What are my options?

[cardioplegia]

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Hello~

Not U.S citizen
No Green card

25 years old (sigh....)

B.S in Biology, cGPA=3.47, sGPA=3.82
M.S in Biochemistry cGPA=3.89
English as Second Language (All degrees were acquired in U.S)

I guess I am qualified for being a non-traditional student. 😀

Not a lot volunteer experience such as community service and activities alike.

2 publications, IF=3-4, 1st author and 2nd author.

Currently working in NIAID as a research volunteer. I have my own project although it is not doing very well. 🙁

Since I can not apply for many of the schools that I would wish to go, I am trying to do a Ph.D in immunology and then apply for M.D schools once I have my green card issue sorted out.

I do love research although I would ultimately want to walk from bench to bed side. I also thought about doing M.D/PhD, but I think many spots are limited to U.S citizen/Green Card holder.

I have seen other posts about path from PhD to M.D, and the adventure ahead does not seem to be auspicious. (Hats off to those who went through the path 🙂 ) However, I will take the challenge if this is the only way to go.

In short, my current goals are:
1. Stay alive
2. Stay in U.S (This is not as easy as it sounds)
3. Work and Study

Here I want to ask:
1. Is there anything I should have started doing so it can be avail to my future application to medical school? (If I manage to march to that stage)
2. What do you think are my advantages (if there is any) and disadvantages?
3. Anything I should watch out for?
4. Any other option that might be better than my current plan?
5. Is my current work volunteer experience or not? (It seems to me that volunteer experience or extra curriculum experience tend to mean something like community service or taking care of some work in a hospital)


Thank you for reading my post and I would appreciate any information or advice.

Thank you

 

[Goro]

Get your green card, because if you're an international student, to get into a US MD school (of which there are 62) , you have to be Harvard/Stanford caliber.

There are ~14 DO schools that will take internationals. Mine requires permanent residency, alas.

 

[italiancowgirl]

Whew, that is a tough one. I have no idea how to give you any words of wisdom other than keep on keepin on. Remember on the path to medicine admissions wants to see that you know what you are getting into, that you are committed to connecting with people, that you are consistently capable of performing well in rigorous academics and on challenging exams, and lastly that you are balanced enough to survive on the path to and in medicine. Whatever you do to show that is your own story, but explore those essentials and learn to express them through experiences and words. GL my friend that is a long road!

 

[cardioplegia]

Get your green card, because if you're an international student, to get into a US MD school (of which there are 62) , you have to be Harvard/Stanford caliber.

There are ~14 DO schools that will take internationals. Mine requires permanent residency, alas.

Thank you Goro, I think I will then stay with my current plan.

Is it possible to tell me where did you acquire those information? Thank you.

 

[cardioplegia]

Whew, that is a tough one. I have no idea how to give you any words of wisdom other than keep on keepin on. Remember on the path to medicine admissions wants to see that you know what you are getting into, that you are committed to connecting with people, that you are consistently capable of performing well in rigorous academics and on challenging exams, and lastly that you are balanced enough to survive on the path to and in medicine. Whatever you do to show that is your own story, but explore those essentials and learn to express them through experiences and words. GL my friend that is a long road!

Thanks for reading and my post tho. 😀

I thought about the things you mentioned too. I was thinking about how to explain to schools why PhD alone will not satisfy my career goal.

I love science, for science is not merely a tool but a way of life. It is how we can study and explain the nature in a tangible and reliable way. I am allowed fill my curiosity void and chase after choose wisdom.

I want to use my knowledge and skills to have a positive impact on other people's life and I want to know how I matter in a community. Surprisingly, research comes short for me on this aspect. I feel like the advancement in knowledge and improved health care are byproducts of research competition, improving patient's life and searching for potential approach to alleviate people's pain are not primary motivation. This I can not bear, for as much as I love research. Besides, I believe we can still improve people's life by better using existing knowledge.

That is why I think medicine is important for me, because I move from the bench side to the bed side. I can directly interact with the people I did my research for. I get to be close to them and I have relatively more control on how they should be cared. Research will never lead me into this territory.

One of the things I am always afraid of is how I can convince the school that I didn't just do a PhD to stay in U.S? I mean it is a part of the formula too since being away from U.S will pretty much preclude most if not all possibilities to become a physician.

Also, any idea for how to show I am dedicated? I know what I am getting into? After all, I waited this long, it will be longer by the time I can actually apply.

Well....I will keep on going. 😀

Thank you.

 

[Goro]

For MD schools, MSAR. For DO schools, the hard work of posters in the pre-Osteo forum.

Thank you Goro, I think I will then stay with my current plan.

Is it possible to tell me where did you acquire those information? Thank you.

 

[cardioplegia]

For MD schools, MSAR. For DO schools, the hard work of posters in the pre-Osteo forum.

Thank you, I will learn it.