<p>hi . I'm a medical student currently in the last year of my medical degree called M.B.B.S in India which is the equivalent of the M.D in the united states . I always been interested in research in neuroscience and have decided to pursue basic science research instead of the usual clinical post graduate studies . However the neuroscience phd programs in India are not well funded and are generally poor as compared to even the most unremarkable programs in the U.S . What are my chances of being accepted into a neuroscience research program ,either a masters or a phd in the us as a medical student without any undergraduate degree in neuroscience or otherwise (IN INDIA THE MEDICAL DEGREE M.B.B.S IS AN UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE) !? Are there any chances at all of getting into a neuroscience program after a medical degree ! my grades in med school have been consistently good but i have no research experience since in India the medical degree is an undergraduate degree unlike in the US and involves no research training at all ! I don't have any other undergraduate degree will it be possible as a medical student to find a place in any neuroscience program in U.S OR U.K !THANKS IN ANTICIPATION!PLEASE HELP!!</p>
<p>There are plenty of Indians with MBBS degrees in grad school in this country. The degree isn’t unknown in the states. As with any non domestic candidate, you will face tremendous competition for a limited number of spots due to the difficulty in funding non US citizens. I would suspect that without research experience, you will have a rough time of getting into a Phd program here but you should probably speak to graduate directors at programs you would be interested in to see how competitive you might be.</p>
<p>Neuroscience programs have become incredibly competitive in the past few years, so you’ll need an excellent profile to have a chance at top 25 programs. Most US programs understand the difference in educational systems worldwide, so if you are among the best applicants from your country, you’ll likely have a chance. Your undergraduate medical degree won’t be a hindrance, although your research experience may. If research opportunities are non-existent for Indian students at your level, it’s possible that programs may know this and instead judge you based on other means. I can’t say this for sure, however.</p>
<p>Keep in mind what Belevitt said about competition among international students. Many internationals apply to US graduate schools, and only a few can be admitted to each program. Do your research. Some programs are much more friendly toward international students than others, and that depends, as Belevitt suggests, the level and kind of funding for the program. You can poke around program websites to see where their graduate students studied previously.</p>