Med school in india

Nontraditional Premed Discussion
1

I always had a love for medicine but went into engg school since i was young, naive, had no proper guidance and was really good at math! Now I am 37 and am thinking of going to med school. I am originally from india but have lived in the US for a decade. Since med school is cheap in india, I am looking to do it there, rather than in the US…


Need your help and thoughts on this? Am I too old for this?


Any NRI (Non-resident indians) on this site in my position, who are planning to do medicine in india in their late 30s? What are your startegies?


Any help is appreciated…

2

How do you figure it’s cheaper? I looked at KMC in Manipal for example, and especially because it’s one of the better institutions out there. The NRI-quota cost listed on the KMC site is USD 162K. That’s in line with the cost of attending here. If you want to get a decent education at a well-recognized place, I think you’ll end up paying about the same. The MBBS is 5 years in duration, so it’s an additional year but if you skip pre-reqs or a postbacc here, it’s a wash. Anyway, post some more details on exactly what you’re thinking.

3

thanks for the response


i am specifically targetting mumbai, cost ranging from 60K - 100K for the whole thing


what do u mean by? " if you skip pre-reqs or a postbacc here, it’s a wash"


if anyone else has done this or has any insights pls respond



4

Also note that some of the big Caribbean schools, particularly, have been recruiting and targeting indian students. I do not know any details on how that works.


Also, in the same way that carribean schools have been a secondary educational for US students, there are a number of schools in china, taught in english, for the indian market. I looked at them in passing a few years ago (my wife is chinese and I used to travel to Hong Kong and Shanghai frequently). All i can tell is they seem extremely shady

5
  • vik3001 Said:
...what do u mean by? " if you skip pre-reqs or a postbacc here, it's a wash"...



What I mean is that if you want to apply here, you'll need to spend a year or two doing physics, chem, bio, more. If you decide to go to Bombay, you won't have to do the pre-reqs so you'll not have to spend a year on that, but since the MBBS is a 5-yr course, there's no time saved overall. And just checking - you'll need a US passport to do this, not just PR status. I've thought about this, but I figure if I'm going to be an IMG, I'd rather try Ross first because at least years 3 and 4 will be here in the US. But perhaps there's advantages to doing the clinical years over there - you'll get to see stuff you don't normally see here. Anyway - if you feel good about it, go for it. I'm only guessing but I figure your chances of residency here would be the same as a Caribbean grad.
6

thanks for the response again, are you in the process of applying to ross?


i am waiting for my USC, and also contemplating on moving back to bombay (maybe havent decided…) but if i do, then it makes sense for me to do it over there…


obviously the quality of education is better in the US…but like u said, ill see things there that i dont normally see here…


i have done physics, chem, bio etc…in my XII std and during my first yr of engg…how much does that count?


also, i have a US master degree in computer sciences (not related)…will having a US masters degree help?


I am trying to figure out what my plan of action should be…for both mumbai and the US? and then align my being a doc with my future plans…


Id appreciate your thoughts and if you can share a plan of action if you have charted one…


thanks!

7
  1. No, I’m not applying to Ross yet. I have just started taking pre-reqs at community college.

  2. If you are thinking of relocating, then yes it makes sense for you to consider doing it there.

  3. Your PCMB from 12th, Engg count for nothing. Your MS in CS also counts for nothing, unless you took some undergraduate level PCMB courses in your MS. This point is very specific.

  4. It does not count. The only way it may help is to add to your GPA. And of course, the exception listed in (4) above.

  5. At the moment, my plan is to go through the pre-reqs the best I can. I would say I’m about 3 years away from applying. Ross and other international locations are options I’ll consider only if my applications here fail.
8

thanks for your response


can u guide me on what pre-reqs to take at community colleges, do some of these colleges have pre-med programs that u can enroll in? or do u take indv courses like organic chem , physics etc…


I was a PCB student, and my first yr engg had physics and chem, so i did botany, zoology, physics and chem…so i am lost why these would not count?


also, what exact subjects/courses do i need to do to finish all the pre-reqs…can u pls list them…


appreciate ur responses…since we are both trying, pls keep in touch…can u send me your contact email on my email…


my email is xmljar at yahoo dot com


thanks again

9

Dullhead can probably answer better than I, but it sounds like your botany, zoology, physics, chem courses were not from a US school? If so, then it is far better to retake them in the US for a number of reasons: 1) It can be very difficult to get your courses evaluated and counted as equivalent to pre-reqs. 2) Most US med schools state a requirement of 90 undergraduate semester hours for admission at an accredited US institution. They may or may not count your masters degree. Some students with foreign UG degrees but US advanced degrees have been successful with only taking the pre-reqs. 3) Your foreign grades may not transfer favorably from a GPA standpoint. The grading scale in foreign countries is generally far harder than in the US. 4) pre-reqs in the US are more of a known commodity for adcoms. They can make more of an “apples to apples” comparison between students.


You can take the pre-reqs at any community college or 4 year university (4 year university is better). You can enroll as a degree seeking student or take them as a non-degree student.


At a minimum, med schools require:


One year of general chemistry with lab


One year of organic chemistry with lab


One year of physics with lab


One year of biology with lab


Many schools now require a course in biochemistry. Other commonly required pre-reqs include anatomy, microbiolgy, calculus, English composition.

10

Your botany and zoology are from high school, and physics and chem from 1st year engg. Both are from outside this country, so it does not count. That’s just the way it is, and I can’t add anything more to explain why. Basically they make the rules and they made it that way.


What courses? What she said above ^^^ and I will add that if you’re targeting DO schools, you should also do:


One year of English


One year of Social or Behavioral science


Optional courses to prepare yourself for MCAT etc: genetics, immunology, A&P, bunch more depending on your interest, timeline and budget.