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Nurturing My Medical Talent through Diligence and "A Cry For Information"


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To any helpful person out there,
 

      I am a first year international student at a liberal arts college in the US. Academically, I don't feel I lack anything at this school. The classes are very challenging, and I push myself to the limit to get A's in every single class. On the financial side of things, I got a 55-60% scholarship, and the rest of my tuition gets covered by my dad back home. With every iota of honesty, I have always wanted to work as a medical doctor. I am determined, self-driven, sometimes anxious about my efficiency, but always honest about my abilities and faults. The road to becoming a medical doctor in the US as an international student is not linear. In fact, all the research I have done into medical schools I would want to apply to in the US after completing my bachelor's degree show that international students with the best extracurricular activities profile and GPA will most likely have to go home and attend a medical school in their home country then write the USMLE STEPS 1 and 2 exams to even begin considering coming back to the US.

 

Well folks, I have done my research into the life of a medical doctor in the US, and I have decided I do not want to go through the years of practice and training, just to realize that bureaucracy has limited very passionate physicians in the US to "sad and industrialized slaves."  I am young and fortunately I still have my whole life ahead of me.

 

So I did research into the world of mid-level health practicioners in the US, and amazingly I stumbled unto the profession of Physician Assistants. Because I excelled (through diligence, prayer, and never giving-up), I got A's in my General Chemistry and Biology sequences; I have almost gotten the position to shadow a Physician Assistant this summer!

 

My sadness and hope stems from the fact that even with stellar academic records, diligent physician assistant shadowing, and lots of prayers I might not get accepted into a PA school after four years of undergraduate education.

 

My ''cry'' for help is this: Is there anyone out there who knows of young international students in the US who passionately did everything legally possible- shadowing, good GPA, and completing pre-reqs- to enter PA school straight after four years of undergraduate education and got accepted?

 

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE

 

I NEED HOPE IN THE FORM OF AN INFORMED REPLY FROM THE BRILLIANT AND GENEROUS PEOPLE ON THIS FORUM

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I'm sure there are some.  The road from undergraduate to PA is not always linear either.  I just talked to a 21 year old college grad who is applying to PA school. She'll probably get in.  She has a 3.8 GPA, a degree in something biological (neuroscience, IIRC), and has been working private ambulance for a year.  If you resemble that, then yes, you can probably get in.

 

As a non-US Citizen, your financial aid will be complicated; there are virtually no scholarships or grants for PA school.... not "none" but little relative to the total cost of attendance, and highly competed for.

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