question for everyone

[alex21]

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I am new to this forum. I am currently finishing up 2nd year overseas, and have done well. I am a US citizen who went abroad instead of waiting 3 years to get my masters and reapply. I will be taking step 1 in 2 months.

I will also be applying (I know it is rare, but that still won't keep me from at least trying) to transfer. My home state is receptive to transfers for 2nd and 3rd year, as well as a few of my neighboring stages. When I apply, I will not have taken step 1 yet. Should I specify that I am applying for conderation as a 3rd year, or is there a place where I can just say take me for whatever is available. For anyone that has been accepted, do schools take you after step 1, but still place you in 2nd year? My plan is to apply, take step 1, and then forward my score to the schools as soon as I can. Also, I think they will ask why I want to transfer, and it is because I feel the clinicals are WAY better in terms of availability and quality through US schools.

I am not unrealistic, trust me. I just would regret not ever trying, hence going to overseas in the first place. So you know, my undergrad major was not in the sciences, so I was not nearly as prepared for the MCAT as I should have been, hence my below average score. I just feel if I do as well on Step 1 as I have at my institution here, that may help my application somewhat. Please let me know what you think I could/should do, and feel free to send me a private message if you want more information. Please don't tell me not to try, because the dean of admissions for my state med school told me to take more undergrad, take the GRE, get my masters, and then reapply. Obviously I did not, and do not regret it. I will be happy graduating from my current institution, but feel it would be better for me and my family and a more stable situation to finish through a US school. Thanks for your help,

Alex

 

[Scottish Chap]

Alex,

This is a tricky situation. You obviously know that you can't receive a concrete answer on SDN. Our responses are speculative at best.

That said, anecdotal evidence suggests that any chance of transfer from a foreign medical school to a U.S. medical school happens after MSII. That is, you'll be applying to enter MSIII in the U.S.

To maximize your chance, you really should have a Step 1 score in-hand or pending around the time of interview. I say this only because I saw several transfer students interview for an MSIII class at my school. Ultimately, four were accepted (two were from other U.S. schools and two were from medical schools not accredited by the LCME). Of those that faired well, Step 1 scores were available (and obviously they were good scores). Those that were rejected pre- or post-interview either did not present Step 1 scores, or there were other reasons that are impossible to gauge. Again, this is only anecdotal. It's not a prediction or promise. One of the accepted students had actually completed several MSIII clerkships, and was willing to start over again as a 'new MSIII'.

I won't tell you what I think you should do. That's inappropriate. Most stated reasons for transfer should normally be compelling family reasons, compassionate reasons, or research-oriented reasons. It's hard, but you can role the dice and try. In the end--as others have stated--you'll get your medical degree where you are and that in itself is a real achievement. Good luck!

 

[alex21]

Based on a timetable set by my school, I will have to take Step 1 in April. That being said, the deadline for some of these schools is April and early May. The best I can do is take step 1 as soon as I feel ready (which will be after my applications) and forward them my score when I get it back in 3 weeks. I can make it a point to let them know in my application when I will be taking it and why I can't submit it any earlier. I have various reasons for wanting to transfer....there are reasons that will benefit my family, safety issues, clinical and residency issues. In a nutshell, if I stayed at my current institution, I may have to wait upwards of 5-6 months for clinical rotations to begin, and that does not include time inbetween rotations. That would put off matching for AT LEAST a year. That will have financial and personal consequences. Imagine being on loans and waiting for 6 months doing nothing and having no source of income. I understand there are many things I could do in that time, such as research I have done in the past, but I just feel that once I have passed step 1 I would want to start rotations as soon as I could. However, I don't want to apply and give them a sob story, but want to make it a point that I want to transfer to ensure professional success, which is more likely to happen with a school in the US. Like I said, I can stay at my institution, but feel I would have to settle for residency that I would not want to do, but under the circumstances would have to do. Don't get me wrong, I am very glad I got the second chance that I did, and wouldn't change anything I did. Now that I have done decently, I just want to see if I will be any closer to being able to graduate from a US school. If not, I have lost nothing and will continue on and finish my studies through my school, but I just feel it can't hurt to try. Also, at least I will have TAKEN step 1 by the time they review my file. I will not have scores in, but hopefully if they find my application interesting they can just look at the scores as soon as they come in. Nothing most likely will come of this, but I would kick myself if I never even gave it a shot. Thanks for the info,

Alex

 

[njbmd]

I am new to this forum. I am currently finishing up 2nd year overseas, and have done well. I am a US citizen who went abroad instead of waiting 3 years to get my masters and reapply. I will be taking step 1 in 2 months.

