₦airaland Forum

[quote author=shoo266 post=64745878][/quote]Thank you shoo, for taking your time to share your opinion. It was really good to read from the perspective of someone in the same field.

I guess the MPH or Clinical Research option would be the way to go...(hopefully she gets some form of funding and GA to help ease the financial implications of that.) Combining masters and usmle could be a daunting task though, but like you said her motivation has a strong role to play.

As regards PLAB, she considered that option but found out most getting a residency spot in the UK is even more tasking.

Thanks again, will forward your email to her.

[quote author=imperiouxx post=64743937][/quote]Thank you imperiouxx, for taking time to highlight all the Pros and Cons.
That was indeed helpful!

imperiouxx:
In PA school

Oh...nice! PA's are in demand too.
I need your opinion on this seeing you've been in the US for a while now.
Would you advise a medical doctor from Nigeria who is trying to write Usmle to do MPH or any health related graduate degree? OR opt for PA or ADN degree while taking time to write exams.

She said people have advised her that getting residency even after writing the exams could be a long and expensive process. And that it's a win win with PA or ADN as there's a better chance of getting a job quickly.

What's your opinion please?. Any other doctor in the house could chip in their suggestions.

imperiouxx:
lol. I need it. You know the kind of feeling after you dissected cadaver for 4 hours and you left the lab like you know nothing about the course materials.

Hi imperiouxx, just out of my curiosity please....are you in med. school?

EZEIGBO1OFIMO:
I have had to drum this over the years and more especially to rich kids like you, The consular officers at Walter carrington are not looking at your dressing, a whole lot of them get passed around from countries to countries, they have seen the good bad and ugly when it comes to human apparel, so they are not you and other condescending Nigerians who are going to look down on a man just because he has decided no to "dress well" according to your standards.


At this point, you remind me of Milo Yiannopoulous, who thinks because he has a British accent and says stupid things, then he is smarter than "Liberals" . The Visa officers have pretty much made most of their decision, by the time they run through your DS-160, and insofar you can communicate in basic English, they have no problem with you. English is not the native language of Nigerians, and for most Nigerians it has had to become a second Language due to circumstances in a third world country situation that we live in. The sensible, and not condescending folks like you, at Walter carrington know this, and hence it is always reiterated that your only reason for coming is to ascertain the validity of your claims and not to "size you up"


I'm irreligious myself (and consider some atheists asshøles anyway), and if a person gains psychological confidence by praying, then how is it anybody's business, the very idea by some atheist that they need to be killjoys ,and like the Grinch who stole Christmas, and shoot down religious folks is just plain st*pid. If a kid believing in Santa makes him happy, then leave him alone, he poses no harm to the state. So also, if your a VI's applicant wants to pray, let him find emotional comfort in doing so, Çest Fini.


and that is why your spoilt and condescending bratty self isn't a Visa officer. Honestly, are clothes the only things that give your life meaning . The great folks at Walter carrington are not looking for well dressed folks to approve, and quite frankly it's because well dressed folks have constantly tried to con the US embassy, that's why we have to go and stand for interviews there. I'll stress this again, The consular officers do not give s damn about your dressing; if you have filled your DS-160 and have proven yourself to be a genuine Student, that you don't have to wear givenchy shirt for nothing biko


I wonder what you'll have to say about my wonderful Indian friends who decide to have their interviews in English , na Im be say you for deport all of them join


At this point, you have proven yourself to be a Vain condescending woman, your life revolves around clothes and class, Poor brilliant folks looking to make a difference and move up the socio economic class, do not deserve any chance by the like of you . SHAME !!!! SHAME!!!. FOR SHAME!!!. Fortunately, the embassy isn't filled with punks like you, they understand and see a life a whole lot differently, and only want to determine the validity of your claims to a US Visa. Once again SHAME ON YOU!!!
And some people who prayed after you certainly got, as I know for a fact that you were definitely not the only person granted a visa.
THE ONLY LESSON FROM YOUR POST IS THAT YOU'RE A VAIN, CONDESCENDING AND EUGENIC INDIVIDUAL, WHO PURPOSELY LIED TO OBTAIN VISA AND IS CLAIMING HIGH MORAL GROUNDING AGAINST OTHER RELIGIOUS FOLKS. YOUR MILITANT ATHEISM IS CONDESCENDING AND SILLY , YOU SHOULD FILL YOUR LIFE WITH MORE PURPOSE OTHER THAN YOUR NAUSEATING BRITISH ACCENT AND CLOTHING
.
.
.
CC - abujaniv lagosNIV visaofficer justwise- PEOPLE HAVE BEGUN CLAIMING BOYFRIENDS AS UNCLES TO OBTAIN VISAS BY FRAUDENT MEANS ; AUTOMATIC ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESSING SHOULD BE APPLIED FOR ALL WHO PRESENT ACCOUNTS WITH DIFFERENT SURNAME THAN THEIRS.

