Financial Needy Singaporean Student Wanna Be A Cardiothoracic Surgeon in the US

[XUYunChao]

Hello

I am reading economics and finance at the Singapore Management University. It is my last year. My ideal job is to be a highly competent cardiothoracic surgeon and practice in the United States, which is a leader in the medical field.

I love the job as a cardiothoracic surgeon because it is very practical and down-to-earth. One gains technical skills and becomes more intelligent. I also love the idea of saving lives and making a positive impact on my patients and helping them live on. I prefer a career like this than others which involve puffery and deceit.

Only two serious obstacles stand between me and my ideal career:

1) The lack of funds. I still cannot believe that the only son in a family of four - with monthly income of less than US$450 per capita - is about to complete college! Woooottttz!!!

2) The expectation of my family. Everyone in my family is absolutely against my going to medical school. They expect me to be realistic and to just get a job so that I can start paying the bills and lessen our financial burden. My father is not very happy of me attending college in the first place, because it's very expensive for us. I don't blame him because he himself did not receive much education. He only had ten years of formal education; my mom six. To be receiving a college education, I am indeed much more priviledged.

In terms of intelligence and academic competency, I am sure I'm able to graduate from medical school with all the necessary knowledge, skills, and the title of MD. I'm a member of Mensa Singapore with an IQ in 99.9 percentile. (Just found out about this late last year, because I was feeling so stupid and suicidal that I signed myself up for a Mensa MSAT.) I graduated from Raffles Junior College and The Chinese High School in Singapore. In terms of academic training, the only slight issue is that I have never received formal education in biology. I did, however, out of interest, signed up for the CollegeBoard Advanced Placement Biology exam while I was a soldier doing the mandatory Singaporean national service. I got a 4/5 just by reading on my own. I took physics and chemistry in high school, though. My current GPA at the Singapore Management University is cum laude (3.4/4.0), even though I haven't exert myself.

Now that I'm about to graduate, I look back at the three years spent in this university, and I'm filled with regret. I feel very bad about turning down the attractive financial aid offers from two US colleges, which I had loved with all my heart, and still love. Sorry, St John's College, Annapolis and St. Olaf College. I'm very, very sorry that I had to turned you down. My mother was very worried and reluctant to have her only son leave her for a country, halfway round the earth; and where people speak in languages she doesn't understand. Sorry, Luyen Phan of St. Olaf College. I really appreciate how hard you fought for me to secure such an attractive financial aid package, and calling me at six o' clock in the morning (SGT) to inform me that you had successfully secured more funds for me. I will always remember the excitement of your voice over the phone that morning and the disappointment in it when you sensed that I was hesitant. Sorry, St. John's College, Annapolis. I had to reneged on you even though we had all the arrangements made and I had my F1 visa printed on my passport and my air tickets, all neatly packed in my backpack - my only luggage to be brought with me to the States. My mom was overwhelmed and she fainted, fell, and broke her back. It was only then that we learnt that she suffers from osteoporosis. She was hospitalized for days and as a Chinese son, it would be very undutiful of me to leave her in lurch.

Any advice and help for me to become a highly competent cardiothoracic surgeon? I've checked out National University of Singapore medical school (NUS) and NUS-Duke. NUS doesn't want a non-traditional student like me who can't pay. NUS-Duke, aussi.

On my side, I just need to get myself out of despondency. And believe again.

Regards
Yun Chao

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[XUYunChao]

To be specific: I want to be a pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon. I can just imagine the great sense of satisfaction that I will derive from treating children and seeing them grow up to be strong, able adults, as I age.

I think pediatric cardiothoracic surgery is a place with room for improvement. There are aspects and techniques to be refined and improved on. Just imagine the enormous sense of accomplishment that one can achieve from consistently operating on ill newborns’ hearts - that are about the size of a thumb tip - with success.

Infants and young children are so lovely, innocent, and helpless. Pediatric cardiothoracic surgeons give these helpless creatures new opportunities in life, which would otherwise be impossible.

