HELP!!!non-us applicant

[phronesis]

hello everyone,have been visiting the forum for a while now,just registered today:),please i need an urgent advice!!!!!,i am a non-us,non-canadian applicant and i would be coming to st.george in august,i read somewhere in the forum that it would be better for one to have an undergraduate degree in the u.s b4 going on to st.george because it will improve ur chances of doing ur residency in the states and those that dont have a b.sc from the states are not going to get into any residency programme, i dont have a u.s bachelor's degree and i would definately love to do my residency in the states, what are my chances?please i urgently need an advice,thanks:D

[shadyhtown]

I don't think your bachelors degree would matter a great deal when it comes to getting residency. I know people who did their entire med school in Europe or Asia and got residency in the US. You're even better off, since you'll be doing med school at SGU and clinicals in US.

However, I should add that it's somewhat more difficult for non-US/Canadian folks to get residency because some hospitals are not too keen on applying for work visas for them, as it can be kind of a hassle.

[kryptik]

to add to shadytown, some states do require a certain number of undergrad credits usually 60-90credits for license, so you have to ensure your credits (regardless of where you got them) are recognized in the US.

[phronesis]

thanks shady town and kryptic for your reply,really appreciate it:D,but kryptic i would be starting my pre-med in sgu,does it mean sgu undergarduate(pre-med) credits are not recognised in the states,:(,i dont want to have to go thru premed and med school in sgu and i wouldnt be able to do my residency in the states,tell me it aint thru!!

[Kongakut]

Well, I doubt SGU would have a pre-med program that would cause difficulty for those going into medicine to obtain a residency.

[kryptik]

thanks shady town and kryptic for your reply,really appreciate it:D,but kryptic i would be starting my pre-med in sgu,does it mean sgu undergarduate(pre-med) credits are not recognised in the states,:(,i dont want to have to go thru premed and med school in sgu and i wouldnt be able to do my residency in the states,tell me it aint thru!!
going to sgu premed and then following it up with their medical school should not pose a problem as long as they recognized in the states you are interested in, but YOU should research into it first.

[phronesis]

thanks guys,i feel better already:rolleyes:,well i plan on doing my residency in CA or NY,hope it's not to far fetched:(

[kryptik]

CA has been notorious (according to posts in this forum) but NY not so much, i believe SGU has CA accreditation so no its not far fetched as long as you go to SGU. If i may ask where will you be attending sgu from since you said you are non us or canadian student.

[phronesis]

wow,i hope where you come from wont be a problem,anyhu i am nigerian,

[kryptik]

wow,i hope where you come from wont be a problem,anyhu i am nigerian,

no it wont be a problem, i asked that because you may need a visa to be able to do your clinicals in the usa so you have that in mind, thats all.

[rokshana]

where you are from isn't so much of an issue as your visa status is...for clinicals it will be up to you to get your immigration status in order, the school doesn't really process that.

further down the road, your immigration status will play a role in the residency programs you will be able to apply to. Many (esp cali) will require your ECFMG certification in hand for even the interview and if you are looking at programs that sponsor the H1b (fewer and fewer every year) you will have to have passed step III- usually this will require you sit out a year to do so. Otherwise you will be looking at programs that sponsor the J1 visa.

[phronesis]

sorry for all the questions,so i would need a grenadian visa now and a us visa later,wow dont even know if there is a grenadian embassy in the country i live in now.:confused:

[kryptik]

call SGU office in new york or email them about the procedure and they will direct you on how to get permits or visa to the island.

[phronesis]

thanks for all the help,really grateful,thanks once again

[shadyhtown]

Nigeria is a Commonwealth country, so you don't need a visa to enter Grenada.


Citizens of the following countries DO NOT need a Grenada visa for a stay of up to 90 days:
Anguilla, Antigua Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bermuda, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Cameroon, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, China, Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, Cook Islands, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Estonia, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Finland, France, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Guyana, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Latvia, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Moldova, Montserrat, Namibia, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Niue, Norfolk Island, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn Islands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Seychelles, Sierra *****, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, St. Helena, St. Kitts Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent Grenadines, Swaziland, Sweden, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad Tobago, Turkmenistan, Turks Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Western Samoa, Zambia.

[EhJJ]

Citizens of the following countries DO NOT need a Grenada visa for a stay of up to 90 days

Notice the "up to 90 days". You will need a visa to go to Grenada, but they are issued at customs (at the airport in Grenada) when you enter. You'll get a stamp in your passport with "M/S" written inside (I guess meaning "Medical Student"?) and the date you are expected to depart ("12/14/2008"). At least, this is the case for American and Canadian students; it may vary for other countries, but I think generally customs will issue the visa as long as you have your SGU acceptance letter and preregistration form with you.

As for US clinicals, you'll need to get a B1/B2 visa issued before you come, from a US embassy in your country. In the case of Canadians, these are issued at the US border.

[shadyhtown]

Notice the "up to 90 days". You will need a visa to go to Grenada, but they are issued at customs (at the airport in Grenada) when you enter. You'll get a stamp in your passport with "M/S" written inside (I guess meaning "Medical Student"?) and the date you are expected to depart ("12/14/2008"). At least, this is the case for American and Canadian students; it may vary for other countries, but I think generally customs will issue the visa as long as you have your SGU acceptance letter and preregistration form with you.

As for US clinicals, you'll need to get a B1/B2 visa issued before you come, from a US embassy in your country. In the case of Canadians, these are issued at the US border.

Right. I was just talking about not needing a visa to initially enter Grenada. The poster was worrying about finding an embassy, so just wanted to let him know he doesn't need to worry.

