Please help :'( International Student form Hong Kong

[Pipi2011]

Dear all,

I am a current student studying in HK university, major in Radiography, I'll finish it by 2012. I'm not a US resident or a green card holder. However, I will be a registered radiation therapist in HK after graduate. Is there any advantage for my chances of admission to US medical schools?

Current GPA: 3.26
MCAT: still preparing (May 2011)

Thanks

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[SOcash]

Dear all,

I am a current student studying in HK university, major in Radiography, I'll finish it by 2012. I'm not a US resident or a green card holder. However, I will be a registered radiation therapist in HK after graduate. Is there any advantage for my chances of admission to US medical schools?

Current GPA: 3.26
MCAT: still preparing (May 2011)

Thanks

US medical schools generally require a significant amount of your undergrad coursework to be done in the United States or Canada. The requirement varies quite a bit by school, but all of them require at least 30 credit hours from an institution in the United States or Canada.

Unfortunately, AMCAS is unable to accept foreign transcripts.

 

[Pipi2011]

US medical schools generally require a significant amount of your undergrad coursework to be done in the United States or Canada. The requirement varies quite a bit by school, but all of them require at least 30 credit hours from an institution in the United States or Canada.

Unfortunately, AMCAS is unable to accept foreign transcripts.

Thankyou for your information

Do you mean that applicants must finish their undergraduate studies in US/CA?
International Students are not welcomed?
I don't think I can do it unless I got another second degree at US/CA.
:'( pooor me

 

[Nuggles]

International applicants are also held to a higher standard for US medical school admissions.. A GPA of 3.26 is unfortunately on the low end. It's unlikely that being a radiation therapist is going to make up for that..

Also, where do you plan on practicing if you become a doctor? If you're just planning to go back to Hong Kong, I would suggest you apply to HKU or CUHK instead (both very respectable schools). That was the advice given to me by a doctor who went through the whole re-licensing procedure in order to practice in Hong Kong (she obtained her MD degree in the US).

 

[Pipi2011]

International applicants are also held to a higher standard for US medical school admissions.. A GPA of 3.26 is unfortunately on the low end. It's unlikely that being a radiation therapist is going to make up for that..

Also, where do you plan on practicing if you become a doctor? If you're just planning to go back to Hong Kong, I would suggest you apply to HKU or CUHK instead (both very respectable schools). That was the advice given to me by a doctor who went through the whole re-licensing procedure in order to practice in Hong Kong (she obtained her MD degree in the US).

CUHK and HKU are both very good. Thanks for your advice
But Actually I want to study and practice in US.
Besides preparing MCAT and study harder for my GPA, I don't know what should I do... Do you have any advice?
Shadowing with doctor is not common in HK.
But I have clinical experience for more than 6weeks on radiation oncology department and 5weeks on radiology department. Finally I will have placements in total 33 weeks before graduate, is it enough?
Thanks again

 

[Catalystik]

I will be a registered radiation therapist in HK after graduate. Is there any advantage for my chances of admission to US medical schools?

This would not give you an advantage except as you would have had a lot of patient experience from working after you graduate. Your cGPA is low, but most schools would judge you by the grades you earned at US or Canadian accredited universities, anyway. You would still need to have a transcript evaluation service submit a report that you would send directly to every school since the med school application service doesn't accept foreign transcripts. A few schools only require 30 credits earned in America, most require 60-90 credits, and a rare one requires a complete baccalaureate degree for consideration. You would need to retake all of the prerequisites.

 

[Pipi2011]

This would not give you an advantage except as you would have had a lot of patient experience from working after you graduate. Your cGPA is low, but most schools would judge you by the grades you earned at US or Canadian accredited universities, anyway. You would still need to have a transcript evaluation service submit a report that you would send directly to every school since the med school application service doesn't accept foreign transcripts. A few schools only require 30 credits earned in America, most require 60-90 credits, and a rare one requires a complete baccalaureate degree for consideration. You would need to retake all of the prerequisites.

too much thanks!
For 30 credits studying, do I need to study a pre-med course in US first? Or one year studying in a communication college in US?

