how to become an immunologist

[Sofi]

Hi,

I'm not sure if this is the right place and apologies in advance if I posted this in wrong forum.

 

I am from ME and wish to join a master immunology program in USA. I have MD degree and currently work in a primary health care center. I tried to apply for immunology programs but they requested a lab experience which is not feasible to me .

 

Is there a program which is good but dose not require either GRE nor lab background?

[Arete]

1. ME? Do you mean Montenegro? Mexico? Middle Earth?

 

2. Do you want to work as an immunologist in a clinical setting, or as a research scientist?

 

3. If you want to be a clinican, you would first have to have your MD recognized int he US,with an ECFMG certification http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/about-ama/our-people/member-groups-sections/international-medical-graduates.page?

Then you would need to find an immunology residency/fellowship program to take you on. http://www.nrmp.org/fellowships/allergy-immunology-match/I'm not an MD so I have little other advice on going about that particular career.

 

4. If you want to become a research scientist, you'd need to get a PhD. PhD programs in the US generally have a GRE or equivalent requirement stipulated by the university itself, along with a minimum GPA requirement. If you don't have a GRE score it'll be tough to get into a grad program even if you found a lab willing to take you on. Some students can get a conditional acceptance to a program pending an acceptable GRE score, but there's not really many ways around it.

 

5. The kicker for me as a PI in a research lab would be the lack of lab experience, and (making another assumption here) a seeming unwillingness to get some. If you can't operate a pipette, write scripts and have never written a research article before, you're less useful to me than an undergraduate intern. I'd be very surprised if an MD who had never shown enough interest to get some wet bench experience along the way suddenly wanted to change career paths, and they'd need a pretty good argument for me to take them on.

Edited December 27, 2014 by Arete