Transferring to US med schools

[hakim]

Hi everyone.

I am currently a medical student (with US citizenship) at the American University of Beirut and we've just completed our first year. I was wondering if there is any way to transfer to a med school in the US and what are the requirements.

Thank you in advance.

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[Winged Scapula]

Hakim...

Every school differs with regards to its regulations regarding transfers. Many schools take no transfers at all, or limit them to other LCME schools.

Some schools only take transfers if a spot opens up - usually through student failure, death, drop-out, etc. Obviously given the extremely low attrition rate, this doesn't afford a lot of spots.

Others restrict transfers to those with "exceptional reasons" - usually having a spouse in school or on faculty.

Stanley Zaslau wrote a book a few years back about transferring into a US school. I'm not sure how up to date the info is but it is the only centralized source of info about transfers. Otherwise you might check web sites or contact schools for information about their transfer policies. Be prepared to be turned away at many, to be told that you may have to repeat a year, etc.

Best of luck!

 

[gower]

I have a resource that, among other things, gives the transfer policies at every US allopathic and osteopathic medical school.
This book is NOT available in libraries or book stores and has a very restricted distribution.

Since there are so many medical colleges, I cannot give you the information for all of them, but I will look up some of those you might be interested in.

 

[jue]

hi hakim, i almost applied to AUB but i decided not to cos they require the MCAT. anyway, with regards to your question, i think you should look into the medical program at Brown uni. if however you are concerned about LCME accreditation and studying in america is not your main priority, then you may want to look into Ponce medical school in Puerto rico, i tried transferring there but they also require the student to have taken the MCAT.
let me know what happens. later..

 

[Dreamer]

gower,

I got that the book is difficuilt to get, but if you don't mind what is the name and who is the author?

 

[gower]

This for both jue and dreamer.

Jue first. Brown is an Ivy League medical school structured differently than others. The Brown University program is an eight-year continuum of college and medical school (Program in Liberal Medical Education) that offers admission to high school seniors. However, limited spaces are available for admission into the first year of medical school.
Entry into the first year is available only to individuals applying to the MD/PhD program; to students enrolled in postbaccalaureate premedical studies at Brown University, Bryn Mawr College or Columbia University; to students enrolled in the Early Identification Program at Providence College, Tougaloo College, Rhode Island College, or the University of Rhode Island; and to graduates of Brown University or students currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program at Brown.

Four transfer students were accepted in the last four years. Transfers are considered only for entry to the third year depending upon availability of transfer spots. Only those atudents transferring from accredited schools of allopathic, osteopathic or dental medicine, or who are Rhode Island residents and transferring from WHO-accredited foreign schools are considered.

Ponce in Puerto Rico is an LCME-accredited medical school (a US medical school), a working knowledge of Spanish is essential.
Five to six transfers a year fill the available spots. Only students who have passed the USMLE Step I are considered for the third year. Applicants may be from foreign schools with a similar curriculum. Class size about 60-70.

Dreamer: the book I have in mind is available ONLY to premedical advisors. It is accurate, the information in it contributed by the medical schools themselves, as is the MSAR. Commercial books are derivative, not official and not to be relied on too heavily.

Give me some detailed background and tell me what medical schools you might be interested in. Do you or your family live in the US, and if so, what is the state of residency?

 

[dwstranger]

e-mail me at [email protected] and I will send you a list of US med schools which do, don't, or might accept a foreign-schooled transfer student. I complied this list myself and it is accurate as of Spring, 2001. I also have made a list of schools that allow foreign visiting students to do 4th year electives at their institutions. It's in MS Excel.

 

[hakim]

First, thanks to all for replying.

I do plan (if all goes well) on applying for transfer after the second year when I know my chances are better. But I also know that it is very hard to do, and that's why I'm trying to work on it know.

Along with knowing what schools to apply to, I'd also like to ask for what else will make my application look more promising.

To jue: Um... thanks for the info, but the only reason I'd want to transfer is to be able to get into an accreditted program (although the AUB is currently trying to become accreditted, the process will take a lot of time). The AUB (in some circles) has quite a high reputation and it's graduates do well in their respective residency programs. However, they all carry the "FMG" tag. Which is a main reason I'd want to leave the AUB.

To gower: Some info - I was born in Georgia (my current state of residency) and lived there for almost 16 years before moving to the Middle East with my family. While here, I obtained an IGCSE O-level certificate, as well as a certified American high school Diploma. Wanting to be close to the family, I decided to do my undergraduate at the American University of Beirut, with plans on going to the US for medicine afterward. However, the AUB has a far different system than the one I was used to (more French in nature), and one of the characteristics of this system is low grades. So my GPA essentially was TERRIBLE. However, I did do relatively well on the MCAT, receiving a V:12 P:13 W:S B:11. But that did little to improve my chances of getting accepted into a US med school (among other factors). More about the AUB - medical students here do exceptionally well internationally on the USMLE (top 20 maybe), and the AUB is considered to be one of the best med schools in the region. So it has a relatively good base.

And in answer to your question, I'm interested in any accreditted US med school. Yup. Even repeating a year at a good university is an option.

I guess that's about it for now.

To dwstranger: thanks for the offer. I'll email you right away.

 

[Stephen Ewen]

Hakim, are you saying that AUB is seeking to become an LCME school?

 

[hakim]

Stephan Ewen,

I'm not sure whether or not the AUB is seeking accreditation from LCME, but I do know that the med school (as well as the other parts of the university currently not accreditted) are seeking US accreditation. I'll find out exactly which one later and tell you about it.

 

[gower]

To the best of my knowledge, the writ of the LCME covers only the 50 US states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. PR is not a state and has no representation in Congress, but has "observers" there. Moreover, Puerto Ricans are born US citizens.

Unless there is something I don't know [and there are lots of things I don't know] I can't see how the LCME can "accredit" UAB. UAB is recognized by the government of Lebanon and thus appears in WHO's World Directory of Medical Schools. No medical schools of any other nation, not even Canada, are LCME accredited. Canadian universities and medical schools enjoy a high reputation in the US; that is why Canadian applicants to US medical schools have a "special relationship" when applying to US schools, although otherwise they ARE foreign applicants.

MAY accept transfers from non-LCME med schools. The public medical schools may limit it to state residents.

U. South Alabama 0 last 3 years
Arizona Only Arizona residents/WICHE
Colorado residents only
George Washington
Miami
Finch
Southern Illinois only into 2d year
Indiana occasionally
UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson
Columbia foreign into 2nd year only
SUNY-Buffalo none foreign since 1996
SUNY-Syracuse highly unlikely
East Carolina few vacancies, difficult
U. Central del Caribe
Ponce
Brown foreign ms: Rhode Island residents
U Wisconsin foreign: only into 2d year

Very slim pickings.