New Guy in need for Answers..

[ILuv2BMD]

Thanks for the head's up...It's not easy for an NRI, especially someone from North Side of America going to India, and that too Chennai. But hey, it's all part of hardship's which you have to experience in order to succeed. I know for sure it will not be easy for me, but it'll just make me stronger in the future. I am ready for it. However, thankyou all very very much for trying to guide me through it. I know it may be a little strange for you because, i might have a chance to do Medicine in the US itself, though i am going to India. This decision was made long ago and it can't be changed. It'll be tough and i am expecting it to be tough. Not only studies, but heat, food, environment & everything else. Offcourse it wouldn't be like Boston...but in order to gain something, you have to lose something. There are many doctor's who have done their MBBS in India and came to US did their residencies and are successfull physicians today. I would intend to do the same. Doing undergrad over here, you will have your mind occupied by things which would bother you throughout your undergrad. For example, you have to keep up with your GPA all along your undergrad years. What if you fail exams due to personal reasons, family problems, or any other issues. I mean, if you are not consistent during your undergrad, you may have to try for DO or get into a Physician Assistant program or get stuck with a Bachelors degree in Biology. I mean, Medical Seat is not 100% guaranteed in US. You will be uncertain if you're gonna make it or not. I have the passion to do Medicine and wanted to become a doctor like my father since childhood. I used to go to his clinic and loved what he went through the whole day. In india, Medicine seat is definite for me, and i could live that dream and become a doctor for sure. I am leaving US for the sake of medicine, 4 yrs of undergrad and uncertainty of getting into a Medical School is not my choice personally. But it may not be suitable for some of you guys. But that's just me. Anyhow, thank you all very much!

Sincerely

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[dockdock]

I'd just like to reiterate that in the US, undergrad should NOT be viewed as an obstacle, for many reasons.

And to the OP: decisions can nearly always be changed.

Hell, if death-row inmates can get pardons, then surely you can re-evaluate your decisions.

 

[DJAmmz]

I've been in this "go to India or not" dilemna for the past 2 years. I've royally f*cked up my 1st two years of undergrad and get the sense I'm ruined - I probably am. However, just today I finished enrolling in my 3rd year courses choosing things I WANT to take (ie. courses that seem intruiging, etc.) Anyhow, the important point of the previous sentence is that I choose to try again for the next two years. Most would call it foolish, as some of my relatives have hinted already. According to them I should pakc up and head to India. They maybe right, they maybe wrong. However, for whatever reason - may it be stupidity - I don't want to go there for MD for various reasons, both social and education; not to mention the hurdles to overcome when applying back in USA (Canada is a closed door for FMGs so I won't even think about coming back here). I figured the worst case scenario would be Carribean MD or if luck strikes, then hopefully US DO. I've got my fingers crossed and textbooks open, but dude seriously - forget India. But reading through these 3 pages made me realize it's pointless trying to advise against the route you've chosen.

What's the point of my post? God, I wish I knew... LOL!

Cheers, good luck to you.

 

[dockdock]

DJAmmz, I'm so very proud of you (*tear*).

I'm serious--good plan! And good luck--and remember, it's OK to find your own way.

 

[DJAmmz]

lol dockdock!

Where do you currently stand in your journey to becoming a MD?

 

[dockdock]

check out the thread I started. I'm already a US-educated MD.

 

[Premedtomed]

DJAmmz, I'm so very proud of you (*tear*).

I'm serious--good plan! And good luck--and remember, it's OK to find your own way.

But I must say that it is unnecessary to add stress to your life. Your aim should be to make medical school life as comfortable as possible.

