Transferring into U.S. from foreign med school

[miler]

Does anyone know if there have been any situations where a student has done very well at a foreign med school for their first two years and then were able to transfer into a U.S. school and graduate from the U.S. school. If so, what schools in the U.S?

Also, I am planning on starting at a foreign med school in January, so this fall I was going to go back to school where I graduated from, take some classes for fun, and retake a Chm class that I have a sub-par grade in. The registrar at the school told me that since I have graduated, this won't matter and won't change my GPA at all, (even though it is a 5 credit course.) Anyone out there who has retaken courses after graduatating? I thought I had read on this website about people who went back and retook some classes to try and get into a U.S. school.
Thanks for any input about both of my ?'s.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[skypilot]

You can raise your undergraduate GPA by retaking courses. It will be a separate postbaccalaureate GPA which is factored into your undergraduate GPA by AMCAS. I think that AACOMAS (osteopathic) will actually replace your grade with the grade from the retake course! This could really raise your GPA.

As far as tranferring from a foreign med school I hear it is tough only 10% from SGU each year and less from other schools. If you really want to go to school in the US then wait till you get in here. But schools like SGU offer 2 years in the Carribean and 2 years in New York at accredited hospitals. I also have heard that if you go to Ireland to UCD or Trinity your clinical training in the five year program will be so excellent that you will have no difficulty landing a residency in the US.

Good luck!

 

[Brian Pavlovitz]

SGU students have been able to transfer into certain U.S. schools, typically after the basic science years (year 2). As skypilot said, it is pretty difficult, and you shouldn't plan on going to a foreign school in the hopes of transferring.

As far as which schools specifically, I know that the State schools in NY have accepted SGU students, as has Virginia, MCP Hanehmann/Drexel, and a few others that I can't remember.

Hope that helps.

 

[Winged Scapula]

If you matriculate at a foreign medical school, you should plan on graduating from that school and being unable to transfer to the US.

That said, every year some students are able to do so, but it is an extremely small percentage of those who try. In addition, to the schools listed above, add George Washington to the list.

 

[ApacheIndian]

There's a book entitled Transferring into a United States Medical School. The most useful thing about it is the appendix which lists some U.S. schools who accept these sorts of transfers. Buy it. Good luck.