Transfering to another Medical School

[Themyscira]

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I've been accepted to an OOS school and waitlisted at a few other oos schools but am now having second thoughts looking at the tuition after spending so much money on applications and my family going through some additional financial hardship. The tuition at my state schools are ridiculously so much cheaper. Like it would cost me less if I started over at my IS school after already completing one year of oos school than completing 4 years of the out of state school. I didn't get into my IS schools primarily because I applied really late as I was busy taking care of family and personal issues.

So, I have a few questions. What are 'good reasons' that medical schools will accept to transfer? I heard they typically have to be really good reasons like marital reasons and having to take care of an immediate or elderly family member but I also read one place that said Texas schools tend to be a little more receptive to Texas residents and financial hardship reasons when considering transfers though I don't know how true this is. Has any Texas residents try to transfer from oos to a Texas school and what reasons did they accept or not accept? Like would saying I want to go from $50,000 to $20,000 per year for tuition good enough or does it need to somehow be more serious like my family's company just went bankrupt or my grandmother just got cancer, racking up a ton of medical bills and financial strain?

Besides good reasons, what else do they look at? I know they want people to be in good standing with the school and pass Step 1 but are they only wanting to make sure you pass the classes and step 1 or does it need to be above a certain grade/score? If the latter, what grade/score minimum do they want? Do they also look at MCAT and undergrad GPA at this point or do they only care about what you've done in medical school?

 

[gyngyn]

Transfers for any reason have become extremely uncommon.
I cannot imagine that expense would be considered compelling.

Schools that consider transfers generally want a compelling reason, successful completion of the first two years (including Step 1) and a letter of support from your Student Affairs Dean (at a minimum).

 

[sammiesings]

pretty sure you'd have to know someone pretty well connected at the school you want to transfer to. seems like a backroom kinda thing if it does happen at all

 

[watermelon master]

I doubt financial reasons is a good enough reason for transfer. The government will loan you as much as you need my friend.

 

[cresume]

Almost never. The only time I've heard of it is a MDPHD completing his clinicals at the place his wife matched to. He had to completely reapply and interview. Money is definitely not a reason.

 

[Themyscira]

I doubt financial reasons is a good enough reason for transfer. The government will loan you as much as you need my friend.

I know but I'd much rather have better tuition than outrageous loans

 

[Themyscira]

I doubt financial reasons is a good enough reason for transfer. The government will loan you as much as you need my friend.

This is why I was a little skeptical of the Texas schools being a little more receptive to financial hardship reasons though. But they do strongly prefer Texas residents so I wanted to be sure

 

[Themyscira]

Those schools that consider transfers generally want a compelling reason, successful completion of the first two years (including Step 1) and a letter of support from your Student Affairs Dean (at a minimum).

Just a completion? They don't require a high grade/score?

 

[Themyscira]

Almost never. The only time I've heard of it is a MDPHD completing his clinicals at the place his wife matched to. He had to completely reapply and interview. Money is definitely not a reason.

Transfers for any reason have become extremely uncommon.
I cannot imagine that expense would be considered compelling.

I know they're uncommon but even for Texas schools? So that blip I read somewhere about Texas (and I think two other state schools it listed but don't remember) schools being more receptive to Texas residents with financial hardship is probably not true?

 

[OneTwoThreeFour]

I've been accepted to an OOS school and waitlisted at a few other oos schools but am now having second thoughts looking at the tuition after spending so much money on applications and my family going through some additional financial hardship. The tuition at my state schools are ridiculously so much cheaper. Like it would cost me less if I started over at my IS school after already completing one year of oos school than completing 4 years of the out of state school. I didn't get into my IS schools primarily because I applied really late as I was busy taking care of family and personal issues.

So, I have a few questions. What are 'good reasons' that medical schools will accept to transfer? I heard they typically have to be really good reasons like marital reasons and having to take care of an immediate or elderly family member but I also read one place that said Texas schools tend to be a little more receptive to Texas residents and financial hardship reasons when considering transfers though I don't know how true this is. Has any Texas residents try to transfer from oos to a Texas school and what reasons did they accept or not accept? Like would saying I want to go from $50,000 to $20,000 per year for tuition good enough or does it need to somehow be more serious like my family's company just went bankrupt or my grandmother just got cancer, racking up a ton of medical bills and financial strain?

Besides good reasons, what else do they look at? I know they want people to be in good standing with the school and pass Step 1 but are they only wanting to make sure you pass the classes and step 1 or does it need to be above a certain grade/score? If the latter, what grade/score minimum do they want? Do they also look at MCAT and undergrad GPA at this point or do they only care about what you've done in medical school?

