs anymore???


http://forums.studentdoctor.net/archive/index.php/t-333784.html

waiting for other's opinion.......

 

[StIGMA]

It is a moot point. You will not be admitted to an MD-PhD program if you already have a PhD. There are not formal rules against this, but it will not happen.

If you enter an MD program, you will be expected to pay for your own tuition and cost of living, which will likely be through private loans. Nationally, the average loans for medical students is around $160,000 but varies. Some students are closer to $300,000 in debt.

MD programs foremost consider your undergraduate GPA. A 3.3 from a foreign university is on the low end of things. Graduate school GPA's are considered inflated and are not significantly considered.

If you finish medical school at 35-36 your residency choices will not be significantly influenced (other than by your own life expectations).

It seems you have not completed to pre-requisite courses for medical school admission. It may be helpful to check with some medical school websites and see what they are expecting of applicants. Completing your undergraduate at a non-US university complicates things. You may get some good information if you e-mail particular school's admissions departments about your specific situation and ask for advice.

 

[echod]

For someone who's completed their undergraduate outside the US, having a PhD degree here would make getting into medical school a lot easier. Why not complete the pre-requisite courses when you're in the midst of your PhD? This way you probably won't have to pay for tuition.

 

[gbwillner]

As others have said, there is no point in applying for the MD/PhD program here. If you want to practice medicine, you are going to have to apply to medical school here. The previous posts are correct about the costs and time it will take.

The only alternative you have, really, is to go back and do medical school in your conutry of origin. At most places this is even free for you. You can then apply to residency programs in the US. This is the hidden secret of the US medical training programs- foreign medical grads (FMGs) can compete for the same residency positions as US grads, and usually train for free, so it is a way to "buck" the system and get your foot in the door. The only downside is that you will be automatically considered less attractive (rightly so) but your US-based PhD will more than make up for it, especially if you still have an interest in reseach and want to apply to a non-competitive field.

Good luck.

 

[RealDoc]

Thanks all for the suggestions and sorry for my late reply......

I guess Ill do the pre-requisities and that should cover my low under grad GPA...

Me going back to my country and doing medicine is actually impossible.....

and I figured out I need to get loan from my home country (12% APR) or get a US citizen of credit worth here to sign for my loan, so ill be working on that aswell.....

anyways thanks for your advices.....

 

[SilverBvllet]

Yes I'm not sure how it will work out if you already have a PhD.

But to any other intl students reading, many if not all MSTPs are funded with a mix of private/NIH funding so you can still be funded in those programs.