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[I]
> Date: Sun, 29 Apr 2001 22:56:41 -0700
>
> Hi Rich,
>
> I have a friend who lives outside of the US and is a 3rd year medical student.
>
> Can he transfer to a University in the US? or will he have to start a medical
> School program from scratch.
>
> thanks,
>
> Laura
Hi Laura,
In almost all cases your friend would have to start over as
a first year
medical student.
Best,
-Rich
[II]
Date: Thu, 10 May 2001 23:14:10 -0500
hi,
I am diong a research project for english
over becoming a radiologist and i
need some information about what they do, what the requirments
consist of
and things of that nature. Please can you help me?
http://www.hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q169.html
Best,
-Rich
[III]
> Date: Tue, 1 May 2001 17:28:20 +0200
>
> Hi My name is Waleed. i am currnetly a 4th year medicine student at the
> university of Ain Shams, Cairo, Egypt I studied many aspects of medicine (2
> years left to graduate) My dream is to start all over at the US. How useful is
> my previous knowledge of medicine? How useful will the course of miami be??
> HOw long would take me to study the material needed for MCAT? what are my
> chances if i get a good grade? Thank you very much for your time. Looking
> forward to hearing from you and hopefully meeting u in person yours truely'
> Waleed
Hi Waleed,
Your previous knowledge of medicine may be very useful in
making your
journey through a U.S. medical school easier, but probably will
be only
marginally to moderately important with regards to U.S. medical
school
admission.
As far as "the course of miami", I assume you are
referring to the MCAT
course. MCAT prep depends largely on two factors: knowledge of
the core
sciences; and familiarity and experience with the test format.
The utility
of the course would depend on your current knowledge of these
topics, and
your ability to obtain knowledge of these topics from other sources,
for
example you may be able to obtain practice MCATs and review materials
and
work independently with out the need for a course. Without more
information
it is not possible for me to comment further.
Preparation time for the MCAT can vary from 1 year to 3 months,
with the
normal range being 3 months of intense study, or 6 months of
study at a more
measured pace.
I have a good amount of material on site regarding medical
school admission.
Without more information, the best I can do is suggest you use
this
material, especially MSAR (See http://premed411.com/home.html)
to estimate your
chances.
Best,
Rich
[IV]
Date: Tue, 1 May 2001 17:16:04 -0400
Dear Rich:
I want to know how much of a difference
it would make if I sent in my AMCAS
application on June 18 which is the first day you can send it
in as opposed
to June 28 or early July? I am going to Europe on May 11 and
will be back
on June 28. I just finished school and am working on my personal
statement.
I am not sure if I can finish my application before my trip to
Europe and I
will not be able to work on the application in Europe. So can
you please
tell me how much I hurt my chances by delaying the primary application
by
abour 10-15 days. Thank you very much.
Barak
Hi Barak,
It will not make very much difference. Hope you are having
a good time in
Europe.
Best,
-Rich
[V]
> Date: Wed, 09 May 2001 15:30:01 -0700
> Hello,
>
> I am a 23 years old. I entered college late, and just now
finished by
> GE requirements. My father got his MD in russia, but in
the USA he does
> biochem research. A year ago a friend sent me to a CNA program,
and I
> have been a CNA since. Since I am now done with GE, my father
told me to
>
> get an RN and then do my pre med requirement at the same
time as I get
> my RN.
> He said I can be an RN for a year or so take me MCAT and
then go to
> medschool while supporting myself as a nurse. I would
> really like to hear your advice and opinion. To be honest,
I am really
> confused - as there are to many different ideas/stories
> being thrown at me.
>
> Thank you very much for your time,
> Sincerely,
> Ilya
Hello,
Your father's advise outlines one possible route to medical
school. Could
you please tell me of the other "ideas/stories". In
other words, what other
possibilities are you entertaining. I could comment on the strengths
and
weaknesses of each.
Best,
Rich
> Dear Rich,
>
> I am very happy to hear back from you. My father's proposed
route is just one
> of the few I have been thinking about. I had 2 other people
propose the
> following:
>
> 1. major in microbiology or biology 2. major in a completely
unrelated field,
> take all the suggested premed classes and take MCAT.
>
> I would appreciate any suggestions, help, contacts.. really
anything would
> help.
>
> Thank you so much,
> Ilya
Hello Ilya,
The advantage of "your father's" suggested route
is that it provides you
with ample clinical experience and with a reliable way to support
yourself.
It has a disadvantage in that many nursing courses will not directly
help
you do well on the MCAT.
The advantage of "route 1" is that it will provide
you with one of the best
possible backgrounds for the MCAT, and can also establish an
academic record
in a core medical science that will be more substantial then
if you where
simply to take the minimal premedical requirements. The disadvantage
is you
will need to supplement this path with clinical experience.
The advantage of "route 2" is that medical schools
are looking for diversity
in their classes. By taking a major in an unrelated field you
may increase
your chances of admission. This route has both of the disadvantages
listed
above.