What is your school's policy? What about the schools you are interested in? Less than 100 students (I'd bet way lower than that now) per year transfer (Source: https://www.usnews.com/education/be...ansferring-from-one-medical-school-to-another). The top three results on google for "medical school transfer" were Tufts, Hopkins, and Yale.
Yale: will consider transfers if you have 1. immediate family member is sick, 2. spouse starts working there, 3. your PI transfers there.
Hopkins: No transfers, full stop
Tufts: "Consideration is given to the student's prior academic performance, and to the personal need for the student to move to a particular city or geographical area, i.e. spouses who are separated, family problems, etc."

You should assume you will take full COA loans and you will have no problem paying them back as a physician.

 

[cresume]

I know they're uncommon but even for Texas schools? So that blip I read somewhere about Texas (and I think two other state schools it listed but don't remember) schools being more receptive to Texas residents with financial hardship is probably not true?

Have you tried googling the school you want to transfer too, calling their admissions office, and asking them? It seems like their websites has a list of things you have to do and suggestions.

https://www.google.com/search?q=tex...rome..69i57.6999j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

[watermelon master]

I know but I'd much rather have better tuition than outrageous loans

You're missing my point. You don't have a financial hardship since everyone can get enough loans from the government to go to medical school. Consider yourself lucky that you're an accepted student on your way to becoming a doctor.

Who wouldn't prefer to have better lower tuition/loans over outrageous loans? You aren't special, and you truly need a compelling reason to transfer. Money is not a compelling reason.

 

[Goro]

I've been accepted to an OOS school and waitlisted at a few other oos schools but am now having second thoughts looking at the tuition after spending so much money on applications and my family going through some additional financial hardship. The tuition at my state schools are ridiculously so much cheaper. Like it would cost me less if I started over at my IS school after already completing one year of oos school than completing 4 years of the out of state school. I didn't get into my IS schools primarily because I applied really late as I was busy taking care of family and personal issues.

So, I have a few questions. What are 'good reasons' that medical schools will accept to transfer? I heard they typically have to be really good reasons like marital reasons and having to take care of an immediate or elderly family member but I also read one place that said Texas schools tend to be a little more receptive to Texas residents and financial hardship reasons when considering transfers though I don't know how true this is. Has any Texas residents try to transfer from oos to a Texas school and what reasons did they accept or not accept? Like would saying I want to go from $50,000 to $20,000 per year for tuition good enough or does it need to somehow be more serious like my family's company just went bankrupt or my grandmother just got cancer, racking up a ton of medical bills and financial strain?

Besides good reasons, what else do they look at? I know they want people to be in good standing with the school and pass Step 1 but are they only wanting to make sure you pass the classes and step 1 or does it need to be above a certain grade/score? If the latter, what grade/score minimum do they want? Do they also look at MCAT and undergrad GPA at this point or do they only care about what you've done in medical school?

Medical students have to be somewhat selfish. If your family is having financial hardship, they need to figure out how to deal with it. You can't run home and help them out every time there's trouble.

Again, you can get loans, so you're not the one with the financial issues.

 

[candbgirl]

I know but I'd much rather have better tuition than outrageous loans

Wouldn’t everyone? Not a reason.

Are you a Texas resident?
What makes you think your IS school
will even accept you?

 

[21Rush12]

You're missing my point. You don't have a financial hardship since everyone can get enough loans from the government to go to medical school. Consider yourself lucky that you're an accepted student on your way to becoming a doctor.

Who wouldn't prefer to have better lower tuition/loans over outrageous loans? You aren't special, and you truly need a compelling reason to transfer. Money is not a compelling reason.

Couldn’t agree more with this.

“Financial Hardship” is not the same thing as medical school being expensive, and if you’re only realizing that it costs money now then I wonder what you’ve been thinking up until this point.

 

[Kr#36]

I know but I'd much rather have better tuition than outrageous loans

I think they'll tell you that you should have thought of this before before applying to the high cost school.

 

[el_duderino]

I know but I'd much rather have better tuition than outrageous loans

So would literally everyone.

The question for you is: would you rather be a doctor, or not be a doctor?

 

[PreMedMissteps]

and my family going through some additional financial hardship.

Your family’s financial situation is irrelevant. Were you expecting them to pay for your costs?

Don’t expect to transfer. You don’t have a compelling reason and many med schools don’t accept transfers anyway.

This is a silly thread. If you want to be a doctor, go to the school that accepted you.