 

[marchipo]

i totally agree with uhoh!!!! u remind me of me 4 yrs back!!!!!!!! i'm a green card holder just like u very enthusiastic, my passion for life was to medicine or not do anything else!!! i came to india to study, i'm right now in my final yr. working my butt off. i came to realize that there are no advantages of studying in india except for money which u can get loans there. u don't save time cuz it's going to be 8 yrs by the time u join residency i know cuz i have to do 1 yr intership, usmle, which will take at least 2 yrs min. by that time for me it will be exactly 8 yrs. and i have not failed a single yr so far, if i had failed 1st yr then i would've been 6 months behind. i had the same misconceptions as u did. and by studying there u have the more advantage for reasearch, volunteering work and many other which u don't have here. trust me, its very theoretical over here and not as much as pratical. u need experience which u will not get here but get over there. my cousins and friends who finiished highschool with me are in medschool right now!!! i know wat i'm missing right now. they write their usmle step 1 after there 2nd yr. by the time we write it we forget everything, i haveing the same problems.
u say u have the motivation then u can study to be a doctor anywhere. i know i could've gotten in to a medschool with my hard work overthere but i decided to come here. i had to adjust to so many things, like the enviornment, professors, students, ragging, it took me 6months to get adjusted here, and i passed my first yr with half luck and half sheer will to pass, if i hadnt had that i know i would've been 6 months behind, i used to feel so out of place here, i didn't know more than half of the basics for 1st yr which these ppl alreay prep in intermediate. everybody looks at u like a dumb loser here just cuz u r an NRI!!!! and now when i'm ready to go back there i know i'll feel out of place there, i don't have the experience my peers over there have now, i don't have any advantages, i have to work hard to get an usmle score, and i know just the score isn't enough now a days, u need research and many things along with it!!!! my advice as a person who wishes u well, do undergrad learn basics, write mcat, and join medschool, if u have the will power u can do it anywhere and over there u have added advantages. but by the looks of u, u have totally decided to come here no matter wat!!!!!!!!!! then few suggestions,
1. take classes for organic chemistry, it forms the basis for bio chem 1yr biochemistry is very tough for us. anatomy is the toughest sub, be prep for it!!! learn to memorize
2. be prepared to work day and night!!! nobody is gonna tell u to work over here, nobody cares, infact ppl actually distract u here, u need to have sheer will
3. be prepared to be scrutinized. everythiny thing is everybody's business here. and ppl are very sterotypical, as soon as they know u are an nri, they look at u as if u dont know ****
4. be prep for competition, everybody will know everybody's marks here. they will look at ur marks since there are no grades. how low or how high severe competition is here. there will be lot of disappointments
and finally best of luck, i hope u don't face the same problems as i did.
start studyin from now on!!!!!!!!

 

[brotherbu]

I think the last post is exactly what this thread needed.

 

[n0chi]

but i dont think even that post helps the op lol.

i really want to see what the op thinks 5-6 years from now...

 

[Buckeye(OH)]

I've been in this "go to India or not" dilemna for the past 2 years. I've royally f*cked up my 1st two years of undergrad and get the sense I'm ruined - I probably am. However, just today I finished enrolling in my 3rd year courses choosing things I WANT to take (ie. courses that seem intruiging, etc.) Anyhow, the important point of the previous sentence is that I choose to try again for the next two years. Most would call it foolish, as some of my relatives have hinted already. According to them I should pakc up and head to India. They maybe right, they maybe wrong. However, for whatever reason - may it be stupidity - I don't want to go there for MD for various reasons, both social and education; not to mention the hurdles to overcome when applying back in USA (Canada is a closed door for FMGs so I won't even think about coming back here). I figured the worst case scenario would be Carribean MD or if luck strikes, then hopefully US DO. I've got my fingers crossed and textbooks open, but dude seriously - forget India. But reading through these 3 pages made me realize it's pointless trying to advise against the route you've chosen.

What's the point of my post? God, I wish I knew... LOL!

Cheers, good luck to you.

Dont tell me you are one of those Indians that looks down on DOs.

Whatever. You'll soon realize that it makes no difference.

 

[dockdock]

Let's be honest--if you're giving good patient care, then NONE of this matters, whether you got your medical education here, there, or anywhere.

But these are Indians in America--there's such a HUGE factor of social pressure, immaterial of your patient care or even if you want to be a doctor or not.

 

[simply_me]

hi everyone

wow...after reading three pages of this thread...all i can say is...all the best to iLuv2bMD... he seems very positive and confident abt his decision... good luck!!