 

[FrkyBgStok]

.....would it be inappropriate to laugh? You seem to have no idea what you are getting into. And of course you want to be a pedriatric cardiosurgeon. Everyone wants to do that. Cha-ching! I guess I am really unclear what you are asking. What do you know of the american medical school system to this point?

 

[XUYunChao]

Not everyone wants to be a pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon. Many of my schoolmates aspire to be bankers and consultants. The time value of the money earned from these careers surpasses that of a surgeon.

If you want a lot of money, you should look for careers in the banking industry or in politics. But, that's not what I'm asking.

What I'm asking is what are the legitimate, ie lawful, ways of financing, available to an international student who needs to borrow up to US$300,000 for his american medical education. I understand that compared to a baccalaureate at a small liberal arts college, financial aid for medical school in the United States is scarce and extremely competitive- even for its own citizens - and that it is common practice for American medical students to take up heavy loans. For poor, rural, working class US citizens with monthly income of less that US$500 per capita, the probability of them attending med school is nearly zero. What do they have to act as collateral for their loans?

Given this situation, what are the chances for a poor foreign alien?

Just for fun, you might wanna read the study by Thomas Espenshade and Alexandria Radford and its findings. Great food for thought. Ross Douthat also wrote a well-written article at: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/19/opinion/19douthat.html

 

[g125]

I agree with the poster above; you seem to have no idea what you're doing. Forget about money, financing, or whatever niche specialty you want to get into. As an international student you simply have next to zero chance of getting into an American medical school. And you are absolutely out of your mind to want to get yourself into a 300k debt - money talks in the end, however grandiose your dream is. Your only option is to study medicine in Singapore or elsewhere and hope to match into the US as a FMG after you graduate. Sorry to be blunt but I think somebody needs to smack some sense into you.

 

[XUYunChao]

I agree with the poster above; you seem to have no idea what you're doing. Forget about money, financing, or whatever niche specialty you want to get into. As an international student you simply have next to zero chance of getting into an American medical school. And you are absolutely out of your mind to want to get yourself into a 300k debt - money talks in the end, however grandiose your dream is. Your only option is to study medicine in Singapore or elsewhere and hope to match into the US as a FMG after you graduate. Sorry to be blunt but I think somebody needs to smack some sense into you.

It's good to be frank. I want direct, honest replies.

Why do you say there is next to zero chance of getting into an American medical school? Please elaborate. Your information will help me. Is it because of any policy in place? Is it because that places in medical schools in the United States are reserved solely for American citizens - be it de facto or de jure ?

It is not impossible. I know of international students who graduated from american colleges and moved on to amercian med schools to get MDs.

The more common approach here in Singapore for non-traditional students who can afford it is to get MBBSs from Australia, which is nearer and cheaper. (So I don't see why you said we cannot get training from American med schools.) Some then move to the States as a Foreign Medical Graduate after their medical training. If their residencies went well in the States, many settle down and practice in the States.

My question is: For an international student who missed his/her chance of attending college in the United States, can s/he join the American med schools so that s/he receives medical training and education directly in the States, and then move on to do his/her residential training in the American hospitals, and subsequently, receive highly specialized training in the area of pediatric cardiothoracic surgery in the US.

I have this impression that the United States has the best pediatric cardiothoracic surgeons with some of the most advanced techniques and procedures, not to mention that it also has invested a lot of capital and resources into research in this area. You could also advise me on this, if I'm wrong and ignorant.

Thank you.


EDIT: Hmm...just realized that the admins moved this thread of mine from "non-traditional students" to "International Medical Forums>General International Discussion>China and Eastern Asia". -.-"

I hope the replies to my thread doesn't end with this move.

