I'm applying to U Michigan (AA), Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, University of VA, Tufts, Cornell (my reach) among others. Do I have a fair shot at getting in to these schools?

-attended a small NY public school

-3.8 unweighted GPA, well over 4.00 Weighted GPA

-rigorous school record. full schedule all 4 years, all honors and AP classes my school offered. doubled up on sciences.
- act: 30 comp, 33 in math, 30 in science, 28 and a 30 in reading/wr (i am retaking them after some prep)

i'll just touch on some of my extracurriculars…
-3 season vars athlete. vars Soccer and varsity Track all 4 years. an accomplished and dedicated Equestrian with show experience

-did an internship at UCLA medical center last summer and I volunteer full time at a hospital

- cap of the Mock Trial team, NHS, Sadd, National Science Honor Society, NYLF/NYLC alumni

-08-09 School President, + 3 years of student gov experience

I think you'll get into UMich, UVA if you're in state and that you're a reasonable candidate at Georgetown , JHU and the others if you rank in the top 5% of your class. 2 or more points higher on the ACT will make you a much stronger candidate. You might also try the SAT, aiming for a 2100 plus.

Are all the medical schools in Europe accredited under WHO recognized in Canada?
If so, what are the exams that I have to take when I come back to Canada?
Pecs University allows you to pursue your studies in a way that prepares you for the USMLE. Is it recommended for somebody who is going back to Canada to take the USMLE also?

Is there any a specific medical school in Europe that you would recommend?(english based)

Carribean medical school or European medical School(US accredited)??

The accreditation authority is the Liaison Committee on Medical Education and it only accredits medical schools in the US, Canada and US territories. No European medical school is required to be US accredited and as long as a foreign medical school is listed in the Internationale Medical Education Directory (i.e., recognized by the World Health Organization) a graduate of that school is eligible to take the US Medical Licensing Exam.

Most certainly, Caribbean medical schools are not accredited by any agency recognized by the US Department of Education and if they continue to follow their usual practices, never will be. Many of the Caribbean medical schools advertised that they are accredited. In 2004, several of the older schools got together and formed an accrediting authority for the Caribbean. They did this to exclude their competition, as the Caribbean is known to be a haven for diploma mills and substandard schools.

Canada has its own medical licensing exam that is similar to the USMLE. Theirs is called the MCEE (Medical Council of Canada Evaluating Examination). Just like the US and the USMLE, anybody wishing to become licensed in Canada, whether trained in Canada or elsewhere, must pass this examination.

There are many exceptional medical schools in Europe that have English programs. It requires a bit of leg work to explore them all, but they are identified in the International Medical Education Directory: http://imed.ecfmg.org/

I have a close friend who was educated in Poland at what is now called the Medical University of Lodz. He raves about their program. Obviously, any medical school in the UK would provide an excellent education.

But one thing to bear in mind is this–all countries, with the exception of the US, educate physicians with the intent they will practice in that country. For decades, US students who didn’t get accepted into US schools went to Europe and then returned to the US. This didn’t please these foreign medical schools, so now the acceptance of foreign students is greatly restricted. Not impossible, but certainly more difficult. If you decide to go this route, attempting to get accepted via the mail isn’t a smart move. You should visit the school, introduce yourself and hand deliver your application. That will go a long way toward you getting in.

I am an American citizen, and am interested in attending Medical School in New Zealand. Does anyone know if they allow foreign students into their medical programs? Does the degree transfer back to the US? I'd like to hear personal accounts of people who went to college for anything in New Zealand from the US and what it's like. Any information would be great! Thanks!

Hi.

NZ is a tiny country (4M people), so you would be lucky to get "personal accounts" …. so I'll answer a bit.

We have only 2 med schools. One at Auckland Uni. The other at Otago Uni. Not sure what their requirements are for foreigners. Try their websites: www.auckland.ac.nz & www.otago.ac.nz

Our univ education is pretty good, so a med school degree here prob would transfer back to the US. (I know that a vet degree does.)

HTH

Regards,
Rosalind.

Soon I'll be finishing a science degree (BSc) and if I get a 1st I'm planning on applying to medical school.

If this happens (touch wood!) how would I go about funding my tuition fees and general living expenses? At the moment I have a loan. But when I enter medical school I'll be 22.

Anyone done the same? How did you fund yourself in medical school?

P.S. It will no doubt be different in America, so only people with knowledge of UK university systems please.

LOL…well there's always the strip club. From what I understand the gay community are really good tippers when it comes to there strippers *wink*

Hey, gotta friend that graduated from Yale with a Bio-Chem degree…he said he funded the part of his tuition that wasn't covered by scholarship stripping at a gay club. He's not gay but he made good money to cover books and what not.

A little background:
I am a senior at a decent state school (aka ranked in the US News top 50), graduating in the spring. Economics and mathematics double major, former president of a student organization, about 4 semesters of volunteering, worked for 1.5 years in a lab , although I was paid for it. Small bit of health policy research. No shadowing, though, and have not taken the MCAT yet, but I'm going to study nonstop in the spring to do well on it.

My grades:
Bio 1: A
Bio 1 Lab: C+
Bio 2: B+
Bio 2 Lab: B+

Physics 1: A
Physics 1 Lab: A
Physics 2: B
Physics 2 Lab: B+

Gen Chem 1: A
Gen Chem 1 Lab: A
Gen Chem 2: A
Gen Chem 2 Lab: A

Organic 1: C
Organic 2: C
Organic Lab: A

BIochemistry: C

My overall GPA is a 3.51. My econ GPA is a 4.0 (relatively easy major), but math is more like 3.61 (hard major). I will be taking 1 more math class, 1 advanced stats class, and then a bunch of fluff next semester (my last), so that I can lift my GPA and still have time to study for the MCATs. Have not taken Anatomy, Physiology, or other non-required but recommended pre-health courses.

Thanks so much!

Use this, it's very useful.

http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/2008/mcatgparaceeth08.htm

I'm a senior (biology major) at a well-respected private university and am currently working on grad applications. Here is my problem: after high school I went to a very prestigious top 10 univ. but after 2 years I had to leave due to medical reasons. I had to withdraw 2 consecutive terms due to my medical issue. Also, I took 3 years off before I went back to school. My gpa was only 2.6 at the 1st univ, but is almost a 4.0 at my new school. Will I be taken seriously as an applicant to grad school?

You have an excellent chance because your GPA is on the uptick. That is a big plus. Reasons expressed for your earlier troubles should be worked into your Statement of Purpose. Clarify everything. Write from the heart. What will you contribute if accepted into the grad program? What is your aim in life?– that is why do you want to come to this school and what do you intend to do with your life afterward? What attracts you here? Why are you and this school a good fit? Good luck. St Thomas Aquinas is the patron saint of students, catholic or not. He is with you. Me too.