I will also be applying (I know it is rare, but that still won't keep me from at least trying) to transfer. My home state is receptive to transfers for 2nd and 3rd year, as well as a few of my neighboring stages. When I apply, I will not have taken step 1 yet. Should I specify that I am applying for conderation as a 3rd year, or is there a place where I can just say take me for whatever is available. For anyone that has been accepted, do schools take you after step 1, but still place you in 2nd year? My plan is to apply, take step 1, and then forward my score to the schools as soon as I can. Also, I think they will ask why I want to transfer, and it is because I feel the clinicals are WAY better in terms of availability and quality through US schools.

I am not unrealistic, trust me. I just would regret not ever trying, hence going to overseas in the first place. So you know, my undergrad major was not in the sciences, so I was not nearly as prepared for the MCAT as I should have been, hence my below average score. I just feel if I do as well on Step 1 as I have at my institution here, that may help my application somewhat. Please let me know what you think I could/should do, and feel free to send me a private message if you want more information. Please don't tell me not to try, because the dean of admissions for my state med school told me to take more undergrad, take the GRE, get my masters, and then reapply. Obviously I did not, and do not regret it. I will be happy graduating from my current institution, but feel it would be better for me and my family and a more stable situation to finish through a US school. Thanks for your help,

Alex

It isn't likely that any medical school in this country will take a transfer-student from a non-LCME medical school regardless of your citizenship or your having taken (or not taken USMLE Step I). Currently no foreign medical schools are accredited by LCME and thus your chances of transfer are very, very remote.

Even if you attended medical school in this country, your chances for a transfer are very slim and generally done in extenuating circumstances. They are quite rare. Getting a masters degree isn't going to help your cause in terms of transfer or admission either.

Your best course of action, if you are currently in a foreign medical school, is to finish your course of study, take USMLE and enter the MATCH or try to pre-match if you can.

 

[alex21]

Thank you. I will take Step 1 and still will apply, although my chances are incredibly slim. I don't want to let that stop me. Had I known how many clinical rotations we had, where they are and how long it takes to start them, I would have taken a different route. I guess you just have to take what you are given and make the most of it. Again, thank you for the realistic look at my options,

Alex

 

[Law2Doc]

It isn't likely that any medical school in this country will take a transfer-student from a non-LCME medical school regardless of your citizenship or your having taken (or not taken USMLE Step I). Currently no foreign medical schools are accredited by LCME and thus your chances of transfer are very, very remote.

Even if you attended medical school in this country, your chances for a transfer are very slim and generally done in extenuating circumstances. They are quite rare. Getting a masters degree isn't going to help your cause in terms of transfer or admission either.

Your best course of action, if you are currently in a foreign medical school, is to finish your course of study, take USMLE and enter the MATCH or try to pre-match if you can.

I tend to agree with this. Transfer odds are slim even from one allo school to another, and will be almost nonexistant coming from abroad. And as njbmd has suggested, you usually need a good family or health related reason to even have a transfer considered. Rushing the Step to try and have a score in time for a transfer is probably going to blow up in your face -- you need to spend whatever time it takes to do well on this, because if you want to match in the US coming from offshore you often have to do better than your US counterparts. I would ride out your remaining years and try your luck at matching in a couple of years.

 

[stool sample]

i think you should stay where you are

 

[alex21]

Now that I know what I already knew, namely my chances are slim, can someone post their successful transfer experiences. Please post the circumstances causing you to transfer from a foreign school to a US allopathic school. Was the country/island hostile, did you feel you were missing out academically or clinically, or did you or the person you can post about have a father that played golf with a person on the admissions board. I know it is very uncommon and incredibly hard to do, but for those that did, without naming your school, can you give me and other inquiring minds some tips as far as LOR, board scores, and anything else you did while abroad that made you a candidate they accepted? Also, since I am assuming many went abroad and didn't stay in the states and do what others do like a post bac program, masters, etc. How can you explain this on your application in a way that says, "yeah, I ignored those that told me what to do, but in the end I believe it made me a stronger person, applicant, more appreciative of the schools in the states and the intangiables I wish to enjoy as a graduate of X medical school?" Thanks,

Alex

Please ignore sample's post above. I know this person and they are just posting random comments.

 

[stool sample]

try Aussie schools...