I m also a grade 12 student and shall be graduating high school next year... i think i m on the same boat... as u all know a 4-yr bachelor degree is required for the any canadian/american medical school which is way longer than indian med. school... but i agree..there r no short-cuts to success...

i was also considering this option to go to indian medical school..right after my grade 12 but after reading everyone's opinions and reviews...i think its not a good choice....

if i go to indian medical school, would it be possible to come back and practice in canada?? would it be a good option to go to indian medical school?? i know the answer is gonna be No... but still if u could advise me more on it... i'd appreciate it..!!!

also, i m thinking to apply to uk medical faculties coz they also accept high school students to their medical schools (without having to do 4-yr college). if not india...would UK be a good option??

please please reply as soon as possible... or send me a private message.
thankyou...

 

[Northerner]

If it weren't for my positively throbbing sense of cultural sensitivity, I would call this thread the funniest thread on SDN.

Whatever-his-name-is who started this thread is so uninformed, it's scary. Literally, the fact that there are people intending to practice medicine in the U.S. with this level of ignorance is staggering. This is not news, since every person on this thread has already stated the same. The ONE thing he has going for him is his unflappable (so far) idealism.

So, what else is there to say? He's already been properly corrected, advised, corrected again, and even berated. What else can you do but pack him a lunch, shrug at his simply incorrect notions and send him on his way...

 

[simply_me]

hi everyone

wow...after reading three pages of this thread...all i can say is...all the best to iLuv2bMD... he seems very positive and confident abt his decision... good luck!!

I m also a grade 12 student and shall be graduating high school next year... i think i m on the same boat... as u all know a 4-yr bachelor degree is required for the any canadian/american medical school which is way longer than indian med. school... but i agree..there r no short-cuts to success...

i was also considering this option to go to indian medical school..right after my grade 12 but after reading everyone's opinions and reviews...i think its not a good choice....

if i go to indian medical school, would it be possible to come back and practice in canada?? would it be a good option to go to indian medical school?? i know the answer is gonna be No... but still if u could advise me more on it... i'd appreciate it..!!!

also, i m thinking to apply to uk medical faculties coz they also accept high school students to their medical schools (without having to do 4-yr college). if not india...would UK be a good option??

please please reply as soon as possible... or send me a private message.
thankyou...

i'd really appreciate if anyone answers my questions..!!!
thanx

 

[ljl1982]

i'd really appreciate if anyone answers my questions..!!!
thanx

One thing I don't understand is why so many posters on this board feel that college is a hurdle/burden on the way towards becoming a physician. For those high school students who are set on medicine as a career, I would recommend applying to combined programs (BS/MD) as well as traditional 4-year undergrad universities IN THE US.

Applying to the US (and probably Canada, as well) as an international medical graduate (IMG/FMG) will limit your residency options (it will be very difficult to get into competitve specialties or university residency programs), and you might have a harder time with the USMLE compared to American medical graduates. Residency programs might even look at US IMG's (American citizens/permanent residents who went abroad for med school) in an even worse light.

Talk to your high school counselor if you are still in high school to see how competitive your SAT/ACT scores are, and apply to colleges that would be the best fit for you. Spend some time volunteering at a hospital, shadow a physician if possible, etc.

 

[simply_me]

One thing I don't understand is why so many posters on this board feel that college is a hurdle/burden on the way towards becoming a physician. For those high school students who are set on medicine as a career, I would recommend applying to combined programs (BS/MD) as well as traditional 4-year undergrad universities IN THE US.

Applying to the US (and probably Canada, as well) as an international medical graduate (IMG/FMG) will limit your residency options (it will be very difficult to get into competitve specialties or university residency programs), and you might have a harder time with the USMLE compared to American medical graduates. Residency programs might even look at US IMG's (American citizens/permanent residents who went abroad for med school) in an even worse light.

Talk to your high school counselor if you are still in high school to see how competitive your SAT/ACT scores are, and apply to colleges that would be the best fit for you. Spend some time volunteering at a hospital, shadow a physician if possible, etc.

thanx...!

 

[NKG]

Going to carribean med school(Ross) after obtaining a BS in US....is that equivalent to struggles u have to go through when coming from a med school in India??

The burning question I have is....... why?

yes yes yes....i know your father is a physician, you have family who have made it ok, you are a citizen/GC holder, you father wants to support you, you will work hard (you are not unique in these aspects)....

