Transferring

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

Jazz Gal

Junior Member
7+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
20+ Year Member
Joined
May 14, 2002
Messages
13
Reaction score
0
Hi everyone. I'm new to this board and I dig the casual but informative style on it.

My question is about transferring med schools: I'm in a U.S. med school and I'd like to transfer to another one. How easy/hard is this? I'm told that most schools accept only a handful of transfers, and sometimes, none at all.

What should I do to maximise my chances of transferring successfully? (I'm a first-year student.)

I appreciate your input.

Members don't see this ad.
 
Generally, transferring from one med school to another is reserved for those with exceptional reasons (spouse attending or employed by another school, family reasons, etc.), and not for students just hoping to get a "better" degree. A lot of schools won't even consider your transfer application unless you can prove that you do have a spouse that is a current student or employee of their university too. However, if you do find a school that will consider your transfer for whatever reason, most accept students between 2nd and 3rd year, and I think that you also have to have a letter from your dean too. Getting good grades will probably help your chances of being able to transfer too.
 
•••quote:•••Originally posted by Jazz Gal:
•Hi everyone. I'm new to this board and I dig the casual but informative style on it.

My question is about transferring med schools: I'm in a U.S. med school and I'd like to transfer to another one. How easy/hard is this? I'm told that most schools accept only a handful of transfers, and sometimes, none at all.

What should I do to maximise my chances of transferring successfully? (I'm a first-year student.)

I appreciate your input.•••••I agree with Jazz Gal, it would be nice to get some discussion on this topic. From what I already know it is very difficult to transfer, what I would like here though is what are the pros and cons? How will this effect your carrer and residency?
Jazz Gal, from what I know, you need to have a good reason to transfer. I'm also sure that being a good student and getting good grades (if your school has them), research, and being an active participant in groups a your medical school can't hurt.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
I don't know if there are really any "pros" to transferring besides your increased happiness, which may make you perform better in school, on rotations, etc. Assuming you had a very good reason, there probably won't be any significant "cons," although I could concievably see some residency programs viewing it as a potential issue/flag on your application -- sort of like, "well, if you felt like you *had* to transfer medical schools, how do we know the same situation won't come up while you're in residency."

It is very difficult to transfer, so if you can make things work at your current school, you're probably better off to do so.
 
I did research with a guy who was doing his ENT residency at Johns Hopkins. He had transfered from Vanderbilt Medical School to Stanford. The reason was that his wife got into a residency program at Stanford.
 
My roommate just was accepted as a transfer student (she's a med1 transferring to OHSU for her Med2 year).

When she went to discuss it with the dean, he told her that about half of the med students who apply for a transfer get it. Most people think it's so difficult, and it is such a pain, that the majority of people who try it have really good reasons---and are thus more likely to get accepted.

However, what med school you are transferring from makes a difference--so she was told.

hope this helps a little...
smurfette
 
Transferring is damn near impossible. My old roomate tried to transfer from OSU to Maryland becasue his WIFE got accepted to the military medical school in Bethesda. He was a good student/not AOA but solid. They said no. OSU didn't want to release him and UM didn't want to accept. This was after many months of meetings and forms at both schools.

Just my little story...
 
why was this thread moved to pre-allo?
it is of more importance to people already in medical school. most med students and residents probably do not read the pre-allo forum anyway. it belongs in allopathic.
 
I just opened a thread at the allopathic forum then I realized the "transferring" topic was moved to the pre-med site. Anyways, I just wanted to know if anyone has any insight to advanced standing transfer application to USC. From AAMC site, it stated USC will accept 10 applications to the 3rd year class starting in July. The application according to USC, however, is now closed. I would like to know if anyone get accepted or hear anything from the admissions office.
 
kasimagore1: a good friend of mine transferred from Einstein to USC his third year (he didn't have a spouse or girlfriend but his entire family lived in the LA area). It is possible to do. Though he was happy with the move, he did complain about not having as close of a bond with his graduating class had he gone to school with them the entire 4 years.
 
My friend was able to transfer from Temple to Columbia. He is from NY. His mother was not to well (left bundle brach blockage) and was usually alone, so he wanted to be able to stay at home and attend school inorder to be close to her in case anything happened. She is doing better now, and he was happy that they allowed him to transfer. By the way he is doing very well there currently in his fourth year.
 
Top