Medical School in another country

[legend]

Sorta personal but i need to vent.
I have a GPA of a 3.1 and i am a junior in college and i have to start looking medical schools. I feel so stressed and upset like my future is covered up. The odds are i may have to go overseas to a medical school because it is so expensive and almost impossible to get into a decent school.
The thing is i dont want to leave the country for school but will if i have no choice. I am interested in studying Anesthesiology.....
The thing is when i am gone i will be gone for two years. Two years seems like a long time to be away from everything i know. I cant come back because i wont be able to afford the air fair. I'm only 20 and will be on my own without a friend in the strange part of the world.
I wont have any friends, i will be alone, no love, in a strange place around strange people. I just feel lost in what i should do. Do i keep pushing to become a doctor? I have only a couple more steps left and than i have to make a choice. My grades are decent but i am no a genius trying to claim a noble prize. I'm just a average guy that loves challenges and is willing to work very hard to get ahead.
What do i do? Just put away these feelings i have and jump on that plane to south america? Or wait around like a bum trying to get into a school in the states?
I guess i am just scared of leaving everything i know.....this will be a big change for me and the day for me to make a choice is coming up faster then i would like. Once i get on that plane the odds are i will never be back for good. I will be in a strange place with no friends reading all day and all night, sentance after sentance, word are word. I feel lost......
Sorry for this rant i just needed to get this off my chest before i go to bed. If anyone has any comments please give them to me. :nervous:
I'm sure it wont be so bad when i get there but the living conditions are very harsh.

 

[lovethesea]

have you checked into some of the smaller areas in the US that need doctors desperately? They will pay for your education in return for your coming to their hospital? This I am sure is not as simple as it sounds, but an option for you to look into maybe.
Awhile back Elddoctor and I think Bonemiester had this same conversation regarding grades, schools, finacnces. I think Elfdoctor is an ER physician and decided to stay in the area that he started in. Check with your school to see if they have any info on this ask one of the counselors if they have someone they can put you in contact with. Just a thought,

 

[timsedwards]

come to England! its much much cheaper and if anywhere in the world is similar to America its us... if you are a UK resident you pay £1,250 a year ($2000 approx) a year no matter what course, or which university. For foreigners I think it is about $12k a year.
look into it if i were you,
Tim.

 

[overanalyzer]

What about going ROTC??

 

[legend]

thanks for the responses i appreciate them and will keep looking into every option
What is ROTC?

 

[elfdoctors]

I would try to stay with US med schools if at all possible. Many foreign medical graduates have lots of difficulty getting to practice in the US. I know of several who had to leave medicine because they couldn't pass their boards or couldn't get a residency. Think about that before you go into debt further. Most foreign medical schools do not offer the same level of medical training that is available in the US. The schools in latin america have a particularly bad reputation. It is a lot easier to get accepted into US schools then 10 years ago (based on significant drops in applications to medical school).
I didn't have great grades either (GPA was only around 3.3) but I went to a good school (Cornell) and I did very well on my MCAT's.
There are also lots of other medical careers to consider (e.g. our little hospital uses a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist to give all our anesthesia and he does a great job). Anesthesia used to be a cushy field but now most US medical grads don't choose this anymore.
I was accepted to 2 medical schools in NY. I couldn't afford New York Medical College so I interviewed with the Navy. (ROTC=Reserve officer training corps) For each year of medical school they pay for, you are usually responsible to pay back 2 years of your time (although residency training can count towards that requirement). You also don't have a lot of power to request where you will be working.
When I got accepted to SUNY@Stony Brook I told the Navy goodbye. I finished school and residency and then got accepted into the National Health Service Corps. I got my loans paid off with a three year committment to practice in an underserved area. I believe the amounts have changed recently but they would pay back up to $25,000/year for the first two years (1/3 of loans per year) and $35,000/year for each year afterward. Because of the lower tuition at the state school I didn't have too many loans but decided to practice in an area where I was truly needed. I am still here after 13 years and have no plans to move. This method of NHSC loan repayment is the better way to go IMO as I could choose where I went. The old way is to give you money in medical school and then they tell you where to go. There are usually fewer people deciding to stay after their committment is over with this type. The NHSC has sites in inner city as well as rural areas. This might also force you to move but this should be seen as an opportunity. I couldn't stand how many people thought that there is nothing away from the NY metro area. You should be able to make friends anywhere or you should reconsider medicine. Except for a few specialties, you have to talk with people.
Good luck with big decisions in the future. Medicine is a good career but there are certainly more hassles every year. I would talk to many more people to help you see your options better.

 

[legend]

wow elfdoctors thanks a lot for this great reply. I really appreicate your input and help. Hopefully everything will turn out alright. I really dont want to leave the US to practice medicine. I still have one more year left to get my BA degree. During this time i will be preparing for the Mcats. Any words of advice for this exam?
Thanks for the advice!!
-John

 

[elfdoctors]

Admissions committees want well diversified candidates. The old pre-med curriculum can even count against you. The MCAT's are very important as they need some way to screen out people who can't do the work required. They are very important.
Hopefully you have been getting a good education along the way. Some sort of review course is very helpful. If you have been learning concepts rather than facts the review process will not be as hard. I took a Stanley Kaplan course. I know you can do similar things online. It is getting late to get started. I remember spending most of my Christmas and spring breaks reviewing. This will be in addition to whatever course work you are doing now. Your school should give you some guidance as they know what sorts of things have worked for their students.

 

[007]

Elfdoc,
I hate to pirate your thread here, but I am a recent grad from U of Mich with a B.A. in psych. (GPA 3.5) I have sent out all my apps to grad schools for a PhD program, but Med School is where I really want to be. The only upper level bio course I have ever taken is neurobiology. I got an A+ in the class, apparently the first non-bio major to ever do so.
So my point is that I dont have the typical pre-med course work. If I did very well on the MCAT's you think I have a chance of gaining entry?
I am not the least bit concerned about performing once I get in, its getting in that I feel would be my greatest roadblock.

 

[elfdoctors]

007, I would encourage you to take the MCAT's and see how you do. As I mentioned nontraditional majors are encouraged. I remember in our class of 100 we had people who majored in film and french in undergrad. Some schools used to require that all applicants took certain science classes. You will have to check with the schools you are considering applying to and perhaps take a class this summer.
One class does not make a resume. However a 3.5 gpa over 4 years at a good school like Michigan should mean a lot with good MCAT scores. Raising saltwater fish has probably taught you some biology (and chemistry). Good Luck!

 

[fishman830]

ROTC is i think reserve officers' training corps