My name is Saurabh Gupta, as you can tell from the user name . In September of 08 i will be in the 11th grade. My grades are above average, but let me tell you, i am not an all A student. My goal in life is to become a doctor, but becoming a doctor in the Unitedstates is not a cheap task. I am planning on going to a medical college in India, or if i magicly get a somesort of scholarship, here in the Unitedstates. I am looking at Manipal's IC program. I am interested in the school and have many questions. My GPA is more than a 3.0 forsure, and i have yet to take the SATs. I am enrolled in the IB program at my school, but i am thinking if Manipal will even care for it? Is there any point in taking hte IB program if they dont care for it? Personally i am going to take the program because it will be challenging and it includes some good corses.What classes do you guys recomend that i take in Highschool to make me a better competitor? How important are the SATs to Manipal? How much is the TOTAL cost of this program? How is the life there for an American citizin but of Indian parents? I was reading that i would have to get somesort of visa made, i have a dual citizen ship sticker in my passport, does that make any differnce? My father says that Manipal has a lot of drugs and problems, but it is a buetiful place. Is this true about the drugs? or is this at all colleges? And what exactly is the learning curve people are talking about? The way they teach? If they school is NRI only, than wouldnt everyone experiience this curve? And am i thinking too early about this program? I have another 2 years before July 2010 when the program will start for me. Do you have any regrets from joining KMCIC's program? Wish that you have rather gone somewhere else?

Thanks so much
Saurabh Gupta

Hey saurabh

Based on your post seems like you are ambitious about becoming a physician and at the same time quite stressed out. I am Amulya from Toronro, I will be starting Grade 12 in sept 2008. I am also thinking about applying to KMCIC for the semester of July 2009. If you really want to do medicine, go for it because you don't want to regret after 10 years when you are working at a place where you don't feel like you belong. KMCIC is first of all, not cheap, the whole 6 year program, if you are starting right after high school would cost about $ 150,000 USD including all accomdation, food etc, which is not bad considering that you don't have to write MCAT and do the 4 years of B.Sc before applying to med school. Based on your mark, i think you will for sure get in. make sure, you are involved in extra curricular,volunteer service etc. i personally was also enrolled in IB through grade 9 and 10 and didn't see a point of putting myself through that much of pain. So i dropped out and continued with the regular high school diploma. i also managed to have a part time job at health department, volunteer and extra curricular.So, think it through, if you really wanted to put up through so much of struggle if it is not worth much at all.

About the courses to choose, i strongly recommend take all your science courses, i don't know the US system, but take biology, physics, chemistry, advanced function, calculus, english through grade 11 and 12, this will prepare you well.I personally have not done any SAT or such but if you feel it is need go for it.

If you are a dual citizen ot OCI or PIO card holder, then there is no problem for studying in manipal. Regarding the drugs, any school will have some good and bad factors, so it all depends on your determination and your ambition to become a doctor, if you have that you can succeed any where under any circumstances.

KMCIC is only for NRI and local students are not accepted into this twinning program. Rest everything else, can't answer because have not gone through it yet but soon will.

If you have any more question feel free to ask and i will try my best to answer your questions.

Goodluck
Amulya