SKyjosephh

Hi, I'm an international student in South Korea planning on going to an undergraduate institution in the United States. Originally, I had plans to go to medical school after college, but I've already heard how difficult and expensive medical school is in the United States. So after surfing the web for some info, I found that it could be a wiser option for international students to go to graduate school instead because most graduate schools centered upon the sciences are fully-funded. But that was the only information I could find so I've come here to get some answers.

1) Are most graduate schools centered upon the sciences really fully-funded? That means, do they really provide for all financial aspects of a graduate education? I actually know of an American friend who went to graduate school in physics for free because graduate schools originally are fully-funded. Although it may be true for domestic students, is it the same case for international students?

2) How hard is it for international students to get into graduate school? Is it the same difficulty as getting into medical school?

3) If I have hopes of becoming a doctor, would going to a graduate school be a better option due to the high difficulty of getting into medical school for international students?

Finances are huge issue for me, and if I can get a graduate level education in the United States without having that burden, that would mean a lot for me.

Thank you for your help in advance!!

b@r!um

You CANNOT become a doctor without a medical degree. Getting a PhD instead of an MD might be a good option if you wanted to do medical research without ever caring for patients, but you cannot treat patients without a medical license (which you will not get without a medical degree).

Getting into a PhD program is no easier than getting into medical school. I am not sure though why you think getting into medical school is particularly difficult for international students. The only obstacle is financial. If you have $300,000 sitting in an escrow account, most medical students would consider you for admission like any other student.

Most of the decent ones are fully funded, but you'll also find plenty of programs that are not.

moneyp

@barium
I think only very few US medical schools would consider applications from international students and I am sure the odds of getting a scholarship for that is near zero, if not zero. Indeed money would be a big factor to get into those few medical schools that entertain international applicants.

b@r!um

Can you be more explicit which of my statements you are disagreeing with? I never made a claim that there was any financial aid available for international students at US medical schools. (Quite to the contrary!)

I was responding to the OP's questions #2 and #3. My two main points were, "Getting a PhD is useless if you want to become a physician because you won't be allowed to practice medicine." and "Financial prerequisites aside, getting into PhD programs is no easier than getting into medical school."

The NAAHP took a survey of medical school admission policies towards international students. From that list it was quite clear that the main (and only?) reservation against admitting international students were financial. A majority of medical schools will consider international students for admission if they are assured of the student's ability to pay. For example, international applicants might have to deposit 4 year's worth of projected tuition fees and living expenses into an escrow account or have a US financial sponsor.