WAMC/Several questions about unique situation: re-re-applicant, international, with (potential) previous foreign medical school enrollment.

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sapphire_fire

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A quick rundown of my situation. Graduated in engineering from US schools with Bachelors in 2020 and Masters in 2022. Applied in 2022 to matriculate in 2023 to ~25 schools, received 1 II -> WL -> R. Following year I applied to a very similar list of schools (pretty much every MD school that accepts foreigners), once again 1 II -> WL -> R. Both times, sent applications in somewhat late (most secondaries in September).

I was recently accepted to a 6-year MD program at a reputable ~T20 university within Europe. My plan is still to do residency and practice medicine in the US. I still plan on re-applying in the US next year. Given that, I have two questions:

1. As a third-time applicant (mainly to the same universities), do my chances significantly drop? In terms of "reinvention", all I have done is work full-time as a research fellow (might publish another 1-4 times since my last application), volunteer consistently at a NICU, and improve my MCAT (mocking around 525 right now).

2. Would these chances drop even more if I matriculated to this foreign program? If so, how much? I believe I have strong reason to still apply to the US and can explain my reasoning in the applications; the US is where I consider my home at this point (I have spent the last 8+ years here). My goal remains to specialize and practice in the US, so starting in 2026 would not only still save me time in the long run, but would also make my path much easier. My focus on research (and my goal of continuing to do so) also mirrors one of the great strengths of the healthcare system in the US.

For reference (if important), stats for my most recent cycle were 3.62 GPA/ 3.75 sGPA, 515 MCAT, ~700hrs clinical volunteering with some memorable experiences, 80hrs shadowing, tutoring/TA + a few other leadership positions. Main strength is research, close to 7,000 hours including 5 pubs many posters and an oral presentation at an international conference. Improvement by the next cycle will hopefully a ~525 MCAT, another 2,000 research hours with a few pubs (maybe a 1st author), and ~100 volunteering hours.

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An MCAT of 525, even if averaged down to 2 scores averaging 520, would open doors at schools that have been, up until now, closed to you.

I think that the question for US schools would be a moral one of poaching an international student who is on track to complete medical school abroad and who has taken a seat from someone who would have completed medical school there. Poaching hurts the other school as it drops their percentage of matriculants who graduate. It hurts the other country, or the countries where those graduates practice, by reducing the graduating class by 1.

Reasoning it through it that way, I would see the better MCAT, if you achieve it, helping you, while the matriculation to a medical school abroad could hurt you with US schools.

In some ways, you need to ask yourself if you want to practice medicine or if you want to practice medicine in the States. You are on the road to practicing medicine abroad. That's great if you would be happy to be a doctor in a country other than the US. If you would rather do something else (never be a doctor) if you couldn't be a doctor in the US, then keep on applying to US schools and decline the offer of admission from abroad.
 
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