FYI, English is not a major problem for me, even though it's 3rd language to me. I got 710 for my SAT verbal which I took five years ago just by doing "10 Real SATs", and I'm quite comfortable with using English on a day-to-day basis and in academic settings. (I apologize for the grammatical error in the title of this thread, though. )

 

[g125]

My question is: For an international student who missed his/her chance of attending college in the United States, can s/he join the American med schools so that s/he receives medical training and education directly in the States, and then move on to do his/her residential training in the American hospitals, and subsequently, receive highly specialized training in the area of pediatric cardiothoracic surgery in the US.

No.

1) Almost all of the schools do not consider applicants who are not American citizen/permanent resident.
2) I think all of the school requires your pre-med prerequisite courses to be done at an American accredited college.

Since you are neither of the above you practically have no chance of getting admitted into an American med school.

 

[mspeedwagon]

The answer to your question below is NO. You cannot apply to a US medical school until you have completed 90 semester hours of undergraduate work in the US (or Canada). Hence why your friends that attended US medical schools, also attended college in the US.

Without significant financial resources there is no way for you to come to medical school in the US. You'd need to invest in three years of undergraduate education and then plan for the MCAT and applying to pretty much all schools that take international students (there aren't that many). The vast majority of schools in the US take citizens and green card holders only.

There are only two paths for you to practice medicine in the US . 1) Go to Australia or another foreign medical school and pass the USMLE and apply for residency in the US OR 2) Plan to spend 3 yrs in the US at the undergrad level and then apply to medical school here (you do not qualify for any loans as an international student so you will need your families financial support).

 

[cosycatus]

Hello

I am reading economics and finance at the Singapore Management University. It is my last year. My ideal job is to be a highly competent cardiothoracic surgeon and practice in the United States, which is a leader in the medical field.

I love the job as a cardiothoracic surgeon because it is very practical and down-to-earth. One gains technical skills and becomes more intelligent. I also love the idea of saving lives and making a positive impact on my patients and helping them live on. I prefer a career like this than others which involve puffery and deceit.

Only two serious obstacles stand between me and my ideal career:

1) The lack of funds. I still cannot believe that the only son in a family of four - with monthly income of less than US$450 per capita - is about to complete college! Woooottttz!!!

2) The expectation of my family. Everyone in my family is absolutely against my going to medical school. They expect me to be realistic and to just get a job so that I can start paying the bills and lessen our financial burden. My father is not very happy of me attending college in the first place, because it's very expensive for us. I don't blame him because he himself did not receive much education. He only had ten years of formal education; my mom six. To be receiving a college education, I am indeed much more priviledged.

In terms of intelligence and academic competency, I am sure I'm able to graduate from medical school with all the necessary knowledge, skills, and the title of MD. I'm a member of Mensa Singapore with an IQ in 99.9 percentile. (Just found out about this late last year, because I was feeling so stupid and suicidal that I signed myself up for a Mensa MSAT.) I graduated from Raffles Junior College and The Chinese High School in Singapore. In terms of academic training, the only slight issue is that I have never received formal education in biology. I did, however, out of interest, signed up for the CollegeBoard Advanced Placement Biology exam while I was a soldier doing the mandatory Singaporean national service. I got a 4/5 just by reading on my own. I took physics and chemistry in high school, though. My current GPA at the Singapore Management University is cum laude (3.4/4.0), even though I haven't exert myself.

Now that I'm about to graduate, I look back at the three years spent in this university, and I'm filled with regret. I feel very bad about turning down the attractive financial aid offers from two US colleges, which I had loved with all my heart, and still love. Sorry, St John's College, Annapolis and St. Olaf College. I'm very, very sorry that I had to turned you down. My mother was very worried and reluctant to have her only son leave her for a country, halfway round the earth; and where people speak in languages she doesn't understand. Sorry, Luyen Phan of St. Olaf College. I really appreciate how hard you fought for me to secure such an attractive financial aid package, and calling me at six o' clock in the morning (SGT) to inform me that you had successfully secured more funds for me. I will always remember the excitement of your voice over the phone that morning and the disappointment in it when you sensed that I was hesitant. Sorry, St. John's College, Annapolis. I had to reneged on you even though we had all the arrangements made and I had my F1 visa printed on my passport and my air tickets, all neatly packed in my backpack - my only luggage to be brought with me to the States. My mom was overwhelmed and she fainted, fell, and broke her back. It was only then that we learnt that she suffers from osteoporosis. She was hospitalized for days and as a Chinese son, it would be very undutiful of me to leave her in lurch.