 

[Catalystik]

You would want to get accepted as a degree candidate to a university, not a community college. If you were a Biology or Chemistry major, you would have access to the usual prerequisite classwork.

I only know of two med schools that consider you with only 30 US credits, and they are highly selective schools. I'd suggest you plan on earning 60-90 credits, earning near-straight As to get consideration by more schools.

 

[Pipi2011]

You would want to get accepted as a degree candidate to a university, not a community college. If you were a Biology or Chemistry major, you would have access to the usual prerequisite classwork.

I only know of two med schools that consider you with only 30 US credits, and they are highly selective schools. I'd suggest you plan on earning 60-90 credits, earning near-straight As to get consideration by more schools.

Thanks again! Really helpful advice!
Studying 60-90 credits will take me 2-3 years, am I right?
Is studying MS degree a practical way to earn such credits?
Or I must earn the credits on undergraduate?

 

[JustMeditate]

I think any credits you took in the U.S. would need to be for your undergrad. All the pre-reqs (Chem I & II w/ Lab, Orgo I & II w/ Lab, Bio I & II w/ Lab, Physics I & II w/ Lab) are undergraduate courses. I don't believe there is such a thing as basic physics, bio, chem, etc. at the graduate level.

 

[Catalystik]

Is studying MS degree a practical way to earn such credits?
Or I must earn the credits on undergraduate?

I have seen that others in your place have used grad school credit hours toward the requirement, but as JustMeditate points out, the prereqs are not grad level coursework.

 

[dragon529]

If your plan is to practice medicine in the U.S., I think your best bet is to get a bachelors here? Earning 60-90 credits is a bit too much for a MS and is just on the bare minimum for a B.A./B.S. But seriously, you have to be really committed to be practicing here to spend that much more time to earn a M.D. You should do some serious thinking as to why you want to come here and if it's worth the time/money spent to get you to that stage.

As a side note... I'm from HK too! I haven't seen too many ppl from HK on sdn so it's definitely nice to see this post.

 

[Pipi2011]

If your plan is to practice medicine in the U.S., I think your best bet is to get a bachelors here? Earning 60-90 credits is a bit too much for a MS and is just on the bare minimum for a B.A./B.S. But seriously, you have to be really committed to be practicing here to spend that much more time to earn a M.D. You should do some serious thinking as to why you want to come here and if it's worth the time/money spent to get you to that stage.

As a side note... I'm from HK too! I haven't seen too many ppl from HK on sdn so it's definitely nice to see this post.

wow nice to meet you
when do you start studying in US?

BTW, what major will be better if I study a second degree in US?
How many years do I need to study to get a BS degree?

Thanks

 

[dragon529]

I came here in 96 (before the 97 return you know ).. so it's been quite a while for me. But I do go back on a yearly basis to visit family and friends.

Regarding majors... there isn't a better or worse major as long as you get good grades and get all the pre-reqs done. Of course, the majority of pre-meds are bio or bio-related majors, which takes 4 years to complete for a B.A. or B.S. if you do some research).

If you have msn, you could PM me your email and we could talk more offline from sdn. Good luck!

 

[Esaias]

Of course, the majority of pre-meds are bio or bio-related majors, which takes 4 years to complete for a B.A. or B.S. if you do some research). \

Most people take 4 years. It can take maybe 2 years if you take summer classes and overload your courses (~25 semester hours) and opt credit by AP exam. It's pretty stressful though.

 

[CydneyFoote]

As others have said, your chances of admission at a U.S. medical school are extremely low unless you attend a U.S. or Canadian undergraduate program.

There's another option, however, if your goal is to practice in the U.S. - get a medical degree in your own country first. You could then apply to a residency program in the U.S. as a foreign medical graduate. It's not a quick path and you would be repeating a lot of what you'd already learned, but your chances there are much better than applying to medical school as an undergraduate.

Good luck!