Reapplying to the U.S. vs. SGU vs. Australia..

[nakhe]

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Hello all.

I'm sure SOMEONE has asked this kind of question before, but I am posting it anyways, because the times have changed, and the problem may need to be looked at from a different angle now.

I'm a South Korean citizen, applied to about 10 US schools last year.

My GPA was 3.6 with MCAT 33Q

I got no interview invites from US schools.

I have lots of EC's/volunteering work and impeccable LOR's

Medicine has been the goal of my life since a very young age, and I am very serious about it.

I have been working this summer to save up some money in preparation for medical school, and I simultaneously applied to University of Sydney, University of Melbourne, and University of Queensland in Australia. I also applied to SGU, AUC, and Ross in the Caribbeans.

Either way, I am torn as to what I should do. I got accepted to SGU for now, but I am sure that I will get accepted in other Caribbean medical schools, and in Australia SOMEWHERE.

I am left here with three choices:

1. Australia
2. Caribbeans
3. Reapplying in the U.S. with similar stats.

I have no idea what to do, and the frustration is wrecking me.
Please help me out by giving me some advice!

 

[dragonfly99]

3.6 GPA from where?
the 33 MCAT is OK.
Your problem is probably your lack of US citizenship. Did you call up any of the US schools and see if they have anything to say about your not getting an interview invite, and specifically whether not being a citizen was a big factor versus not.
Did you try US DO schools?
Do you ultimately want to practice in the US?
I have heart Australia likes to get immigrants who are young, apparently because they have an aging population. In that situation, going to Australia might be a good backup option, because at least it gives you a backup if you somehow can't get a US residency spot (assuming Australia has enough internship and residency spots for these foreign/US and other people in their med schools?).

If you find out you have little chance at US schools, then it would be easier to make a choice now to go to one of these schools, rather than waste time applying in the US for another year. Your lack of permanent residency or US citizenship isn't going to change soon, right?

 

[nakhe]

Yes. I will not be getting a green card any time soon. That fact about Australia is interesting though. This is really a tough decision...