The road to medical school is muddy, and one often stops to clean off the threatening mud.

In my last post, I highlighted the difficulty in getting into med school as an international student, and how hard I know I will have to work to make it happen. I have spent the last year meeting medical school deans, chief medical directors and chief of departments, volunteering at the hospital and shadowing a physician.

[Read more about getting into medical school as an international student]

In all my meetings with these people, there has been one thing each of them emphasized: hard work. They said I will have to work twice as hard as an American applicant to get into medical school. I don’t doubt that. Already it has been predictably rough to follow this dream.

I try not to stress myself too much over that, but I also know that stress is an intrinsic part of the process that no one can avoid, including U.S. citizens. Even doctors are stressed so there is no need looking for the easy way out. In the long run, one can only hope the hard work pays off.

The right scores

Something everyone emphasizes to me as vital for getting into medical school is high academic performance. Most med schools accept students with an average GPA of somewhere around 3.7. For an international student, a 3.9 would be helpful. Medical schools often say that test scores won’t make or break your application, but everyone I’ve asked has advised me to get a 30 or more on my MCAT.
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A few weeks ago we discussed how difficult it is to get into an American medical school as an international student.  Many of them don’t consider international applicants at all, and there’s very little scholarship money available.

[Read about applying to medical school as an international student]

But a small number of international students DO get into U.S. medical schools each year, and Promise is determined to be one of them.  Here’s his story of how he hopes to defy the odds.

(Photos by University of Nottingham and Jason Trommetter)

I’d previously thought that getting into medical school in the U.S. was as easy as eating pizza, until my glance fell on an excerpt from Yale University’s webpage, which warns international students studying pre-med and dreaming of medical school to, perhaps, consider waking up.

I was shocked (not exaggerating, I felt my brain scamper around for blood vessels in order to keep me alive), and I booked an appointment immediately with my academic advisor to change my major.

Here’s the truth of the situation: Only a “spoonful” of American medical schools accept international students – I can’t even say a “handful,” because to be realistic, a handful is too much. For the few that admit international students, an even smaller amount give limited scholarships. And a lot of that altruism is through loans, most of which need a co-signer. Now, tell me, who is the “Mother Teresa” who will cosign your $200,000 loan? I don’t mean to scare anyone, but only a miracle can guarantee you a form of aid, and you have to know your relationship to whichever God backs you up.

But I did not change my major that day.
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Thanks everyone who participated in our Q&A event this week.  I hope it somewhat made up for the lack of real webinars happening in the world!

Our last question comes from Hana, who asked:

are there any medical scholarships for international students?

Hey look! It's a stock image of a medical person for a post about medical school

I have to admit, medical school is not an issue we’ve ever covered on this blog, and as I started to research this topic, I found out why.  Going to medical school in the U.S. as an international student is pretty difficult.  So much so that Yale University warns international students thinking of even pursuing a pre-med track as an undergraduate that:

It is extremely difficult for international applicants who are not citizens or permanent residents of the United States to gain admission to U.S. medical schools. … International applicants who are considering a career as a medical doctor and hope to receive their education at an American medical school should think carefully before applying for admission to an undergraduate program in the United States. (Yale University admissions)

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“The way up and the way down are one and the same.” – T. S. Eliot

The Call

Two weeks, or was it a month ago, on a calm Tuesday afternoon, I noticed in myself a distinct sign of discontent. This was surprising because I seemed to be on top of my affairs. So I stopped what I was doing and searched my consciousness.  I slowly began to realize the source of the problem: I was feeling complacent.  All those big dreams I had last year? I had unwittingly stifled them in the face of difficulties and obstacles, and resigned myself to accept something less.

In the midst of my introspection, I got a phone call from my dear friend Diana Katusiime, another Ugandan international student. Diana is probably the most enthusiastic person I know, but I could guess from her tone that she was enthusiastic about something in particular today. Well, I was right. Diana had just gotten an $11,000 sponsorship to start her second year at the university. Wow, how did that happen?

“Let me tell you,” she replied. “God is good.”

As if contagious, I caught her enthusiasm. As our energies gradually aligned, Diana began to tell a story that inspired me, and eventually led me to the solution for my own dilemma.  I tell it to you in the hopes that you will be similarly inspired.

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