<p>I am a graduate of a U.S. medical school with an MD so I know a little about the situation. First, very few American medical schools accept students who are not U. S. citizens or Permanent Residents and these schools only accept a handful each. Getting accepted into a U.S. medical school is so difficult that thousands of highly qualifed American citizens are rejected by all of the average of 14 medical schools that they apply to each year. The majority of the applicants to medical school do not get into even one medical school and do not ever achieve their goals of becoming doctors. An International applicant, no matter how well qualified, has an infinitesimally small chance of being accepted at any U.S. medical school. </p>
<p>On the other hand, while the law schools at Yale or Harvard are certainly extremely hard to get into, there are so many law schools in the U.S. that just about any well qualified applicant will get into law school somewhere, pass the Bar exam and will be able to practice law. By far, your best prospects are getting a degree in engineering, going to law school and working as a patent lawyer if you are not interested in engineering as a career.</p>
<p>^^ Thank you for the advice. I will take it in to consideration. Even though many qualified students apply to Harvard and in the end many do not get in. But at least they have the satisfaction that they gave it their best. </p>
<p>I have made a new plan so please comment on it ! </p>
<p>Modified Plan:</p>
<p>Med School
- Take the prerequisites for Med school and study for the MCAT’s while doing undergrad Mechanical engineering. Work on making it in to med school. – Task include Shadowing Doctors, research work and doing engineering internships and apply to med school at the end of 3rd or 4th year. </p>
<p>2) If no medical school accepts me then – Work as an engineer and get 1-2 years of field experience at the same time take LSAT’s and get into Law school and work as a Patent attorney. </p>
<p>Note- I know the above sounds simple. But it is not. At least after 10 years I will look back at it and not regret my decision of not trying and in the end I will be in Law school, or Med school, or engineering. All of which I have an interest in. </p>
<p>I spoke to a Patent attorney Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner LLP and she told me that it is actually advisable for patent attorney’s to work for 1-2 years in the engineering field to get some experience. </p>
<p>Please comment on my plan.</p>
<p>Note 2- I am aware of the work visa [H1B Visa] availability but I am hopeful that I will get it.</p>
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<p>I think the word “many” is misleading. They have SOME scholarships for medical school. They have NO scholarships for undergrad…Cornell gives need based aid ONLY for undergrad.</p>
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<p>You are being VERY enterprising here. I live with two engineers (husband and daughter). I showed both this plan and they think it is not going to be doable. An engineering undergrad degree is time and study intensive. There are tons of courses required to complete this degree and many have labs as well. When do you plan to “shadow a doctor”, on the night shift? </p>
<p>Here is my humble opinion…wait until you GET to college and START your coursework before you come up with a plan for the next ten years. You will have a much better idea of the level of work and study your engineering degree (if you even stick with that) requires once you BEGIN these course. Right now, you are hoping that you can do it ALL (shadowing, internships, engineering, preparing for MCATs and taking premed required courses). How do you KNOW you’ll be able to do this? You may decide you hate engineering, love biology…or hate the sciences in college altogether and major in English. You wouldn’t be the first college student to do this.</p>
<p>Once you are AT college and have a semester…or two…under your belt, THEN make a decision about what you MIGHT want to do next. Seriously, I think you are putting the cart before the horse here. </p>
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<p>Well…on this we agree. Your plan is NOT simple…and as written may not be doable.</p>
<p>Also, you still have the funding issue to deal with. Please listen to Lmaitre…he is right. Added to that…it’s not just your odds of acceptance, but your ability to get funding. Funding for these professional schools is scarce…at best. It is even MORE scarce for international students.</p>
<p>If your goal is to practice medicine in the US, your better bet would be to complete medical school in your home country, then take the USMLE exams and come to the US for advanced training. [ECFMG</a> | USMLE Step 1 / Step 2 CK General Information](<a href=“http://www.ecfmg.org/usmle/index.html]ECFMG”>http://www.ecfmg.org/usmle/index.html)</p>
<p>If your goal is to get an H1B visa, your best bet is to pursue first an undergraduate degree, then at least an Masters degree in an STEM field such as engineering. It is my understanding that if you use your OPT time carefully, you can have several months for internships while pursuing your Bachelors, a year after completing your Bachelors, and another year after completing your Masters before you actually have to score an H1B. The resident expert on that topic here at CC is b@r!um. She often posts in the International Student Forum.</p>
<p>Unless you are already a lawyer with specific foreign country work expertise, it isn’t likely that a law firm will give you an H1B visa, so it probably is better for you to take an engineering job (if you can get a visa for it), and work your way up to that green card before you go to law school.</p>
<p>You seem to be a very ambitious and well organized young person. Please don’t neglect to develop a Plan B for yourself. Every single year people as ambitious and organized as yourself are unable to find an employer who will be able to get an H1B for them, and who end up back in their home countries. Be sure that whatever you study here will indeed make you employable there as well.</p>
<p>Wishing you all the best.</p>
<p>@happymomof1 - Thanks a lot Ma’am. I am definitely considering all my options currently. </p>
<p>This discussion is a bit premature as I dont want to head to college without having any idea about what I want to do/become in the future. I guess a bit of early research always helps. </p>
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<p>If Grad school does not work out. I will continue to work in engineering. If nothing (no H1B visa) works out. Then I guess a degree in engineering from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor will be respected/known around the world and I will be able to find a job as an engineer.</p>
<p>I know ignoring senior member’ advice is not recommended. But do you people really think there is absolutely no chance that I can become a doctor in the United states ? [I don’t mean to whine about it, but is there seriously no chance?]. [All this time I was sure about going for it. But with the recent contradicting advice’ I am very confused.] </p>
<p>To all members - Thank you once again for sharing your experiences and helping me out through this process.</p>
<p>Edit: In my native country. Medical school does not require an undergraduate degree. It is a combined 6-7 year program to which transferring is not an option. The education system in my native country is not suitable for me since I have been raised in the Middle east (which is not my Native country, Permanent residence). </p>
<p>I prefer the education system which is available and implemented in the United states.</p>
<p>If you like engineering and medicine, take a look at PhD programs in medical engineering and/or bioengineering. There is also a combined MD/PhD program, and PhD students in the sciences are funded through research/teaching assistanships, which means your tuition will be paid by the school, and you will get a stipend even as an international. If admitted, you will have to apply for a new student visa.</p>
<p>[MD-PhD</a> Dual Degree Training - AAMC](<a href=“http://www.aamc.org/students/considering/research/mdphd/]MD-PhD”>http://www.aamc.org/students/considering/research/mdphd/)</p>
<p>Seriously, are you even in college yet? If not, I would wait a couple more years before you write your life plan in stone. And as someone else said, med school is usually full payment, so don’t expect to get preferential treatment or scholarships because you are foreign.</p>