Preparation

Pre-Med & Medical School Pre-Med Topics
1

<p>First off, hello! This is my first post.</p>

<p>Do medical schools here in the States accept mainly U.S. citizens and permanent residents? What are the chances of a foreigner compared to the chances of U.S. citizens and residents?</p>

<p>This semester, I took:
Calculus I
General Chemistry 1 w/ Lab
Speech (required)
World Humanities (required)
Art (required)</p>

<p>My GPA for this semester (I'm a 1st - year) seems like it'll be a little above 3.5 assuming that I won't screw up in the following weeks :). </p>

<p>Next semester, I plan to take:
Calculus II
General Chemistry 2 w/ Lab
Introduction to Genetics
Art (required)
Psychology, US History, or World History (required)</p>

<p>Is taking only up to Calculus II okay, or do schools look for students who take more advanced math classes? Math is my weakest subject and is what is hurting my GPA. Also, I have a choice between Introduction to Genetics or Biology Level 1 and 2 with Lab, which will take a whole year to finish. I got AP credit for the Biology exam, so I really want to use them. I know that MCATs mainly test on material covered from Biology 1 and 2. However, I'd rather just self-study them, and move on to Genetics. What is your suggestion? Biology 1 and 2 or Genetics?</p>

<p>Also, this semester, I have not been involved in many activities. I have been doing volunteer stuff very few weeks or so, but that's about it. I plan to either apply for volunteering at local hospitals, or do research next semester. Does it matter what research I do? Does it have to be science related? Also, for volunteering (not hospital), do the services have to be health related? Also, do medical schools look for long-term volunteering at a single place, or is it okay to volunteer at at many different events that are a one-time thing?</p>

<p>Also, how do you shadow a doctor?</p>

<p>Lastly, I want to get close with my advisors, one being the pre-med advisor. What's one way to get to know her and for her to get to know me?</p>

2

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</p>

<p>Yes. Slim.</p>

<p>That being said, I do know several foreign citizens in med school here in the US. The vast majority of them are from Canada (which I attribute to the fact that Canadian med schools are accredited by the same body - the LCME - as US Med schools, so there is at least a perceived similarity in educational process between the two countries. I could be very wrong, but its the only thing I can come up with to explain the relatively larger numbers of Canadians than any other nationality), but a friend of mine is a Mexican citizen who is at a US MD School right now.</p>

3

<p>As Icarus said above, very few international students are accepted into US med schools.</p>

<p>Here is a somewhat dated (June 2009) list of the polices of US allopathic medical schools:</p>

<p>[NAAHP:</a> Medical School Admission Policies Towards Non-U.S. Citizens](<a href=“Home - NAAHP”>Home - NAAHP)</p>

<p>There is no need-based financial aid for internationals who attend a US medical school. (A limited number of schools may offer a some merit to internationals, but merit aid cannot be counted on to finance the entire cost of your medical education.)</p>