So APT! I couldn't have said it better!

LagosismyHome:
Na wa... you went for interview just this one time and came out an expert in what works or doesnt with all these bold ... ok ooo

Congrats anyway ... I guess my usual prayer here doesnt apply . MAY God bless your new journey

Na real wah oh my sister....
As a commissioner for visa Approval and Denial that she is nah..... mtcheww

Sanctus1:
am very sure in nigeria to get a licence to practise as a clinical lab scientist ,you need a first degree in clinical lab sci

What else do you want?
Someone took his time to search for a school for you, no words to show appreciation.
You're still talking about this BSc sha.
If you're really interested in clinical lab science which I am beginning to doubt, do it in Nigeria nah....
You'll easily get into 200level with your BSc.

abeeolars:
Unfortunately Qatar didnt give us the accommodation they promised, they said the hotels in the airport where fully booked, and it will take 8hrs to issue us a transit visa to go outside the airport. Our flight was about 9hrs from Lagos to Doha.

This is probably one of the disadvantages of booking via a travel agency or third party. I booked and paid for my ticket directly from the airline.

I flew Qatar about a week ago too. My stopover was for approximately 9hours. I got a very nice hotel in the city, got my transit visa stamp and transportation to the hotel all done in less than 2hours.
There were more than 10 hotels in the city provided by the airline apart from the airport hotels.

We were all picked up 3hours before our connecting flight the next morning. I think it's safer to book directly from the airline especially in the case of a long stopover.

Sanctus1:
i think the only relationship a biochemist might have with the clinical lab is during his or her industrial training ..am trying to capitalize on that during my second interview...that med lab is really in me was so unfortunate i didn't get the admission during my first degree.

Bro... Take this advice from someone in the medical field like you too.
Search for the requirements you need to get into a medical lab Science graduate program. This will even give you an edge in the nearest future.
I'm sure with your biochemistry background, all you might need to do is to take some prerequisites( which could possibly be waived for you due to your BSc).

All the best!

imperiouxx:
I studied biochem, BS & MS and I did extensive research and have 2 research publications. Grad school is research based, so I don't see how scanty lab exp that you would gain in the entire associate degree can prove career advancement. I won't dispute it if you said you're switching field and want to start all over again. But any learned person would debunk the reasons you gave any time.

A PhD holder that's going back for a first degree (BS) could either be lying that he has PhD or he's totally lost. Since I've been on this thread, I've only seen 1 or 2 people pulling this stunt through whereas I've seen uncountable similar cases denied outrightly. I told Sanctus1 same thing before his first interview too. This case is hard, you've to have strong persuasion skills to pull it through. Best of luck.

I share the same opinion.
There was a transcript here some weeks back of a lady who had her first degree(Bachelor of Arts) in English and literary studies I think.
She's was switching careers to Computer Science and going for another Bachelors and she gave her reasons to the Interviewing officer. Ofcourse, she got her visa approved.

This doesn't mean it's impossible to get your visa approved if it's still in the same career path, but like imperioux (one of the few people I regard so well on this forum said). You've got to have strong persuasion skills.

sunshineluv5:
thanks bro pls are they sending it via mail or email?

They will send through whatever means they have been communicating with your school over the years.
For some schools, e.g UI, OAU, Unilag, it's email.
For some other schools, it's postal mail.

Larox:
Imperioux, others have done it before.
I have seen PhD holders going for first degree again.

Pls see other point you can correct here, others are learning from this trend.

Imperioux is very right!
Any right thinking person ( there might be a few exceptions though) wouldn't have a bachelor's in MEDICAL Biochemistry and then go for an associate degree(not even another Bachelors) in a very very similar medical related course. Even if he was going for a Bachelor's it will still be very difficult to convince a VO.
Any forward thinking person will know the next step is a graduate degree.