Any advice and help for me to become a highly competent cardiothoracic surgeon? I've checked out National University of Singapore medical school (NUS) and NUS-Duke. NUS doesn't want a non-traditional student like me who can't pay. NUS-Duke, aussi.

On my side, I just need to get myself out of despondency. And believe again.

Regards
Yun Chao

lol. This guy is cute......you best chance is to audition for Grey's Anatomy and hope to be casted as a highly competent cardiothoracic surgeon.
( i seriously dunno how a econs graduate with narry a bit of biology and sci beyond high school can have the serious thoughts about becoming a surgeon in the US , other than overdosing on 5 seasons of grey's.....)
Ok, jokes aside, i seriously don't see how u are expecting any good answer here. If there's a way for Singapore students to study in the US totally on a 300K loan that some good samaritian is going give you, u can bettacha that ALL the medical hopeful students in Singapore ( many with grades better than you) are going to shoot for it.

So go figure it out with that fantastic IQ of yours. You really do come across as a silly goose , with all that thanking of colleges, boasting that you are a graduate from a lesser background ( Come on, this is singapore, we have taxi-driver sons who gain prestigious scholarships to really famous universities...not some off-landish community colleges)

are you even real? If so, wake up. dun dream. anymore. Your dad needs u to support the family.

 

[XUYunChao]

lol. This guy is cute......you best chance is to audition for Grey's Anatomy and hope to be casted as a highly competent cardiothoracic surgeon.
( i seriously dunno how a econs graduate with narry a bit of biology and sci beyond high school can have the serious thoughts about becoming a surgeon in the US , other than overdosing on 5 seasons of grey's.....)
Ok, jokes aside, i seriously don't see how u are expecting any good answer here. If there's a way for Singapore students to study in the US totally on a 300K loan that some good samaritian is going give you, u can bettacha that ALL the medical hopeful students in Singapore ( many with grades better than you) are going to shoot for it.

So go figure it out with that fantastic IQ of yours. You really do come across as a silly goose , with all that thanking of colleges, boasting that you are a graduate from a lesser background ( Come on, this is singapore, we have taxi-driver sons who gain prestigious scholarships to really famous universities...not some off-landish community colleges)

are you even real? If so, wake up. dun dream. anymore. Your dad needs u to support the family.

^what a reply, cosycatus.

Your jokes are not funny.

I have never seen a minute of grey's anatomy. That show is not even real from what I heard from my girl friends. Besides, I don't subscribe to cable TV.

I have, however, read many pages of Gray's Anatomy. I own the 39th hardcopy edition. I had to import directly from the UK while Elsevier was having a sale on that title. It still cost me a small fortune but is good reading. The point is: you don't need a formal paper qualification from a Singapore junior college to have a solid pre-med biology and chemistry grounding. I can handle the MCAT without a Singapore certificate stating that I studied biology. But for admissions matters when applying to med school, you do need relevant qualification like what mspeedwagon and g125 wrote.

cosycatus, you write like one of those myopic, benighted Singapore residents whose idea of prestigious, famous universities is limited to the Ivy League; who have no idea that Stanford is not part of the Ivy League and have never heard of Dartmouth; who do not know that taxi drivers in Singapore drew very decent incomes in the 1990s and have had many opportunities for sidelines. (I still take my hat off for those dirt poor kids from one-income family, who went on to beat the statistics and won scholarships for their university education); who are apathetic and unaware that it is becoming rarer for Singaporean children in the 10th percentile in terms of family income per capita to be awarded the Public Service Commission Scholarships (your idea of prestigious); who do not know that these "prestigious" scholarships are funded by the government and come with six-year bonds, and do not sponsor medical studies in "foreign" universities, and are restricted to 18-year-olds from the junior colleges; who have no idea that the most "prestigious" scholarship is the Singapore Armed Forces-President's Scholarship that does not sponsor medical studies, and which comes with a long, gun-wielding career in the military and in the government for males, and does not -in any way - agree with the medical profession.

