Thread: MD/PhD foreign applicants outside US/Canada

[crackerj]

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Hello.

I'm a student who is studying the Bachelor of Science (advanced) in the University of Syndey, Australia. I am interested in applying to the MD/PhD program in the US med schools after I finish my degree.

In the US, it seems that the MD/PhD program is better than MD for international students in terms of financial matter because some universities seem to provide "full-funding" for accepted MD/PhD students (I saw the list), whereas there seems to be no full-funding whatsoever at all for accepted MD-only students (I know there's few loan but no 'funding'). Since I want to research in the field of neuroscience, I decided to apply MD/PhD rather than MD alone...

I've read the threads and I understand that it's really hard for international students to get into med schools in the US, even if they finish pre-med in the US or Canada. It seems that nearly all foreign applicants in SDN who got into MD/PhD, finished their degrees in the US or Canada...

However I could not find anyone in SDN who finished a degree in countries other than the US/Canada and got into the MD/PhD program.

I am going to apply this year and so far, I know these schools have accepted people who finished their degrees from countries other than the US/Canada:


Vanderbilt MSTP (around 5~6 people from African, Asian continent)
Albert Einstein MSTP (1 person from an Asian country)


I know there is an extensive list of the schools which accept foreign applicants with full/partial funding (in another thread). But It seems that the list is only related to the foreign applicants who completed their degrees in the US/Canada.

I know already that Baylor and Dartmouth do not accept international applicants who completed a degree outside US/Canada and have not studied in US/Canada.

I know that universities like Washington University do not make a distinction between international students and US citizens/PRs but I am not sure whether this will apply to international students who completed a degree in countries outside US/Canada.

If anyone knows about other universities which have accepted foreign applicants who finished degree in countries other than US/Canada, Could anyone update this list?

Thank you.

 

[adesua]

Hello,
If you don't already have the book "medical school admission requirements" then I suggest that you buy it. The latest edition can be purchased from the aamc website (www.aamc.org). I know as part of their pre-requisites, quite a number of schools require that foreign applicants have spent a minimum number of year at American universities.

You mentioned that Albert Einstein and Vanderbilt have some students who did not go to colleges in America. You might want to confirm if they went to American Universities in countries outside of US/Canada.

Also about MD, although funding is rarer, some schools have merit scholarships which one can hope to get. I don't have a list of schools which have this but I know for instance WashU in St Louis and UPenn have these. I don't also know how this will apply to a foreign student who did not go to undergrad in the states.

Did you say you saw a list of MD/PhD programs favorable to foreign students somewhere. Please let me know.

PS: I'm an international applicant as well but I went to an American college.

 

[Nuel]

Originally posted by crackerj
Hello.

I'm a student who is studying the Bachelor of Science (advanced) in the University of Syndey, Australia. I am interested in applying to the MD/PhD program in the US med schools after I finish my degree.

In the US, it seems that the MD/PhD program is better than MD for international students in terms of financial matter because some universities seem to provide "full-funding" for accepted MD/PhD students (I saw the list), whereas there seems to be no full-funding whatsoever at all for accepted MD-only students (I know there's few loan but no 'funding'). Since I want to research in the field of neuroscience, I decided to apply MD/PhD rather than MD alone...

I've read the threads and I understand that it's really hard for international students to get into med schools in the US, even if they finish pre-med in the US or Canada. It seems that nearly all foreign applicants in SDN who got into MD/PhD, finished their degrees in the US or Canada...

However I could not find anyone in SDN who finished a degree in countries other than the US/Canada and got into the MD/PhD program.

I am going to apply this year and so far, I know these schools have accepted people who finished their degrees from countries other than the US/Canada:


Vanderbilt MSTP (around 5~6 people from African, Asian continent)
Albert Einstein MSTP (1 person from an Asian country)


I know there is an extensive list of the schools which accept foreign applicants with full/partial funding (in another thread). But It seems that the list is only related to the foreign applicants who completed their degrees in the US/Canada.

I know already that Baylor and Dartmouth do not accept international applicants who completed a degree outside US/Canada and have not studied in US/Canada.

I know that universities like Washington University do not make a distinction between international students and US citizens/PRs but I am not sure whether this will apply to international students who completed a degree in countries outside US/Canada.

If anyone knows about other universities which have accepted foreign applicants who finished degree in countries other than US/Canada, Could anyone update this list?

Thank you.

You are right in that Washinton University makes no distinction regardless of where you went for undergad; the school may be a good choice, but it is extremely competitive.
You may want to start turning in your applications to schools, now is the early time to do that. And I am on the impression that you intend to start the MD/PhD August 2004.
And one point--do not enter the MD/PhD for the purpose of getting a "free" MD, there are numerous loans for international students in US medical schools, although they are not interest-free. Working as an MD, in the long run, will enable you clear of those loans ( we are assuming you won't get frivolous lawsuits) as opposed to going MD/PhD where you . . . However, if you see yourself considering clinical medicine as well as research, then I will suggest you go for with your heart. Also keep it in mind that while most schools require you have schooled in the US/Canada, some of them still accept international students who schooled outside North America.

 

[crackerj]

Thank you for your comments....

I've mentioned that Albert Einstein and Vanderbilt have accepted students who finished their degree outside US/Canada. I saw the statistics and those people who got in, studied in 'non-American' universities (such as Universities in Asian countries).

I've been struggling whether or not I should do both MD/PhD or MD alone for many years.... and I decided to do MD/PhD recently..

I've heard about the loan and I've realised that I need a 'co-signer' who is the US citizen.....since I don't really have relatives in the US, It would be really really hard for me to get the loan....

For the AAMC info book or other med. school info books, I found that they are not that useful for international students, since they mostly contain general info whether or not schools accept international students. But I need more info. of course...

For 'the list' that I've mentioned, go to http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=61421&highlight=international

Lastly, if anyone knows about other universities that have accepted foreign applicants who studied in universities outside North America, could you update my list?

Thank you!!

 

[adesua]

Hello crackerJ
Thanks for the reply. When I mentioned "American Universities" in my other message I was referring to this special group of universities which are situated outside America for instance I know of 1 in Germany, Cairo, Bulgaria etc. So I was saying its possible that these international students at the schools you mentioned came from colleges which although located outside US/Canada still had American affilitiation.

Having said that though, I can't deny there may be schools out there that DO consider applicants from foreign universities. I don't know any particularly but the fact that some schools ask for TOEFL convinces me.

Hope I could have been of more help.