<p>Hi!
I've recently been accepted to Imperial College London to read for a BSc in Biochemistry and specialize in Neuroscience. I got 4 As in my A Levels at an exam average of approximately 90%.
I was wondering what my chances would be of getting into a top US medical school like Harvard, Johns Hopkins or Yale Medical School with such a qualification. My ultimate goal is become a neurosurgeon.
Please note that according to the Times Higher Education Supplement Imperial is ranked as the 9th best university in the world for science and 4th best for technology.(Visit <a href="http://www.thes.co.uk%5B/url%5D">www.thes.co.uk</a> for more details)
I also would like to know whether I should complete a Masters in Research or Science which would only take an additional year and then consider applying to medical school. Also note that the BSc takes only 3 years to finish.
Any suggestions with regards to this matter would be very highly appreciated.
Thanks.</p>
<p>In short, I would consider it challenging, at best.</p>
<p>The question is one of which undergraduate school to attend for US Medical school admissions. While I've never seen anything written on the subject, you should know:</p>
<p>1.) Regardless of where you do your undergraduate years, it is more difficult for students who do not hold a US PR ("Green card") to obtain admission to a US Medical School based on the fact that they do not have a state residency, since nearly all public schools and even many private schools give state residents an advantage.</p>
<p>2.) I have never seen anything written on the subject. The best I can give you is anecdotal evidence:</p>
<p>I have met 500 medical students in my school. I interviewed at 11 medical schools and met hundreds of other premeds. I was admitted to six medical schools and given rosters for all of them. All in all, omitting those I went to undergrad with, I've probably seen the undergraduate institutions of upwards of 1,200-1,400 medical students in total. Not a single one of them did their undergrad work overseas.</p>
<p>Obtaining a Green card shouldn't be much of a problem for me as I am a Canadian. I was born and raised in Canada and lived the first 10 years of my life there. Both my mother and father are Canadian as well.
My father works for the Canadian Government and was asked to take up a job in the East, in Sri Lanka, specifically. So, my family and me moved to Sri Lanka in the same year that my father was called (1999) and we've been living here ever since.
I completed my schooling at an international school in the nation's capital city, Colombo, where they follow the traditionally narrow and deep British-style education. Following the same system, I completed my A-Levels with great success and from there I applied to Imperial College London, home of the great Sir Alexander Fleming and a seat of higher education, to pursue further studies.
Now that I've been offered a place at Imperial, I feel that I would like to use this Biochemistry degree to study Medicine and because I'm North American and the facilities at the top US medical schools for engaging in research and in general, pursuing clinical medicine, are so amazing...I WOULD LIKE TO STUDY AT A US MEDICAL SCHOOL! How is it that Canadian Medical Schools have a whole gamut of foreign students who have studied outside Canada or the US? How is it that a graduate from a non-North American University in Physics, for example, is allowed into an American Graduate School? Is it because American medical schools are afraid that foreigners will use a US medical degree just to make money in their own country without benefiting Americans and serving Medicare? If that's correct then I don't think a US medical school should have much of a problem in educating a child of virtually the same soil (just across the border!). Many Canadian doctors who have gone to Canadian Medical Schools practice in the US! I suppose that leaves you wondering why I don't just **** off to Canada and get an MD there! The main reason why I want to study in the US is because of the astounding research coming out of the States and the way the US med schools promote inter-disciplinary subjects like Biophysics that are not taught as one homogeneous subject at other med schools.
I?m 18 and I already have a Diploma in Computer Studies (NCC,UK | UCLES | Informatics, Sing.), have been accepted to Harvard Summer School and have 4 As at A-Level, not to mention work experience at several Colombo Private Hospitals, hands-on volunteer work in remote areas of Sri Lanka like Kosgoda (affected by the Tsunami) and I have also worked on a new, improved Visual Acuity Test intended to be applied for US patent. Throw in a BSc and perhaps a MSc/MRes, high MCAT score and that should put me in with a fighting chance at any medical school. Shouldn't it?