Just Imagine a medical doctor here in Nigeria wakes up tomorrow and tells you he wants to go to school of nursing or school of midwifery, won't you assume something isn't right somewhere? Now I'm not saying it's outrightly impossible... but it will be hard to sell that to another person.

It's totally different if you are switching Disciplines or switching careers and you want to tow another career path. But Similar degrees... and going 2 steps lower instead of higher almost doesn't sound right.

TWoods:
The tips you’ll need will depend on what type of jobs you’re looking for. Here is what worked for me:

1. As a toxicologist, I started my search from the job bank run by the American society of toxicology. This is where large companies looking to hire toxicologists would post targeted job ads. If such does not apply to you, then try the other freely available job websites.

2. Filter based on job type and types of organizations you wish to work for. Read the job ads to figure out what their requirements are. Use this to evaluate yourself and tips on how to structure your resume so those skills are front and center.

3. ALWAYS write a cover letter. I recall when I had to run recruiting for my group last year, applications without cover letters tended to be overlooked. Your cover letter should be short - maximum of 75% of an A4 paper. It should concisely tell me your educational qualifications, skills, an example of how you’ve successfully applied these skills at your previous job and how you think your skills will be of benefit to your future employer.

4. It is ok to use professional resume samples online. It is much safer!

5. If there is a contact provided in the job ad, it’s ok to call to follow-up your application. It was actually beneficial to me.

6. Apply early! Anticipate that the process can take months.

7. Be upfront about your immigration status. Better to be rejected early in the process than after you and your future employer have gone far in the process.

I’ll stop here for now. If you have more specific areas you want me to touch, let me know.

Thanks Twoods!
As much as you can be a little "too" blunt sometimes, I find myself screengrabbing a lot of your posts here when you give invaluable advice.
If only... Just if only you could strike a balance...... (Think about it)
Nevertheless, I still believe you're one of the best things(animate) that ever happened to this thread.

Happy Holidays Sir!.

VO: I will be placing you on administrative processing
Me: OK
VO: Is there anything you would like to retract? (VO facial expression was like “If I see anything oluwole here , just forget about entering the US for the rest of your life)
Me: no (I had nothing to be afraid of).
I jeje waka comot with white AP paper. Then after just 3 days, AP changed to issued. Na to find cheap flight ticket remain now.[/quote]Congrats! I thoroughly enjoyed reading your transcript... LOL, Especially the quoted part.
The cheapest options for now are Qatar, Turkish and Ethiopian airlines ( I stand to be corrected tho..)
I really had a nice experience flying Qatar! You could try them.

scaezar:
Thanks bro. Sent the school an email already. But they wont reply until sometime after january 2 cuz they are on break. About the visa fee, i picked the 16th already...until i realized i wouldnt be able to request for emergency lol.

There's really not much you can do as you can't request for emergency date unfortunately due to the previous denial.
Good to see you've sent the school an email, let's hope you get an updated i-20 to take to the embassy(showing late resumption)

Alternatively, your only hope for now is to keep refreshing the appointment page, you just might be lucky to see an earlier date open which could be before your date of resumption. All you need to do is quickly reschedule and pick the date.

All the best!.

k199192:
jus a tip for all spring students. You will need a document called "yellow card" at the poe. You may be charged extra if you don't have it with you.

This is not true! Yellow card is not a requirement at the POE. (If you do have it, that's fine...)
There's no vaccination requirement at POE. The specific vaccination required by your school will be sent to you and you'll be asked to provide evidence of vaccination signed by your physician or other Healthcare provider.

Some schools requirement might be different from others. For example my school asked me to provide evidence of some vaccination I had in my neonatal and infant(under 1 year) period and some additional adult vaccination which aren't present on the yellow card e.g Hepatitis B vaccinaton.

All you need is to provide evidence of your vaccinaton TO YOUR SCHOOL and NOT at the point of entry. The rules have not changed the last time I checked. I have been to the US severally on B1/B2 visa and I just came in again on Sunday on an F1 visa and no yellow card or evidence of vaccination was asked for at the point of entry.

aanexplus:
Finally! Full Transcript loading

Yayyy! Aanexplus my guy!, my first nairaland friend� Congrats again bro!