[phronesis]

wow,thanks guys for all the help,i'm so grateful,really u guys are the best,:D
Ehjj thanks a lot for that post,shadyh thanks also u've been so helpful and oh yes i'm a she!!!:D

[grayeyes043]

wow,i hope where you come from wont be a problem,anyhu i am nigerian,

You are pretty much screwed.

It is very difficult to get a visa these days....very difficult.
The fact that you are from Nigeria is going to hurt you in the long run considering there are so many Nigerians trying to enter the U.S.

Now, you can get a visa to go to Grenada...no biggie.
But to get a visa to go to the U.S. is a beast in itself.

[shadyhtown]

You are pretty much screwed.

It is very difficult to get a visa these days....very difficult.
The fact that you are from Nigeria is going to hurt you in the long run considering there are so many Nigerians trying to enter the U.S.

Now, you can get a visa to go to Grenada...no biggie.
But to get a visa to go to the U.S. is a beast in itself.

If she's going there for clinicals, then she's being sponsored by the school or the hospitals. So there shouldn't be a problem. I haven't heard of one as such.

[phronesis]

dear lord!! why should getting a us visa be so challenging,but like shadyh said i would be doing my clinicals in the us,i sure do hope sgu could help out with that,:shock:

[rokshana]

dear lord!! why should getting a us visa be so challenging,but like shadyh said i would be doing my clinicals in the us,i sure do hope sgu could help out with that,:shock:


why??
because it seems like everyone and their uncle wants one!

but seriously, it takes a looong time betwen sponsorship and the actual green card (my mom sponsored her brothers and 10 , yes TEN, years later they got their green cards).

as a clinical student, you won't have to much of an issue, but it WILL be something YOU have to take of- do not rely on the school to make sure everything is in order..

as a resident, you will have to secure a residency spot in a program that will sponsor you for the visa.

No visa...no job....simple as that.

i mean, let's face it, why do YOU want to come to the US to train and practice??

and after 9/11, visas are being issued with a bit more scrutiny...

[kryptik]

hey Phoresis, calm down.
First know that the school is not going to sponsor you anything, when it comes to immigration its just you and the US embassy, the school will provide you documents indicating you are a student in good standing blah blah blah.
The trick is to start well in advance as the process can take a long time, so its good you know that even before starting sgu, so you should start researching into the fees, requirements and documents you will need to secure a visa so you are fully prepared for the visa, when you start early it will be much much less stressful.
Also ensure your passport has at least 5years before it expires. If not start making arrangements to get a new one.

[EhJJ]

Also ensure your passport has at least 5years before it expires.

I think passports issued by most countries are only good for 5 years! Unless I'm mistaken, only the US offers passports good for 10 years. Regardless, you'll need to make sure you have AT LEAST 6 months (preferably 1 year) left on your passport whenever you travel.

[phronesis]

thanks everyone for your input,i better start right away and oh yes rokshana,who wouldnt want to train and work in the us if given the chance,

[kryptik]

I think passports issued by most countries are only good for 5 years! Unless I'm mistaken, only the US offers passports good for 10 years. Regardless, you'll need to make sure you have AT LEAST 6 months (preferably 1 year) left on your passport whenever you travel.

Most passports issued by most countries are for 10years. what makes you think only the US issues passports good for 10 years? if Phoresis will testify am sure his/her nigerian passport was issued to expire in more than 5 years.

[shadyhtown]

Not just US. Indian passports are also issued for at least 10 years. In fact, my dad got his last one issued for 20 years.

[kryptik]

i dont know where EhJJ got the 5 years from

[EhJJ]

Hm... very interesting. I thought USA was the odd one out with 10 year passports, but I see that it's quite common in most countries. I got the 5 years because that's the Canadian limit (http://www.passport.gc.ca/support/faq.aspx?lang=eng&id=302) and I was under the impression that 5-7 years was typical. My mistake! Sorry for the confusion!!

[kryptik]

so you have to renew every 5years, that will be such an inconvenience, but maybe the process isnt as cumbersome as other countries since canadians seem to know how to get things done efficiently.:D

[kananaskis_girl]

Canada actually does it for fraud protection, they regularly change the features of the passport to make it more difficult to counterfeit (unlike passports valid for 10 years). Recently, NZ, Sweden, Singapore, Iceland and Finland have actually moved TOWARD passports valid for 5 years only to prevent forgery...fyi

[kryptik]

very informative kananaskis, thanks

[FFMG]

there are alot of nigerian students at sgu. i think its the most represented african country ( then i think botswana and zimbabwe is next). the previous posts are correct and the school does not directly assist you in getting your visa. you will be using the B1/B2 visitors visa. the school usually gives you a letter explaining why you are entering the US for clinicals etc to carry with you to the embassy meeting for your visa. the letter is very helpful. its a pretty straightforward process. most nigerians that i know got the visa ( 2 i know of didnt, dont know why). you shouldnt worry too much about it. its likely that you will get it once your supporting documents are in order when you apply.

the b1/b2 is good for clinicals but when you graduate you'll need to get a J1 or H1B visa. Im not too sure how this application process works. alot of hospitals dont sponsor visas to foreign nationals but many still do. sgu has quite a number of non us/ non canadian students who go on the residencies in the US. this is more dependent on how good a candidate you are at your time of application( board scores, gpa, lors......)

basically, the visa issue is not something you should really worry about right now. you'll deal with it when the time comes.

Also a few friends have went to sgu undergrad and gone on the US residencies. moslty NY and michigan. Ive never heard of anyone having difficult with credits recognition but you should call sgu's bayshore office to find out for sure

[phronesis]

thank you very much FFMG for all the help,it was so helpful,i really appreciate all your help guys,thanks.:D