Question about medical school requirements and recommendation letters...?

Question

Hi,
I have a degree from outside the US (I live in the US now). I would like to apply to the medical school and I have two questions (university advisors don't always respond and some are NASTY with foreign students). My degree was in biology. I am familiar with most medical school req but have the following questions:

1) Will it be a problem that I have an international degree esp when filling the AAMC application or any step in the application process? Anyone with a similar experience?

2) About recommendation letters...what do you do if you can get a letter from someone (job or courses) now but plan to apply in 2 or 3 years? You can't always keep in contact with them and you can't garantee they will remember you when its time to apply. Is there a service or something in the AAMC website or your target university to keep your letters on file until you complete your application?

Thanks...

Thank you for your advice. Actually, I forgot to mention that I am planning to take the physics and chemistry requirements at a university here in the US. I also contacted some medical school and one top school told me that I have "an excellent scientific experience". Another top school said that my degree will be recognized. I understand that competition is tough, but I feel I have the foundations of a good application. I would like to strengthen my position by adding as many "pluses" to my application as I can. And it is true that advisors can be so mean to you but you have to be persistent to achieve your dreams...right...That is why I need to know some information about the rec letters and few other things to know where I stand...

Answer 1

You are going to have a very tough time getting into an American medical school from overseas. There are far more well-qualified American students than can fit in the American schools, so any admissions committee would have a hard time justifying admission for a foreign student except under unusual circumstances.

And, most American students who successfully apply for admission to med school have letters of recommendation from their undergraduate colleges which are created by the premed committee of the college. In other words, not just a single professor, but the premed committee as a whole recommends the student as one of the best students from their school. If you cannot match that kind of recommendation then your application will not be taken very seriously.

You really need to look into med schools in your home country. Sometime in the future after you are a fully qualified physician, then you might be able to apply to come to the USA to complete your training or to begin a practice int he USA if you can pass the American medical licensing exams.

Answer 2

Your best approach is to have your foreign degree evaluated for its equivalency. There are several firms that perform this service--simply google "Foreign Credit Evaluation". Of course, there is a fee for this, but it will give you a firm idea of where you stand. Besides, most schools will request you do this anyway.

By all means, collect as many letters of recommendation as you can. Inform them of your plans so they can write the letters accordingly. You will always want to submit current letters, but to have a dossier of recommendations that is years old is also impressive.

Best of luck!

Answer 3

some all people is purely no longer good at taking standardized assessments. have faith it or no longer, each admissions place of work is oftentimes used with this and seems at different skills in the previous making an preliminary judgment. she would be in a position to be happening own interviews and that's the place she needs to polish. With a stellar interview, her GPA, rec letters, printed examine, and her extracurricular paintings, there would desire to be a minimum of one administrator who acknowledges her presents. definite, the admission standards appear like they are set in stone, yet there are methods around them. tell her to paintings on her interview skills and particularly wow them while she is going in. in the event that they like her adequate, regulations can from time to time be mysteriously bent. ;-)