Transferring medical schools

[medstudentinreallife25]

Hey does anyone know about transferring medical schools as a first year? Md

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Kierkegaard's Bud]

Hey does anyone know about transferring medical schools as a first year? Md

Why? Chances are slim to none even with a great reason.

 

[EthylMethylMan]

This is very hard to do, and it rarely happens as far as I’m aware. Reason being that there isn’t a set way that the preclinical curriculum goes. So if you were to transfer mid-MS1, for example, you may miss out on large blocks of material. When I have seen this happen, it has been in the gap between MS2 and MS3.

 

[amoxicillin_resistant]

iirc someone on sdn described the process and said it only happens for very extreme personal reasons e.g death of a family member.

And they just got transferred to a school nearby as it had a similar curriculum, so its not like they were able to shmooze into a higher ranking school or anything

I think there used to be? a program long ago for DOs to become MDs but idk too much.

Lastly, I heard from some upperclassmen there are MDs transfer to DOs during M2/M3 for personal reasons albeit ive never seen this.

 

[Goro]

I think there used to be? a program long ago for DOs to become MDs but idk too much.

The CA Medical Association tried this in the 1960s. It was a brilliantly ruthless plan to eliminate the DO profession in CA. It almost worked but iit ventured into "restraint of trade" territory, and got terminated.

Lastly, I heard from some upperclassmen there are MDs transfer to DOs during M2/M3 for personal reasons albeit ive never seen this.

In my 25+ years of teaching, this has happened exactly once in my school's history, and that was a long time ago!

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

Slim to none

 

[amoxicillin_resistant]

The CA Medical Association tried this in the 1960s. It was a brilliantly ruthless plan to eliminate the DO profession in CA. It almost worked but iit ventured into "restraint of trade" territory, and got terminated.

In my 25+ years of teaching, this has happened exactly once in my school's history, and that was a long time ago!

Was the DO to MD a transfer type process? or was it just additional schooling

either way thats very interesting. I know some DO friends who would be willing to spend a couple more years to be MD

 

[gyngyn]

I know some DO friends who would be willing to spend a couple more years to be MD

Transfer to an LCME accredited institution is not going to happen .

 

[medstudentinreallife25]

Hi thanks for all your replies. I chose my state school over my top choice to save money. I don’t want to transfer to that same school I turned down. I just want to see if it’s possible at all.

I’m an urm and there is me only one other student who looks like me in my program. They always put us together for everything. My class is especially lacking diversity compared to previous years which is why I didn’t worry about it before. I just want to see if it’s possible to transfer to any school that has more of a diverse student body.

 

[Goro]

Was the DO to MD a transfer type process? or was it just additional schooling

either way thats very interesting. I know some DO friends who would be willing to spend a couple more years to be MD

This had nothing to do with medical students.

Practicing DOs could "trade in" their DO degree for an MD degree by paying a nominal fee.

That was the genius of the plan. The CA MA nearly nearly extirpated the DO profession in the state!

 

[Goro]

Hi thanks for all your replies. I chose my state school over my top choice to save money. I don’t want to transfer to that same school I turned down. I just want to see if it’s possible at all.

I’m an urm and there is me only one other student who looks like me in my program. They always put us together for everything. My class is especially lacking diversity compared to previous years which is why I didn’t worry about it before. I just want to see if it’s possible to transfer to any school that has more of a diverse student body.

Four years will go quickly. You can hack it.

 

[mistafab]

Hi thanks for all your replies. I chose my state school over my top choice to save money. I don’t want to transfer to that same school I turned down. I just want to see if it’s possible at all.

I’m an urm and there is me only one other student who looks like me in my program. They always put us together for everything. My class is especially lacking diversity compared to previous years which is why I didn’t worry about it before. I just want to see if it’s possible to transfer to any school that has more of a diverse student body.

My advice - focus more on becoming a doctor and focus less on being URM. This is coming from myself, who is URM. You are URM anyway, in this program or elsewhere. But this is your shot at becoming a doctor and learning what doctors need to learn.

