Hey guys, sorry in advance for the long post but I would really appreciate it if you guys read the whole thing. I've searched for other posts on SDN, but they all involve students who are in high school/ undergrad in the US who are considering the idea of going to other countries for med school. I didn't really find anything similar to my situation.
Quick backstory, I was born in the US (so I'm a US citizen) but moved to India after 5th grade for middle school and high school. I graduated high school/ wrote my final exams in March and I'm currently quarantined at home, confused about my future.
In India, medical school is right after high school. In order to get into medical school, you have to write this 3 hour entrance exam and based on your score and rank in the exam you get admitted. I've been seriously preparing for this exam for the past two years but I'm starting to have second thoughts about it.
I've never really liked India (cultural differences, etc.) and I've wanted to go back ever since I moved here. So I also have the option of taking a gap year, writing the SAT (I've registered to take it in October) and applying to go to college in the US and then taking the usual premed route to get into medical school in the US. I realize that the college admission process in the US is a lot more complicated than just the SAT, but I also have a decent gpa and EC's so I'm assuming that I'll get in somewhere (my dad still pays state taxes, so I would be considered an in-state student.)
I'm really confused about these options, should I write the entrance exam in 1.5 months (if it isn't postponed further), go to medical school here for 6 years and try my luck in getting an IM residency in the middle of nowhere or should I take the SAT in October (if it isn't cancelled due to COVID), apply to colleges in the US (for fall 2021) and then go the premed route?
I'm also confused regarding the whole ECFMG accreditation thing (please correct me if I'm wrong) because India hasn't started the accreditation process for any of its medical schools. I don't want to spend 6 years in medical school here, only to find out that I can't go back to the US.
My dad claims that by the time I graduate, Trump won't be president anymore (sorry for bringing up politics) so the US will start accepting even more IMGs than usual due to the physician shortage. According to what I've read (or cherry picked?) on the internet, this doesn't seem likely. He also said that if I go to medical school here, I'll be a doctor in 6 years whereas if I go back to the US, I'll have to study for another 4 years before even starting medical school. He said that I'm leaving something certain to chase something uncertain. I honestly don't know what to do/who to believe.
I know that this whole post is quite the emotional ramble, but I would really appreciate it if someone could offer their advice. I don't mean to come off as lazy/ungrateful, I've always been an above average student (not gifted/smart) and I understand the importance of having a good work ethic/ studying everyday. Thanks in advance!
Quick backstory, I was born in the US (so I'm a US citizen) but moved to India after 5th grade for middle school and high school. I graduated high school/ wrote my final exams in March and I'm currently quarantined at home, confused about my future.
In India, medical school is right after high school. In order to get into medical school, you have to write this 3 hour entrance exam and based on your score and rank in the exam you get admitted. I've been seriously preparing for this exam for the past two years but I'm starting to have second thoughts about it.
I've never really liked India (cultural differences, etc.) and I've wanted to go back ever since I moved here. So I also have the option of taking a gap year, writing the SAT (I've registered to take it in October) and applying to go to college in the US and then taking the usual premed route to get into medical school in the US. I realize that the college admission process in the US is a lot more complicated than just the SAT, but I also have a decent gpa and EC's so I'm assuming that I'll get in somewhere (my dad still pays state taxes, so I would be considered an in-state student.)
I'm really confused about these options, should I write the entrance exam in 1.5 months (if it isn't postponed further), go to medical school here for 6 years and try my luck in getting an IM residency in the middle of nowhere or should I take the SAT in October (if it isn't cancelled due to COVID), apply to colleges in the US (for fall 2021) and then go the premed route?
I'm also confused regarding the whole ECFMG accreditation thing (please correct me if I'm wrong) because India hasn't started the accreditation process for any of its medical schools. I don't want to spend 6 years in medical school here, only to find out that I can't go back to the US.
My dad claims that by the time I graduate, Trump won't be president anymore (sorry for bringing up politics) so the US will start accepting even more IMGs than usual due to the physician shortage. According to what I've read (or cherry picked?) on the internet, this doesn't seem likely. He also said that if I go to medical school here, I'll be a doctor in 6 years whereas if I go back to the US, I'll have to study for another 4 years before even starting medical school. He said that I'm leaving something certain to chase something uncertain. I honestly don't know what to do/who to believe.
I know that this whole post is quite the emotional ramble, but I would really appreciate it if someone could offer their advice. I don't mean to come off as lazy/ungrateful, I've always been an above average student (not gifted/smart) and I understand the importance of having a good work ethic/ studying everyday. Thanks in advance!