But whats the point? You will only save 2 years ... are you in such a rush? you are young and have plenty of time, you may even have to do a prelim year or research year to become competitive for residency depending on which specialty you desire (which would nullify the 2 years). What specialty are you interested in by the way?

Why don't you apply for loans? --your father can partially support you, the rest you can pay off yourself. If you get into an in-state school, or apply for scholarships, fees are not that different (even cheaper!).

Why dont you apply to a 6/7 year program in the states? --what are your stats (gpa, AP subjects/scores, SAT scores, ECs)? they are highly competitive programs.

Why dont you apply to an MD/PhD program? you tuition will be paid for and you will be HIGHLY competitive for any residency you desire though this track takes longer.

Why do you even want to be a physician? seems like you might be doing this for the wrong reasons, because daddy is a doctor doesnt mean you have to be, what kind of exposure have you had to patients? any clinical experience/shadowing/volunteering?

The USMLE will determine your fate in the US (even if you are top in your class in india). Its a one shot deal assuming you pass---cant retake to get better scores. There might be multiple factors that affect your score (you might not be the smartest tool in the shed, might have a bad day on the exam, not prepared properly by school, didnt study enough) Its risky to put all your eggs in one basket. If you were a genius to begin with, India would not be your top choice (not bc india is bad but bc you would be able to get into a US school)

The examples that you stated are the exception, not the the rule. You say you will sacrifice everything / work hard, which is all the more reason to work towards a good US school. Your posts seem a bit naive, like you dont know what you are getting yourself into....

Unless you are happy with FP in a crappy hospital, i would consider all possibilities. Im not saying its impossible because many people do it, but these are the brilliant ones.

oh, and research opportunities are much greater in the states which is starting to become a must to residency applicants....

This post was not to belittle you but to give you a dose of reality. I hope you gained some knowledge and learned about a few other options at your disposal. I wish you success in your pursuits, and ask any Q's if you like.


ps.... answer the various q's i posed above and i will reply with some more info (if you want it).

 

[happytograduate]

Thanks everyone!!..

medisid - well im willing to get adjusted to India's weather, teaching etc etc. Its not like i will be messin up all my life when i come to India. I'm coming there for some purpose and willing to slog to Become a Doctor. My situation is different from most of the people in the forums. My dad is a doctor himself, and we want to be like him. He is supporting us in everything and we are willing to sacrifice everything. We are interested and passioned to study Medicine. If we have to come back to USA and struggle for Residency, we will, but we sure will get into a Residency Program in US if we have good scores and have been a good student throughout our MBBS course. My aunt, she was interested in Cardiology and came to US married a green card holder right after her completion of MBBS, and she gave her USMLE's and scored pretty descent and she got into Internal Medicine. After one year of Residency in Internal Medicine, the Chief of cardiology staff was interested in her work and transferred her to Cardiology Program. They gave her 1 year credit and she didnt have to do it for 5 years, but only 4 years for Cardiology. She proved herself and now shes a Cardiologist. We have to find ways in order to get into Top Residency programs and yes, it's true that American Med Graduates will be given first priority but we'll have to stay competitive and win the battle for the top residency programs by scoring very good in USMLE's, having strong Recommendation letters from US Doctors (My aunt, Uncle, Dad, Cousin), and also, my dad's friend whos a doctor, is a very reputed doctor who worked in Harvard and has alot of contacts and also by having a green card. So many many ways are possible in order to get into Top Residency programs.

I know this is a very late post, but this kid is a MAJOR IDIOT. He doesn't deserve to go to a U.S. medical school if he thinks he's got everything figured out. Let him learn his lesson, when he applies for residencies even with 99s on Step 1 and 2 and still not getting residency interviews. I've heard of people going to other countries after not making it AFTER applying but BEFORE? This is ridiculous. Even financially, people take LOANS. That's what people in America do. You will pay HEAVILY for the price tag that you think you are saving now.

 

[ramjane]

hi everyone...sorry that im dorectly touching to point ..im new here..i wanted to know...chances of russian medical student...but INdian origine...to get residency in europe or else wer....and wat to do for it????