Worry about study abroad grades?

[prehealthandengineering]

I am planning to study abroad this summer and am wondering if medical schools will expect me to reveal my performance at the abroad institution? My official transcript from my home institution will mention which institution I had the study abroad experience at, nothing else. No viewer of my official transcript will obtain any knowledge of what courses I take and/or what grades I receive in them.

After the study abroad experience, my credits will transfer back to my home institution as long as I receive a C or higher (the grading at the abroad institution will still be A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, etc. just like in the US). Such credits appear only on my unofficial transcript and will have no effect on my home institution GPA. I plan on taking all engineering courses (only such credits could be useful towards my degree, and that was the only way I could convince my parents to let me go), so my classes would not be blow off classes. I believe the courses will not likely not be factored into my AMCAS GPA in this case, but should I expect to have to reveal my performance at the abroad institution to medical schools?

Of course, I am not asking to see if I can get away with just getting C's in all of my courses abroad. I was told that the students who consider the abroad institution to be their home institution tend to set very difficult curves in the courses. I will do my best academically, but still want time to do other things such as exploring the country, otherwise that distracts from what I should get out of a study abroad experience.

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[GrapesofRath]

I believe the courses will not likely not be factored into my AMCAS GPA in this case, but should I expect to have to reveal my performance at the abroad institution to medical schools?

All courses you take you submit to AMCAS. If there is a record of a grade being recorded at your home institution, you submit it. One or two B's are not going to kill your application.

 

[Lannister]

If your study abroad grades will appear on your home institution as P/F, then that is all med schools will see. AMCAS doesn't accept transcripts from third party institutions (IES, Arcadia, etc) so you cannot send them your study abroad transcript.
Also, just a tip: if you are studying in a country whose language you are not 100% fluent in, DO NOT take science/engineering courses. It will likely be a disaster.

 

[prehealthandengineering]

@GrapesofRath @Lannister the thing is my home institution's official transcript will simply say which institution I study abroad at, nothing more. No study abroad coursework, no grades. My unofficial transcript would list the courses which transferred back, but not my official transcript.

All coursework will be taught in English. And from what I was told the transcript from the abroad institution will be in English.

 

[Lannister]

@GrapesofRath @Lannister the thing is my home institution's official transcript will simply say which institution I study abroad at, nothing more. No study abroad coursework, no grades. My unofficial transcript would list the courses which transferred back, but not my official transcript.

All coursework will be taught in English. And from what I was told the transcript from the abroad institution will be in English.

😵 that's a weird way of doing it. Are you directly enrolling at an overseas institution, or are you going through a third party study abroad company?

 

[prehealthandengineering]

I'm enrolling directly through my university. Thus the experience will appear on my transcript similar to an ungraded independent study. That's how viewers of my official transcript will know that I studied abroad.

 

[Lannister]

I'm enrolling directly through my university. Thus the experience will appear on my transcript similar to an ungraded independent study. That's how viewers of my official transcript will know that I studied abroad.

That's not what I meant. Are you directly applying to the foreign university at which you will be studying?

 

[prehealthandengineering]

Nope, I'm applying through my home institution. They will register for me at the abroad institution.