Which city/school to start taking pre-req coursework?

I have been thinking about medical school and reading old premeds for about 3 years and I feel that every day it makes more sense to make the switch and pursue medicine. I am hoping to start pursuing medicine by starting to take pre requisite coursework either Spring or Summer 2013.


I completed my undergrad degree at a non-US institution and obtained 2 master’s degrees in business in US. Not having an undergrad degree from a US institution limits the number of schools that I can apply and I am not planning to obtain a second bachelor’s degree.


I am a naturalized US citizen living in Miami and my job and traffic leaves me little to no opportunity to take any premed courses. I might be able to take a course each semester but by taking 2 courses in year it will take me more than 4 years to complete the coursework and I will be risking low grades because of my job’s unpredictable demands.


The bank I am working for has a flexible work, schedule program which I am very interested in. Because of the meetings with the group i am working with, I may not be able to have a very flexible schedule. I haven’t discussed it with my manager but I may also be able to move to a different city. I think if i move to a smaller city/town with less traffic combined with some flexibility in work schedule I may be able to take 2 courses per semester though still questionable considering the unpredictable demand of my job.


Before talking with my manager I want to identify a couple of cities/towns that would provide ease at taking pre-req coursework as well as providing higher chance to get admitted to medical school because of the state residency and admission ratios.


If I can’t make any changes with my current work I am planning to quit my job and start taking pre-req coursework as a full time student. In any case I am considering to move to a city/state that will help me increase my chance to get admitted to medical school by state residency, quality of pre-req coursework, school, environment, and living conditions.


As far as I read from opm Texas is one of the most advantageous states, since my undergrad is not from US institution I will need to check with each school but seems like a good option. Florida has 6 medical schools and 3 of them (Miami, FIU and UCF) accepts candidates with non US undergrad degrees and not a bad option as well. Though if I become a full time student to take pre-req coursework I would rather not stay in Miami.


Are there any other specific schools/cities that I should look for/consider?

I couldnt find the how to edit the post, just wanted to rephrase my question as:


Are there any other specific states/schools/cities that I should look for/consider?

I don’t have any specific schools to recommend, just some factors to consider.


Things to consider:


What cities do you want to move to?


What are you job prospects in those cities?


How many colleges are in those cities (2 yr and 4 yr, public/private)?


What is the tuition?


What time of day are the classes you want to take usually offered?


Is advising offered to non-degree seeking students? (You could enroll as a degree seeking student and just not complete the degree)


Would you be eligible for a committee letter as a non degree seeking student?


Are you willing to wait a year to establish residency first (and save up money for class)?


What type of registration priority do non degree seeking students get?





I live in Texas. When I started trying to decide where to move within the state, I made a list of all the major cities I was willing to move to, the number of colleges in each city, tuition costs (public v private). I also looked through the past class schedules at those schools to get an idea of what time of day the classes I need are usually offered. Since I work full time, I needed evening classes at a 4 year school (I’m retaking some pre-reqs). The city I’m in has 2 public universities, 4 private universities, and a community college system with 5 campuses. Also priority for registration is important to consider too. Non-degree seeking or post bacc students are sometimes the last able to register. One thing that a classmate pointed out to me this semester was looking at the professor’s attendance policy. If there isn’t one and the notes and homework are available online, it’s not as big of a deal if you have to work late or can’t get to lecture in time. (doesn’t work as well for labs of course). For a committee letter the school I’m at right now requires a minimum 24 hours. I talked with the advisor and explained my situation (out of undergrad 8 years and just need to take maybe 15-20 hours divided between community college and 4 year). Because I was able to give a detailed outline of my plan and my career goals, I’ll be able to get the committee letter. All I have to do is stop by a few times a semester and update them about how my classes are going.


One of the cons to moving out of state is paying out of state tuition until you’re considered a resident (usually about 12 months). If you’re still wanting to move out of state, I would suggest working 12 months first to establish residency and then start working on pre-reqs.


With your non-US undergrad degree I’m not sure if you’d be eligible for post-bacc programs. AMCAS has a list of post-bacc programs here https://services.aamc.org/postbac.


Sorry it’s so long and rambly…Hope this helps!

Corewr?


Are you in Houston???

Thank you corewr for your detailed response. The points you mentioned are really important factors in choosing a school to complete the pre requisite coursework. I will call/email the medical schools in Texas to find out if I will be considered with my out of US bachelors degree.

There are actually quite a few schools in Florida that accept students with a foreign undergrade.

  • Apple pie Said:
There are actually quite a few schools in Florida that accept students with a foreign undergrade.



If nothing changed since last time I researched 3 out of 6 schools in Florida do accept applications from students with foreign undergraduate degrees. Which is really good. I am considering to move any place that can improve my chance and if eveything is equal I would prefer to have a change of scene/state.I have been trying to find out what options are available in other cities/states.