So far, the best reply I've got is from mspeedwagon. I've thanked this kind soul personally. He is a serious and responsible forumite. His reply is direct, constructive, and helpful. I've read through his application thread and he is strong. It is easy to tell the goats from the sheep just by reading these posts, if I may refer to the Bible.

If you have no constructive suggestion, help, or knowledge, cosycatus, don't post here. I don't need your abusive opinions that do not help the situation. I had enough of abuse from those ill-bred toffs and middle-class brats in the Chinese High School and Raffles.

And, St. John's College and St. Olaf are respectable, residential liberal arts colleges, not some off-landish [sic] community colleges like you wrote. (You probably don't even know what a community college or associate degree is). Colleges like St. Olaf offer solid undergraduate programs for the edification of their undergrads. For an undergrad, these colleges are better than the commuter universities in Singapore, especially so when he receives a >80% comprehensive financial aid package - with no bonds.We are not slaves in the 1800s.

I'm researching the med schools in the US that offer places for international students (ie students who will be on F1 visas, and not on the green card). If you have any useful information, cosycatus, it would be much appreciated. Let me hear and learn from your personal experience.

Yes, my father needs me to take over the family. He is old and unemployed. But, it's good to have options open to me, isn't it. Pray hard.We all know that it's one in a million chances that I would ever get to med school.

 

[cosycatus]

you have a really serious issue. I was checking out this forum and happened to see your post. You seemed to be hankering after something impossible given ur circumstances and is in a state of despondency over it ( really? ). Why do you think that i might know any less than you? Lol, that might really be the case, after all, i've never read a single page of gray's anatomy nor even attempt something so cerebral and i'm probably in the bottom 99.9% of a mensa test ...but your attitude is what really cuts me...

First thing. Your family is in financial need. The first thing you should do is to make sure they are financially independent. Yet somehow , u are thinking of landing some sponsorship to study medicine in the US ( of which, seriously, none is available and even if there is...it's not going to someone with a cum laude...). AFter which it's at least 5 years of residency with miserable pay + hefty taxes. ( At <50K annual salary, with taxes, rental etc, you will not have any $$ left).So for nine more years, your family is going to live with US$450 when instead you can land a job that pays probably at least S$2.5K starting and provide them some measures of comfort.

Your priorities are clearly wrong.

Secondly, a somehow godly belief in your abilities. Seriously, you know some tibits that might probably make u a millionaire. ( like Standford is not ivy league....me? I can't even name any. Harvard is ivy league or not?). Oh yes, you are in the top 99.9% of mensa.
Simply put...so what? Seriously, there's tons of smart pple around. But your cum laude dun seem to paint a connective picture. Yea, you are not putting in any effort ( or so you say)...but what's the guarantee that you will put in the effort in med school? B/c you say so? Brains =\ good results. A good degree is the result of discipline and diligence, not brains alone. Diligence (which if u read Atul Gawande book called Better) refers to a constant and earnest approach to accomplish a given task. These qualities are the hallmark of a surgeon b/c good surgeon practice and practice and practice to perfect that cut, that stitch. I might be totally off-track to judge you on the basis of an under-graduate degree...but many studies ( as u like to quote) has found a definitive link between under-grad performance and clinical accomplishment. Flipping through a tome of gray's or getting 4/5 on a placement test is not a testament of anything....and the SAT is a really simple test for any singaporeans...even for the verbal section..even a 99.9% Mensa dumb mandarin-speaking guy like me got 750 for the verbal section...so what goes for a 710? But yea, u are probably not exerting much effort...I did practice day and night...

