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[mdognotcat]

I am a new poster so please don't be angry with me for asking this question.

I was born and raised in the United States but when my single mother was posted to Hong Kong by her company, I went with her because she was all alone and lonely. I ended up graduating from a good university in Hong Kong with a very good grade. I also worked towards an MBA degree but could not complete the MBA because I became pregnant and wanted my kid to be born in the United States. After I returned to America, I worked for several years to pay off family debts. Later I was accepted to a doctoral program in Economics at a good university in California but I choose to study pre-med courses and take care of my baby instead. I finished my pre-med courses at a community college and a local state school.

I am all set to enter medical school now with good GPA and MCAT scores.

But deans of the two MD schools in my state e-mailed me that I don't have 90 credits in America, so I am not eligible to their medical school. There are no other medical schools in my state (and med schools strongly prefer in-state applicants). All other medical schools in the U.S. also have the 90 credit from U.S. university requirement or they want an American college degree. This is also true for osteopathic/DO schools.

- What can I do now? What are my options other than spending more time accumulating the 90 credits?

- Based on my bachelor's degree from overseas, my near MBA degree (and the pre-med courses from within the U.S.), do you think I could get a bachelor's degree in the United States with very minimal coursework? How quickly do you think I could get a B.S. degree? Please help because my MCAT score is getting older every day and will not be valid very soon.

Thank you all,
Veronica G.

[pollinate]

How many credits do you need to reach the 90 mark?

[hegemony]

At many universities it's possible to get a one-year second bachelor's degree.  I don't know if that's fast enough for you, but it might be an option.  By one year I mean two semesters.

[polly_mer]

Your options are to get a second bachelor's degree or accumulate 90 credits.  Those are your only options.

Depending on how long it has been since your bachelor's degree, as Hegemony points out, getting a second bachelor's degree in a related field may be very quick and only take a couple of semesters.  The biggest question is whether the degree you obtained in Hong Kong covered all of the general education requirements that most US degrees will require. 

Another likely option is to take a degree in college instead of a normal major.  University studies, liberal studies, or general studies are all names for programs where the student has a lot of leeway to take classes that are relevant to a non-traditional education and they might be willing to transfer a lot of the credits from your Hong Kong degrees.

[buy_low]

I also recommend talking with the admissions department at the medical schools, in person if possible, bringing your transcripts with you so you know exactly what you need.  Otherwise make a phone appointment.  When you make the appointment say you need someone who can advise you as to how you can meet their requirements with your background. Ask their advice about getting an American degree and what they recommend.

As you know, medical school admission is competitive.  Get as much detailed advice from the schools themselves.