ladygwennie

So i am coming to the end of my first semester at a US college and ive developed a renewed confidence in my academic abilities. I had originally started thinking and aiming to get into a nursing program, now i am changing my mind so much i have no idea what to do lol. Having taken a psychology class, im wanting to do that and thinking about medical school (the whole having to get my batchelors and then go to medical school and the cost of that is what originally dissuaded me from). Just wondering if anyone else had experience in the US system and has any advice.

AdobePinon

You sound like an American already. I don't know what to tell you, but med school is very expensive (as well as hard to get into) and they don't give much in the way of grants for it. And thenafter a few years of being someone else's slave, you'll finally get a chance to make lots of money and give 95% of it to the malpractice insurance company. Think very carefully about your motives before going down that path.

ladygwennie

Well it was the way i was going to go back in england but other things happened. Just a case of being confused as to what i want to do, and also getting used to the us system

Sarah

I'm just going through the process of looking at graduate schools and facing the fact that I've gotta knuckle down and study for my GRE. Not many Masters programs will let you apply without you having passed a GRE exam (which tests everything from Maths to English vocab) which is so completely stupid to me, as if you have a Bachelors already then you're obvioulsy not stupid so why take an exam testing your abilities to recognise a right-angled triangle?
Applying to Uni over here seems like a huge task - I've gotta find some way to get my BA converted into a GPA score, I don't know where to start.
I'm looking forward to going back to college but not looking forward to a couple more years of being poor and in shedloads of more debt at the end of it :scared:

Jerseygirl

Incredible isn't it? Sometimes I wonder what we've donde to our daughter's education. 4 yrs to get an undergrad then as you say more exams to get on a masters program. My neice in England is the same age as my daughter, they will both finish uni next summer but she will have a masters degree and my daughter will have an under grad.

AdobePinon

GRE is right up there with the world's mostest stupider inventions. The vocab part makes you feel like you're stuck in a spelling bee. Don't remember what I put down for my undergrad GPA - maybe I just made something up.

ladygwennie

Getting the BA translated into american, try ECE or similar credential evaluator, i had to show minimum of high school diploma equivalency to get into my school, turned out its only the equivalent of like 5 GCSEs, ECE evaluated and gave me a 4.0 still had to take placement tests though which sucked, but did place me in the right classes. Yeah the cost isnt too bad right now, but i know when i go to graduate school (whatever i choose to do) its going to be hell. Should be worth it the end though right?
Good luck girlie!!!!!

Ray

or www.wes.org

TouristTrap

What you have to realize is that the majority of Bachelor's degrees are worth squat, so I guess they have to evaluate everyone going into their M. courses to ensure that they're halfway literate.

Sarah

Yeah I suppose so. Just seems like a massive ball-ache to me, as I've got a BA in English & Drama and I'm going to do a Masters in Social Work and so maths has sweet f.a. to do with either, and won't have anything to do with my chosen career but now, for my GRE I have to begin re-learning algebra and trigonometry, stuff from High School that I haven't looked at in over 10 years.
Seems little more than another way to get cash out of prospective students to me. I hate that education/schools are run as businesses these days.

Bob

Thing to do when you apply, also ask them to waive the application cost, they generally don't mention it, but a lot of places will waive them if your willing to have a visit or accept a position...

Other than that, don't study abroad if you want any financing from the US *l*

RMN Alex

It is possible to fulfil your interest in psychology and medicine and earn a good salary and not have huge college debts.
You could qualify at nursing school, then study to be a nurse practitioner then specialise. Its a lot less expensive than the med school/private practice route and you do not have the horrendous overheads/debts to carry frorward into your middle/old... forever age.
Nurses are no longer seen as doctors handmaidens, they are specialist clinical practitioners in their own right and they earn some pretty good $$

Ben

Also look into scholarships. There are thousands out there and you never know - some may apply to your situation

The GRE isn't that bad (there's me saying that but I was worried sick about taking it!) and although many Grad programs require them many universities don't hold much credit to them at the Masters level. The most important is how good your GPA was for your Bachelors degree and letters of recommendation. They also like variety so if you are an international student or just a non-American, that can sometimes benefit you depending on the university you are going to.

Oh, and the math side of the GRE - get a good high school computer game/program and take yourself through it all. If you can get through that you can do the math side of the GRE. There is also some statistics questions.

And as has already been said - the vocab side is just rediculous. Long words used for the sake of it. Sometimes, the essays you have to type are important but I can't imagine you will have a problem with those if you already have a BA in English. And if you can type, then you will definitely do well.

RoadWarriorFromLP

If you wish to attend medical school, you will need to take the MCAT, not the GRE. Most US graduate programs require the GRE, but medicine, law and business are some notable exceptions to the rule (MCAT, LSAT and GMAT, respectively.)

Medical school admissions in the US are extremely competitive, and the very best programs have very low acceptance rates (i.e. 1-2%). For a ranking of US medical schools, have a look at US News and World Report.

If you wish to attend a high quality US program, it will be imperative that you earn the highest MCAT score and university GPA possible. You will also be expected to have completed a science-based curriculum in your undergraduate studies, with high grades to match. You can and should research scholarship opportunities, but don't expect to find very many of them.