Thirdly, and this is personal; i do not really see the need to blow your trumpet or blast away about the offers from liberal arts college or other pretty useless information like the President cum Safos scholarship is the most prestigious scholarship around ( yawns. ya, so? did you get it? ) Yea, u are smart, yea, u come from a less privilege background and make it into university. But in singapore, folks like you are a dime a dozen..pretty much more so for India.

your chances is not 1 in a million. US Schools that accept internationals will not even look at you ( before they even look at you, u can probably get into duke-nus) Your chance is via a long route that you can't afford to take. Your family needs money, your mum is in poor health...yet you are still here dreaming...

tat's the point i am trying to make.

 

[md guy]

XUYunChao, I am a cardiothoracic fellow in the US who happen to have come across you post on google. Nothing is impossible. I myself trained in got an MBBS and have gotten a cardiothoracic fellowship in the US after spending 10 years after medical school. You would have to put in a lot of research / clinical time to really overcompensate when compared to your US counterparts. It is not a minor endeavour to be embarked upon considering your personal situation. You have to do what you feel is right, family opinons may or may not be right sometimes. Singapore has great welfare benefits I'm sure. In the end, time will tell. But my advice is as follows:

1. Step number one is to get a medical degree. Whether in Australia or Singapore or anywhere. US is very tough at your stage of the game. Best bet is singapore I think. You may have to take up jobs to support yourself during med school. Can be done if you are really that smart but there are a lot of really bright people who just don't have the discipline. Discipline and hard work in the end is really what separates the men from the boys. It does disturb me that you really didn't try that hard in economics as that will be crucial for your future applications.

2. After that do research time in the US. Getting into general surgery prior to CT will be really hard too. You need to excel during your research time. After general, you can apply to cardiothoracic.

3. I note you have alienated many people on this forum with your way of communication. No one likes people who brag. Especially medical school admission committees or residency programs. This may be partly cultural but will present the greatest barrier to your success. Cardiothoracic surgeons need to lead a team and are required to be socially saavy.

Nevertheless just take one step at a time and get your medical degree. There are schoolarships around I'm sure if you are competitive. If you are not then may be other professions will prove more fruitful. Good luck to you and take care.

 

[omniatlas]

You could take a look at the International Medical University in Malaysia (http://www.imu.edu.my) -- they link with over 25 medical schools around the world including Jefferson, U. Melbourne, U. Sydney, and Edinburgh. You spend the first two and a half years in Malaysia, and the clinical years at your matched medical school; you will graduate with a degree from your partner medical school.

I have several Singaporean friends that opted this route -- but they decided to go to Australia for their subsequent matching instead.

 

[lmesina]

Hello,

In reading this entire post and it's replies, it's clear that you have a dream. That's good, but it also seems that you need to get your priorities in order. It's easy to be caught up just think ing of the end pt. (cardiosurg.), but remember your family, they need you. You have a dream, but having tunnel vision on it is selfish and will destroy you.

Along those lines, don't be discouraged about what others say on here, it's possible as long as you have the potential, and a MEANS to accomplish it. This means being realistic about your goals. I can see that you want to go directly to the US, but it just isn't feasible at this time for every reason (family, finance, your major, the fact that your int'l) that the others have mentioned. I'd take heed to those advising you the medical route in your country and Australia. From there, you can try to pass the USMLE and get to the US.

Your primary goal is to get into medical school- becoming a pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon is NOT your next step, so don't focus on it. Every step toward your ultimate goal should be a dream to accomplish in it's own right.

If it's what you want, then don't give up, but be realistic.

Good luck!

 

[xm105]

your best bet is still duke-nus, im sure there's some kinda student loan for locals. if not, you can work a few yrs, save up, and apply to an aussie graduate entry program such as USyd, UQ, UMelb and prepare for the usmle. i plan on living up the american dream as well, im in a 6yr undergrad program though. but frankly speaking, if you're as smart as you say, why didn't you go for yllsom after a lvl? would have saved you some time in ns as well.

and this is an internet forum, there's really no point telling your life story and stuff.