Unfortunately I want to get in, not get close to getting in, so my achievements are all well and dandy when listed on a piece of paper but they don't mean anything to me but a lot of time wasted if they doesn't translate to what they're designed to help me to do. I was wondering whether doing some courses at Harvard Summer School whilst studying for the BSc would fix the foreign university undergrad degree issue and if not, whether it would help to fix it.
As one could instantaneously ascertain by reading this soliloquy, I am in urgent need of some suggestions with regards to my situation. Please!
Thanks.</p>
<p>1.) The problem isn't a GreenCard in and of itself, the problem is the state residency, which is only possible if you're a PR. But getting the PR -- even getting a citizenship, actually -- doesn't automatically solve the state resident problem.</p>
<p>2.) I don't know what it takes or what might mitigate it. All I can offer it anecdotal evidence: I've never seen it happen. Maybe this is just because nobody tries. I don't know why it is. All I can tell you is what I've seen.</p>
<p>3.) Summer school at Harvard will almost certainly not matter. Anything you did before college will not matter.</p>
<p>bluedevilmike or any other knowledgeable person:
One more out-of-US question. My son will attend McGill for undergrad enrolled in the Science faculty. He is "thinking of" medical school. Do McGill graduates success in admission to US med schools? I know McGill has severe grade deflation which won't help his cause, but do U.S. schools value the degree overall?</p>
<p>The thread linked by SC in post #2 on this thread has an answer for you in MT's post #13.</p>
<p>
[quote]
The UCSF School of Medicine accepts applications from foreign students who have completed a minimum of one year of college in an accredited U.S. college.
[/quote]
UCSF is public, so that might throw a twist on it, but it's representative of many other medical school policies. Including barium's claim in post #17 that:
[quote]
HMS considers ONLY international applicants that did at least one year of their undergrad in the US.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>The fact that these two policies are so similar makes me think they're quite similar across many other schools as well. </p>
<p>From my own post #3 here:
[quote]
I have met 500 medical students in my school. I interviewed at 11 medical schools and met hundreds of other premeds. I was admitted to six medical schools and given rosters for all of them. All in all, omitting those I went to undergrad with, I've probably seen the undergraduate institutions of upwards of 1,200-1,400 medical students in total. Not a single one of them did their undergrad work [internationally].
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Well, that's not encouraging!
I had look at this stat on MDApplicants.com
<a href="http://www.mdapplicants.com/schoolsummary.php?schoolid=22%5B/url%5D">http://www.mdapplicants.com/schoolsummary.php?schoolid=22</a>
for HMS and saw two McGill students accepted. Now, I know that stats are out-of-this-world high and not likely to be attained by mere mortals, but what do you make of that? Am i reading this wrong?</p>
<p>Actually the nineteen year old in particular doesn't have very good stats by HMS standards. Below their mean, if I remember correctly.</p>
<p>1.) My guess? That they spent a year or two of college in the states -- either "abroad", as a post-bacc program, or while they were in high school.</p>
<p>2.) My initial guess was going to be that they were compelling enough candidates that Harvard simply made an exception, but upon examining their track record that doesn't seem to be the case.</p>
<p>3.) It's also possible that barium is just incorrect.</p>
<p>Be warned: residency programs accept foreign medical graduates but, among IMG's, they usually prefer students who are actually overseas students. In other words, "Medical school in Pakistan is okay, as long as you're actually from Pakistan."</p>
<p>Notice the two students you pointed out are both Canadian residents. I don't know if medical schools demonstrate the same bias, and it would surprise me, but I wanted you to be aware of the possibility.</p>
<p>Well, thanks. I'll probably call McGill and see what they say. BYW, I believe McGill is the only Canadian med school that accepts Americans. From the MDapplicants website it appears they accepted seven. So I guess med school in Canada may be the most logical goal for my son.</p>
<p>Well, MD applicants represents about 6000 students total from the past 10 years. At 35,000-40,000 total students per year, that's not a very good ratio. So it's probably much more than seven.</p>
<p>But your point remains.</p>
<p>Just briefly, McGill reports they do place their students in U.S. med schools; no specifics. If you look at the HMS admissions web site, for international students (not those from US or Canada), they do require a year of undergrad study in the US. Canada is grouped with the US.
Anyway, best of luck to all, whether you end up applying or not.</p>