[quote author=abeeolars post=63390152]Yes I booked through Wakanow......

Thanks dear, I just bought directly from Qatar ticketing office. I've never bought tickets from a travel agency that was why I had my reservation, I prefer to deal with the airline directly just in case I wanna make changes.

I gave Wakanow a thought when I saw that there was a 14k discount.
Thanks Anyways! Safe travels!

abeeolars:
Hi Guys. For those flying via Qatar airways and will be having a stop over which will require you to wait over at Doha for some hours at mid night before your final flight to the Usa in the morning, kindly inform Qatar or your travel agency that you want the complimentary hotel room provided by the airline. I just got mine.

Hi... did you book directly from Qatar or from a travel agency.Wakanow has a discounted fee, I wanted to be sure I'll get a hotel if a book through a travel agency before paying.

jagaban17:
I called the embassy already. I was told I can do it only once and My only chance is to keep checking the appointment if I can see any earlier date to reschedule, which seems impossible so far.

Hi...Sorry about that!
I just checked now and I can see Dec 29 is still available.

jagaban17:
My emergency request was denied as i was told I needed evidence of payment of Sevis fee which I haven't paid. Please what more can be done ? Need help seriously.

You already wrote what you need to do. Do that and reapply for the emergency request.

Beolaz:
Hello house, I booked an interview for US student visa the next available date I was giving was after the school resumption. I have made the booking already and picked a date after my resumption date. I help on this issue because am really confuse and I can't applied for emergency interview cos have been denied of resent. This is my number 07064393098 I need help from this house.

If it's Lagos, December 29 is available at the moment, you can quickly reschedule before it's taken.
I hope you see this message soon enough.

Phoenixkreuger:
Many thanks for your response Abuja NIA. I got the email notification instructing I come in as soon as possible for finger print submission.

I will be going to the embassy first thing tomorrow to do the needful with the hopes of getting my visa early enough.

Thank you.

abujaniv:
Hello Phoenixkreuger. I'm familiar with your case. You need to reappear at the Embassy to redo your fingerprints. Our staff should be in touch with you soon to schedule a time.

Wow! This right here just put an end to all my curiosity about the VO's on here being real.
Often times I wondered if we were really getting responses from real visa officers though their professionalism at tackling questions was topnotch.

@AbujaNIV @LagosNIV
Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer our numerous questions here!

omoluabiguy:
Two VOs on the thread studying y’all conversations like GRE lol.

Hello VOs

Lol
Just out of my own curiosity, I joined nairaland (actively) not too long ago though.How are we really sure they are VO's. I must admit though that they are highly professional with their responses. Big Kudos to them!

Visa Status Finally changed to ISSUED about an hour ago. After exactly one month on Administrative Processing.
This was truly one test of my patience and trust in God.

I wish all other people stuck in the "AP hole" success.

Thanks to all members of this great Forum.

I'm guessing AP is the new "cool" for F1 students both in Lagos and Abuja now.

I had a follow up interview after initial 221g AP to bring some additional documents.

This time the VO gave me the white paper ( the one instructing one to pick up documents). She collected my sponsors bank documents and bank letters and said in her own words "I'll be holding on to these just to make sure a few things check out".

I asked politely when they'll be done and she said in a few days.

barrack04:
I had my interview yesterday and was placed on AP, was asked to check my email in 2days time. Is that the new method for F1 visa. God is able.

Was this in Lagos or Abuja?
What documents were requested from you?

...

Walspring:
Wow! Which school is that

BLEEP�
....Before Monseiur Twoods will call a school that hosted and trained Mandela Washington Fellows last year a D rated school and make me question God for not being an OBO or getting a full ride scholarship to attend an Ivy League School. (Pun Intended)
It's in one of the New England States tho...

paulavon:
Please does anyone here have idea how much it will cost to DHL my I-20 from Houston, Texas to Nigeria? My friend over there told me DHL charges $145, which I feel is too expensive. I will like to know cheaper alternatives to courier it down here.

I thought schools should send this free of charge? Isn't this why application fee for international students is higher?
I think you should speak with your school official.
My school sent mine through UPS free of charge and sent me the tracking number, got it in 3days. Though I was asked if I'll prefer a friend or relative to pick it up for me.