Kili16

I'm an international (of course) from South America and I wish to study medicine in the US.
Now I know it is extremely hard to get in and all that but the biggest issue is money, as usual. I can't take loans because I don't have a green card and my family can't pay for it.

So how can I get the money to study there? I don't care if it's financial aid or bank loans, I just want to know how.

Another aspect is the green card. If I had one, that would make things much easier right? How can one get hold of these little precious documents?

Thanks!

b@r!um

I am afraid that you may be out of options: medical school is normally financed either through gigantic loans or from savings+income, which is why there are so few international students at American medical schools. Medical schools are well aware of the financial challenges that international students are facing too: many don't accept international students at all, and some of the others require that international students pre-pay all 4 years of tuition into an escrow account.

You have three options:
1. You marry an American citizen. (Or permanent resident, but then you would be on a decade-long waiting list for a green card.)
2. You win the Green Card Lottery.
3. You get an H-1B and then convince your employer to sponsor you for a Green Card. That would probably take a decade too, two decades if you are from an oversubscribed country like China or India.

Kili16

Thanks for the answer!

I know I'm more or less out of options if I don't have a green card.
I did some research and I got more or less the same options you mentioned except that I thought getting a sponsor would be a little bit easier (not that it is easy but not that hard :S).

I am not sure about taking a decade actually, a close family member was hired by an american company and had the green card six months after that so it probably depends on how much the company wants you.

I want to major in biology which is probably not the best idea if I want an actual job after college so should I major in something else? I don't mean a career I dislike but some other one like biomedical engineering

WayOutWestMom

Here is a list of admission and FA policies of all US medical schools w/r/t international students.

NAAHP: Medical School Admission Policies Towards Non-U.S. Citizens

Every US medical school requires that all international applicants complete their science and math requirements at an accredited US or Canadian university with a minimum of 2 years of in-residence attendance.

Even if do get a green card, admission to US medical schools has become increasingly competitive. Every year over 100,000 individuals take the MCAT exam. There are fewer than 19,000 available seats. There are no guarantees you'll be admitted to med school even with a green card.

There is very little FA for domestic US medical students. Most finance their education by taking out ginormous loans. (Average indebetedness at graduation $180,000+ for public med schools; $225,000+ at private schools.)

If you want to practice medicine in the US, the most cost-effect way is usually to complete your medical education in your home country, then take the USMLE exams and enter the US residency match program to complete your medical training in the US.

The Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduate oversees the certification of FMGs and their RMP applications.

ECFMG | Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates

b@r!um

It depends on the priority category the worker is in. Those with advanced degrees or whose presence in the US is deemed to be of national interest can get their green card very quickly. Since we talked about med school, I was assuming that you'd probably apply for a job with a Bachelor's degree and little work experience, which would put you into the 3rd priority category. Consulates are currently processing 3rd priority green card applications from 2002-2006. Without major work experience, it's also unlikely that a company would petition for your green card right away. More typically, you would work on an H-1B for a few years before your green card application is submitted.

A sponsor for what? Are we talking about money, green cards, AA?

Kili16

@b@r!um
When I mentioned sponsor I meant an employer. I used that term because in your post you also used it, that's all. I was still talking about green cards lol

I was not aware of those categories but yeah I guess my family member was of some importance to the company. Now he is a citizen I believe...

@WayOutWestMom
Thanks for all the input!!

I am not that bothered by competitive admissions, I am pretty sure I would get in somewhere if that's what I really wanted but I do agree that the best way is to graduate over here and then continue my residency there.

I will probably get a bachelor degree in bio/neuro (if schools give me a FA package that is), then come back and finish med school to go back there. Crazy, I know, but my dream is to be a doctor in the US so I'm gonna do what I need to do.

Thank you both guys!! Hope I don't sound really crazy

b@r!um

My bad! I misread that paragraph. Thanks for clarifying!