Factors to consider:
If you are truly interested in a non-medically related field, consider; route 2.
If you feel you would do well in microbiology, consider route 1.
If financial issues are important, consider your father's route.
Since none of these routes is "bad", which is best,
depends on your personal
circumstances.
Good luck,
-Rich
TOP ^
[VI]
Date: Thu, 10 May 2001 19:10:21 -0700
Hello Rich,
For students who have not been admitted
to medical school the first time
around, you recommend they go to graduate school in some medical
related
science. I have not met the requirements to get into a science
grad
program, but I can get into a Math Program (as I am a math major).
Would
doing well in Math Grad School help me to get into medical school?
Thanks for all of your help!
Deb
Hello Deb,
It may help a little, but your best bet is focus on medically
related
sciences.
Best,
-Rich
[VII]
Date: Fri, 11 May 2001 21:18:59 -0500
hey, once again the site is awesome!
but i have some ???. I go to a small
no name Jr. college that i feel will score extremely low on the
med. school
"score sheet." I have re-taken 6 classes (3 in science)
that i got B's in
originally, but now my GPA is a 4.0. What significance does this
jr. college
GPA have on entrance to med. school? Also, what kind of scholarship
opps.
are there to undergrad. school, in which i work in a medical
office 35 hrs.
a week and volunteer much time to the schools learning program?
thanks a million.
Hi Ryan,
A 4.0 always looks good, but it will be down weighted by retakes
(if they
appear on your record) and by the reputation of the school. Its
possible
that your 4.0 may only be worth a 3.5 when compared against other
schools.
You can get info on scholarships from each school's website
and/or by
contacting the school's admissions office.
Best,
-Rich
[VII]
> Date: Tue, 29 May 2001 23:04:23 -1400
>
> Dear Rich,
>
> Thank you for the incredible amount of information you have put into your
> website.
>
> I am a biology major finishing my junior year at Georgetown and have just
> taken the MCAT in April. I am interested in taking a year off in between
> college and medical school, and I was wondering if you could give me any
> advice about how I would go about it and whether it would hurt my chances of
> admission. I would like to take the time to gain some additional clinical or
> research experience in addition to participating in a volunteer program in
> India. Is it possible, as people often do with undergraduate schools, to
> apply to medical school and then defer admission for a year after gaining
> acceptance, or would it be better to simply wait until June of my senior year
> to enroll in 2003?
>
> I also have a question regarding required courses for medical schools. I
> received AP credit at Georgetown for Physics, such that I did not have to take
> it for my Biology major. I decided, however, to take one semester of
> Mechanics anyway in order to help me with the MCAT. Do you know if medical
> schools will require me to take another semester of Physics in spite of
> testing out of it?
>
> Thanks, Chris
Hi Chris,
Getting a deferred admission is possible although it may be
difficult unless
you have a very strong record. This would be your best bet. If
you can not,
its not such a big deal. Sounds like you'll be putting that extra
time to
good use. As a result, this should not hurt your chances for
admission, and
may help.
Some medical schools accept AP credits and others do not.
See MSAR
(http://premed411.com/home.html) for details.
Best,
-Rich
[VIII]
> Date: Fri, 18 May 2001 23:21:14 EDT
> Greetings Rich,
>
> I graduated in December of 2000 with good grades, and currently
I've been
> working hard in preparation for the August 2001 MCAT. In
any case, I am
> fairly confident that I could be accepted to medical school
for the Fall of
> 2002. Since graduation I've been working long hours, taking
some extra
> courses, and preparing for the MCAT. This fall I imagine
that I'll be busy
> working, taking some additional courses, and hopefully filling
out many
> secondary applications. If things go well the spring will
be filled with
> interviews. In preparation for medical school I feel like
I'm working even
> harder than before I graduated, and at times I think it
might be nice to spend
> the year prior to medical school doign something completely
unrelated to GPA,
> the MCAT, fast-paced clinical work, applications, etc. (But
I am kind of
> anxious to get this stressful application process over with.)
Is it possible
> to defer acceptance to medical school for a year with no
explanation - even if
> I'm not doing something "impressive" like research
or setting up a clinic in a
> third world country? If it is possible, is this common...or
will it be a hard
> sell to the medical school?
>
> One additional question: Some of the schools to which I
plan on applying
> require calculus, which I've not yet taken. I plan to take
it next spring or
> summer. I will thus list it on the amcas application as
an anticipated
> course. If I am rejected fairly quickly from the schools
to which I'm
> applying that require calculus, however, I am not interested
in taking
> calculus for its own sake. If I then decide not to take
calculus, might this
> be a problem for the other schools that thought that I'd
be taking it, but
> don't explicitly require it?
