Hey everyone,

I am from California and recently got accepted to the Sept.07 class. I was super excited about it and told the whole world about it and got a million congrats until I spoke with my dad. He said he didn't like the idea of practicing in another state so far away from family...and that family is the only thing you've got, i should really think about going to an "unapproved cali" school and blah blah blah, and i guess it made me feel bad and it's really starting to make me think about this issue, since i never sat down and thought about it before...i was just so happy that i got into a medical school after being rejected by 3 carib schools (Ross, SABA, MUA-N).

I am trying to do some research and figure out why California is so special (besides being close to family and the good weather)....Also, I was accepted to Spartan, St.Eustatuis, and St.James...I know they don't have CA approval, but are they "dissapproved" or can I do my residency in another state and still be able to obtain my licensure there?

One more thing...how much will earning a masters degree in the states (ex. Barry's masters in biomedical sciences?) to try to boost my undergrad science gpa help? and retaking the mcats....shoot, i really don't want to have to do all that, since I have already been accepted to St.Matthews!!! I am afraid that if I do all of this, I still won't be guaranteed a spot in a Cali approved medical school, so there goes all my money and time wasted. My dad says that I am still young and that I don't need to be rushing into a medical school that doesn't even have Cali approval....I never really cared for Cali too much until today when he had mentioned it....PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP!!!!!!!

Unless if you want to practice in cali, you might not want to come to SMU.
Smu isn't approved by cali, atleast as of now. By the time you graduate it may be approved. Don't take these chances, however.

St. James, St. Eustatuis and Spartan aren't that great of a university. I recommend you to NOT go over there, SMU is much greater than them. The only drawback would be the cali disapproval.
Just think about your choices, Smu gives you a much better education and there are another 49 states you can go to.

one more question....say SMU does get cali approval before i graduate in four years...will the california lisencure apply to me or will it only apply to those who were enrolled after the decision?

Any other advice or feedback from people in my situation (or who have been) would be soooooo much appreciated...I don't have any friends who are in the same situation that i can call and ask for advice...so this value md website is really all i've got...I only have ten days to reserve a spot at SMU.....

A lot can happen in 4 years. But you don't know when SMU will get approval. Its harder than you think. But SMU is growing very fast. They have made so many recent changes, you don't know what will happen, but also you can't rely on this. I am from cali as well, I figure by the time I get done with clinicals there will be no cali approval, but that's fine, I can practice elsewhere.

Is it necessary for you to stay in Cali? That's the big question you have to ask yourself.

Hello. If Cali gets approved while you're here, and then you graduate, NO ONE can guarantee you that you will be able to practice in Cali.

HOWEVER! Let me tell you about what happened to Saba and Cali. Before Saba was Cali approved, no one can get licensed there. After Saba gets Calif, the Calif decided that they will approve Saba people who graduated before the approval ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS.

So if SMU gets approved, then Cali MIGHT do the same, by granting license to SMU graduates on a case by case basis.

I say might, no promises whatsoever. The reasons why Cali disapprove SMU are filled with errors and there is a legal hearing on it or something, so Cali might decided a mistake has been made. BUT! No promises. No one knows the future.

I am just stating a fact and some speculations.

If you have any doubt about wanting to work in CA, do not go to an unapproved school. Unless the school is specifically approved, you can NEVER work in CA. There is no way to predict if the approval will be retroactive, so you should assume that there will be no way to work in CA by attending SMU now.

I cannot emphasise enough how important this it to you...you have family ties, and in all likelihood will want to return to CA to work someday. You do NOT want to be prohibited from living and working in your home state.

There are quite a few solutions...first off, apply to other schools that are CA approved...you missed several. AUC, SGU, UAG, Irish schools, Australian schools, Hungarian schools, Czech schools, to name a few. Second, stay at home and work on those grades, to try again at the schools that denied you.

I know an extra year of staying at home sounds awful now, but believe me, and extra year now is worth it. You do not want to save a year, only to regret your decision for the rest of your life. Do the smart thing, and get into a school that will not limit you.

BTW, I speak as a CA native..I took a bit longer and went to a CA approved school. I may never go back to CA, but I do miss it a lot. And, I sleep a LOT better at night knowing that I could go home. If that option was not open to me, I would be very, very uncomfortable.

I would strongly consider going to UAG ( Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara ). The first two years are in English and it is CA Approved. I also am from California and all my family is here. I would rather practice elsewhere as well but it is always better to have as many options open as possible. Plus after 2 years you could transfer to another school that has 50 state approval and you would be back in the US for Clinicals. ( Ross gets about 50-70 transfers into clinicals per term ). If you pass your first two years and pass USMLE step 1 you shouldn't have any trouble transfering to another island school.

Good Luck

MUA-N reject you????

Apply to AUC's may class. it is usually the least full and depending on your stats..... you may have a chance.

exhaust ALL options (even apply to SGU, UAG) before you go to SMU. its not that smu is a bad school, its just that all your family is in cali and you may regret this decision years down the road.

as far as what happened to saba, another poster on this thread posted some incorrect information. what happened with saba was once they were approved, cali made the approval take effect 2 years prior meaning retroactivity.

i think their approval was in 2004, but cali said that they will now accept anyone from 2002 and on. if you graduated in 2001, there is no case by case basis, you would just get flat out denied.

__________________
Dr. Scott
Internal Medicine
PGY-1

AUC Forum Moderator

About Saba - Saba is effective dated Ca approval. No body before the effective date from Saba has gotten into CA!!!

SMU only has NY approval - grads can practice in a maybe 40 states. None of the states that use the Ca list, Kansas and a few others. Think before you jump in the pond! There maybe rocks under the surface you can't see.

Your father is correct. You are young. Do what is correct to get in a US school first.

SMU is a up and coming school. However, you will save yourself a boat load of issues if you spend the time to get into a US school. Many of the SMU students are taking exams right now - so I don't think they will answer till Thursday. You will work just as hard as at a US school and get less respect.