Some learning environments are more welcoming than others, it is true. Yet, this is the environment you are in. Focus on your studies and move on. If you plague yourself with "what if things were different?" you are only causing yourself suffering. Things will not always be different. Sometimes things are just how they are. Residency is a match, and you may similarly be in a less-than-optimal place. If that happens, you will also need to move on if being a doctor is important to you.

We are needed. You can't change the world by trying to disappear. It's not a perfect life, but it is the life you're living.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Hi thanks for all your replies. I chose my state school over my top choice to save money. I don’t want to transfer to that same school I turned down. I just want to see if it’s possible at all.

I’m an urm and there is me only one other student who looks like me in my program. They always put us together for everything. My class is especially lacking diversity compared to previous years which is why I didn’t worry about it before. I just want to see if it’s possible to transfer to any school that has more of a diverse student body.

I concur with those who responded.

Affinity professional groups like SNMA, LMSA, APAMSA, SAMSA, F1 doctors, MSPA become extremely important to help you find community with others. Get involved, especially at a regional/national level. It might not help you with any desire to transfer, but it can give you some mentors who can help you.

 

[DO2015CA]

Hi thanks for all your replies. I chose my state school over my top choice to save money. I don’t want to transfer to that same school I turned down. I just want to see if it’s possible at all.

I’m an urm and there is me only one other student who looks like me in my program. They always put us together for everything. My class is especially lacking diversity compared to previous years which is why I didn’t worry about it before. I just want to see if it’s possible to transfer to any school that has more of a diverse student body.

Also agree but to add that you will enjoy the lesser loans in the long run. As long as you aren’t being discriminated against, it’s worth sticking out for a state tuition

 

[AJS59]

Hi thanks for all your replies. I chose my state school over my top choice to save money. I don’t want to transfer to that same school I turned down. I just want to see if it’s possible at all.

I’m an urm and there is me only one other student who looks like me in my program. They always put us together for everything. My class is especially lacking diversity compared to previous years which is why I didn’t worry about it before. I just want to see if it’s possible to transfer to any school that has more of a diverse student body.

I'd also add the suggestion to try, as much as possible, to meet people outside of your program — whether that be elsewhere in your school or even just in your general city/surrounding envrionment through activities and such.

 

[pazzer2]

Only one person I know ever transferred between medical schools. She did so after 2nd year, so it was a natural time between basic science and clinical years. She also had a good reason: newly married and spouse lived 1000+ miles away.

 

[DO2015CA]

Only one person I know ever transferred between medical schools. She did so after 2nd year, so it was a natural time between basic science and clinical years. She also had a good reason: newly married and spouse lived 1000+ miles away.

Ehh. I’d call that a valid reason not a good reason. I had a few classmates that were married across the country and they made it work

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

Ehh. I’d call that a valid reason not a good reason. I had a few classmates that were married across the country and they made it work

There are very few better reasons than unnecessary family separation tbh. You get a pay bump for that if you're in the military because it's an extra hardship. Just because they "made it work" doesn't mean it was a good solution.

 

[DO2015CA]

There are very few better reasons than unnecessary family separation tbh. You get a pay bump for that if you're in the military because it's an extra hardship. Just because they "made it work" doesn't mean it was a good solution.

Correct but if they allowed it for every student then everyone would transfer. A lot of medical students have significant others or even just support systems across the country. One could argue it’s a culture issue but as of right now medical training doesn’t care about that. Same thing for residency and attending jobs. Depending on specialty, you don’t get to choose the location of your job either.

 

[Helpful Troll]

There are very few better reasons than unnecessary family separation tbh. You get a pay bump for that if you're in the military because it's an extra hardship. Just because they "made it work" doesn't mean it was a good solution.

In the military you do not get separation pay if you are in a training status... this includes medical school, residency, fellowship, and all officer training programs.

 

[Divanurse66]

Hey does anyone know about transferring medical schools as a first year? Md

A young lady transferred to my son's school because her mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and she needed to move closer to care for her.

 

[DO2015CA]

A young lady transferred to my son's school because her mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and she needed to move closer to care for her.

That is what I would call a good reason