 

[nopockets]

Take care, Yun Chao

Hope you apply to duke anws, if you still want to.

 

[sglawdude]

Hello

I am reading economics and finance at the Singapore Management University. It is my last year. My ideal job is to be a highly competent cardiothoracic surgeon and practice in the United States, which is a leader in the medical field.

I love the job as a cardiothoracic surgeon because it is very practical and down-to-earth. One gains technical skills and becomes more intelligent. I also love the idea of saving lives and making a positive impact on my patients and helping them live on. I prefer a career like this than others which involve puffery and deceit.

Only two serious obstacles stand between me and my ideal career:

1) The lack of funds. I still cannot believe that the only son in a family of four - with monthly income of less than US$450 per capita - is about to complete college! Woooottttz!!!

2) The expectation of my family. Everyone in my family is absolutely against my going to medical school. They expect me to be realistic and to just get a job so that I can start paying the bills and lessen our financial burden. My father is not very happy of me attending college in the first place, because it's very expensive for us. I don't blame him because he himself did not receive much education. He only had ten years of formal education; my mom six. To be receiving a college education, I am indeed much more priviledged.

In terms of intelligence and academic competency, I am sure I'm able to graduate from medical school with all the necessary knowledge, skills, and the title of MD. I'm a member of Mensa Singapore with an IQ in 99.9 percentile. (Just found out about this late last year, because I was feeling so stupid and suicidal that I signed myself up for a Mensa MSAT.) I graduated from Raffles Junior College and The Chinese High School in Singapore. In terms of academic training, the only slight issue is that I have never received formal education in biology. I did, however, out of interest, signed up for the CollegeBoard Advanced Placement Biology exam while I was a soldier doing the mandatory Singaporean national service. I got a 4/5 just by reading on my own. I took physics and chemistry in high school, though. My current GPA at the Singapore Management University is cum laude (3.4/4.0), even though I haven't exert myself.

Now that I'm about to graduate, I look back at the three years spent in this university, and I'm filled with regret. I feel very bad about turning down the attractive financial aid offers from two US colleges, which I had loved with all my heart, and still love. Sorry, St John's College, Annapolis and St. Olaf College. I'm very, very sorry that I had to turned you down. My mother was very worried and reluctant to have her only son leave her for a country, halfway round the earth; and where people speak in languages she doesn't understand. Sorry, Luyen Phan of St. Olaf College. I really appreciate how hard you fought for me to secure such an attractive financial aid package, and calling me at six o' clock in the morning (SGT) to inform me that you had successfully secured more funds for me. I will always remember the excitement of your voice over the phone that morning and the disappointment in it when you sensed that I was hesitant. Sorry, St. John's College, Annapolis. I had to reneged on you even though we had all the arrangements made and I had my F1 visa printed on my passport and my air tickets, all neatly packed in my backpack - my only luggage to be brought with me to the States. My mom was overwhelmed and she fainted, fell, and broke her back. It was only then that we learnt that she suffers from osteoporosis. She was hospitalized for days and as a Chinese son, it would be very undutiful of me to leave her in lurch.

Any advice and help for me to become a highly competent cardiothoracic surgeon? I've checked out National University of Singapore medical school (NUS) and NUS-Duke. NUS doesn't want a non-traditional student like me who can't pay. NUS-Duke, aussi.

On my side, I just need to get myself out of despondency. And believe again.

Regards
Yun Chao

OP, if you are still here, heed the earlier posts' suggestions that you start exploring what life as a cardiothoracic surgeon is about. While its true that finance have gotten a bad rep these days due to the financial crisis, if you play your cards right your earning potential is way higher than most of the posters on this forum. Singapore is the Asian Switzerland if not already becoming Switzerland itself. Its great that you found something in life that you are passionate about, but don't let youthful idealism cloud your better judgment if you have existing family obligations.

As for graduate schools, Duke-NUS is definitely something you should look at if you need financial assistance. If you like further advice, check your PM.