>
> Your thoughts on these matters will be greatly appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
> Ben
Greetings Ben,
Some schools do allow applicants to defer entrance to med.
school for a year
without some grand plan to save the world :-) This option is
usually made
available to those with impressive records. Just as students
compete to get
accepted to med. school, med. schools compete with each other
to get the
"best and the brightest"; granting a deferred admission
can be an enticing
signing bonus to a early round draft pick. While not common,
it is possible
to take a year off, if you look like a good catch.
As to your second question, you DO anticipate taking calculus
and are
perfectly correct in putting this on application. Should circumstances
change, and you decide not to take it, its not a big deal if
you don't turn
it into one. You might get an interview question about this.
Most interview
questions are not about what you are asked, but instead, about
how you
react. So if you are asked why you didn't take calculus, a direct,
brief and
honest answer will win you more points than weather or not you
actually did
take it. A follow up question might be, "We recommend that
you take
calculus, do you consider our recommendations unimportant?"
To which you
might reply "Of course not, however I was advised that a
course in
microbiology (or whatever) would be more beneficial"...etc.
Best,
-Rich
[IX]
> Date: Wed, 30 May 2001 03:19:09 +0300
> Hello,
>
> Thank you very much for your reply!
>
> Well i was wondering about the relevance of medicine that
I studied with
> MCATs core science?
> I studied complete courses in :
> physiology
> anatomy
> biochemistry
> histology
> microbiology &immunology
> pathology
> pharmacology
> parasitology
> forensic and toxicology
> community medicine and epidemiology
> otorhinolaryngology
> ophthalmology
> Would this make the MCAT easier?
> do i have to take the course during the 3 month period immediatly
before my
> exam?
> how much is considerd a good grade?
> What are my chances to join US university if I get a good
grade?
> Do I have a chance to get a scholarship?
>
> Thank you so much, you have been a really great help
> Yours truely,
> Waleed.
Hello,
These courses will be of considerable relevance for the biological
component
of the Biological Sciences section of the MCAT, a small help
for the organic
chemistry component of the same, and have little to no relevance
for the
chemistry and physics on the Physical Sciences section of the
MCAT.
Yes, taking these courses, will make taking the MCAT easier,
but you still
must go back to review the core sciences on the MCAT.
A good score on the MCAT is a 10, 10, 10, on Verbal Reasoning,
Physical
Science, and Biological Science.
No, you do not need to take an MCAT preparation course 3 month
before the
MCAT, you can take it 6 months before instead.
Unless you are a resident of the U.S. your chances of acceptance
are "slim
to none". As a resident your record and MCAT scores would
largely determine
the chances of you being accepted. A 10, 10, 10, is the average
MCAT score
of students admitted to medical school.
"What are my chances to join US university if I get a
good grade?"
I'm not sure.
"Do I have a chance to get a scholarship?"
I'm not sure.
Best,
-Rich
[X]
Date: Mon, 18 Jun 2001 18:19:09 -0700
Hello-
I wrote you a few months ago when I received my MCAT of 9, 10,
9 and an O.
You advised me to take the MCAT again in April, which I did and
just
received a 10, 10, 10 and an S. At least I am consistent, right?
(= Well,
I am not exactly happy about this score, but I am leaving for
the Peace
Corps on July 4th and do not want to change those plans. I will
be working
in health education and at a clinic in West Africa for two years,
and I have
a high GPA (graduated from a state school magna cum laude 3.9),
worked at
NIH last year, and will also be completing NIH malaria work in
Mali before
medical school. All of that is figured out and in order....I
just still
worry about this MCAT score as I plan on applying to competitive
schools
such as Harvard, Yale, UCSF and Stanford. I am a California resident
and am
beginning to consider possibly doing an early acceptance app.
for USCF.
However, I worry I will regret not applying to all of the schools
and maybe
shortchanging myself in the long-run. But then I also have the
concern that
my MCAT scores are just not high enough for those schools and
something like
early decision might be the only thing that could help me to
get in. Do you
have any suggestions for me? I really appreciate your help and
your
web-site! I am thankful for any advice-I will have good letters
of recc
from professors whom I did two years of biological and psychological
undergrad research with (I was a Psy major) and my pre-med adviser...I
just
feel that my adviser is so 'out of the loop' that I take his
advice with a
grain of salt. I don't see that retaking the MCAT a third time
is a good
idea or a helpful one-what do you think?
Thanks again!
Hello,
You did improve your scores and you have an excellent record.
Even though
your MCAT scores are not equal to the average scores for the
top schools,
they are within the range of possible acceptance. Your GPA and
out-of-classroom activities are certainly a plus.
If you apply to a wide range of schools, you have a good chance
of
acceptance somewhere, possibly at a top school. In fact, although
your
chance of acceptance at a top school is hard to quantify, it
is certainly
not trivial.
If you plan to go into a very competitive area of medicine,
the benefits of
going to a prestigious school can be significant, otherwise,
it may not be
of any great importance.
There is no clear right or wrong answer to your dilemma. You
need to decide
how important it is to go to a top school, and weigh this against
the safety
and certainty of accepting early decision.
Good luck,
-Rich
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