what should I do next?

[prettyslick]

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Hey guys,

I am looking for some advice. Here's the deal;
I would be graduating next summer with 3.3 both overall and science. Havent taken the MCAT yet (dont feel ready at this point)

I am an international student (F1 visa status..i was on H4 since my dad was on H1 as his GC approval is pending but I had to change my status form H4 to F1 since I turned 21 meaning no more dependent) anyway since I cant take time off because of my visa situation (on F1), i was planning on doing masters starting in the fall. and take MCAT is January 2008 and apply to medical school while I'm doing my masters.

Is that a good plan/idea? I was not sure what my exact GPA would turn out but I felt it was on a low side so i was thinking of doing SMP or post bacc or something (I am not even sure if I can do informal post bacc on F1 status) ..basically what do you guys suggest? Do Masters after graduating, and then maybe if need be, apply for SMP if I dont get into medical school due to my low GPA.

I am confused at this point, and would love to get some advice especially from someone who has knowledge about F1 visas + international students getting into US MD schools (since its very competitive for international students ..thats why i feel my GPA is low)

thanks appreciate your help!!!!

 

[relentless11]

Your GPA is OK, so don't dwell on that too much.👍 MCAT is important, and as you inferred, take it when you are ready. IMO, doing a post-bacc is better than a masters program if you intend to improve your undergraduate GPA. But given your GPA, you may be able to go either way with this.

If you have a solid science background, then an SMP is a good option. If not then I'd go with either post-bacc or some graduate program. For the post-bacc/grad school route, I would focus on boosting my undergrad GPA by taking undergrad classes. Some grad programs allow you to do this, others do not, or some may have you so busy, that you can't take anymore classes. Therefore figure out what the programs are like in terms of flexibility.

I have no idea what how competative it is to get into a US med school as an international student, but since they're already pretty hard on non-state residents, I can only imagine. 🙁 You may want to look into DO schools as well. Worry about one thing at a time, based on what you have outlined, it is probably at least 1-2 years until you apply anyway. First objective is to figure out what program you want to do to boost your GPA and get to the point where you feel ready to take the MCAT. Good luck!