STUDENTS FROM UK who go ABROAD to study medicine

I am studying abroad and I think it was one of the best decisions I ever made. 40% of the UK's doctors are hired from abroad.

I was born and bred in the UK and so are a few of my classmates. We all intend to return to the UK and practice. Would you not prefer a larger percentage of doctors that know and understand british culture.

When doing summer placements in the UK, our knowledge is on par with UK medical school students. Our study is more self directed however the level of detail to which we learn is equal. A lot of us are taking USMLE exams as well which are internationally renowned.

So when you ask why do we go abroad?

Yes we have the finances- we don't take student loans therefore we have no debt at the end. Often the studies are much cheaper. I pay 4000 euros a year tuition fees, and 300 euros a month for an apartment which looks like something out the movies.

Yes we love travelling- living on mainland Europe means the opportunity to catch a train to a nearby country is very realistic and for less than half the cost.

And most importantly we go because of the sheer lack of medical student places available in UK.

More than 80% of UK medical applicants are rejected. We just choose another method

Posted from TSR Mobile

I am studying abroad and I think it was one of the best decisions I ever made. 40% of the UK's doctors are hired from abroad.

I was born and bred in the UK and so are a few of my classmates. We all intend to return to the UK and practice. Would you not prefer a larger percentage of doctors that know and understand british culture.

When doing summer placements in the UK, our knowledge is on par with UK medical school students. Our study is more self directed however the level of detail to which we learn is equal. A lot of us are taking USMLE exams as well which are internationally renowned.

So when you ask why do we go abroad?

Yes we have the finances- we don't take student loans therefore we have no debt at the end. Often the studies are much cheaper. I pay 4000 euros a year tuition fees, and 300 euros a month for an apartment which looks like something out the movies.

Yes we love travelling- living on mainland Europe means the opportunity to catch a train to a nearby country is very realistic and for less than half the cost.

And most importantly we go because of the sheer lack of medical student places available in UK.

More than 80% of UK medical applicants are rejected. We just choose another method

Posted from TSR Mobile

People shouldn't be so rudely dismissive. Are you going to openly display the same attitude when your SHO or reg tells you they trained in Bulgaria?

Yeh, I was rejected, and now I am studying medicine and taking the USMLE exams that will let me practice in the US, Canada and Arab Emirates as well as the UK and any other country in Europe. On top of that I am learning an extra language and getting life experience many UK students miss out on. So worked out quite well?

Haha you obviously don't know the system, it depends on the USMLE score and btw people who graduated from this 'second world university' are currently practicing in UK, US, Germany and Dubai. So stop being so immature. Your attitude shows me that you would be a terrible doctor.

Posted from TSR Mobile

No.
But quite frankly, it annoys me that this is possible. Its ridiculous that people who get often VERY low A level grades(in comparison to uk med/dental students) are able to just go abroad and come back and it makes no difference.
Its completely unfair on students who work incredibly hard to get their grades, do well on the UKCAT, work experience, volunteering EVEN take gap years to reapply, just to have these rich kids come back with exactly the same benefits as UK grads - fortunately, this is no longer the case with dentistry.

True. But don't be rude to individuals. Hate the system, not the pawns.

Im not being rude.
I don't blame them tbh, I mean, why not?
The system is broken.

Thats complete rubbish, which would lead me to believe most of what you've said is also made up.
60% of medical/dental applications are rejected, yes.

Of course you're going to try and come back to the UK to work, although, it may not happen anymore - as already dentistry graduates from the UK are given priority over EU graduates for VT places, this will probably be the same in medicine.
No, your education is not as good as UK medical students(or, to be frank, you're not as academically able as UK students) as EU trained medical students over and over again perform MUCH worse on the MRCP exams.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2596701/

People who don't get AAA for medicine and dentistry often go for pharmacy, optometry, biomed etc.
Some of them have the money to study at bulgaria, romania etc etc.

Although, the majority will say 'I wanted to go abroad' etc etc, if you ask them what their a level grades are - you'll be shocked.

1)medicine/dentistry
2)pharmacy,optom,biomed - abroad medicine/dentistry

This is the case for 90% of the students.


Sorry, just telling it like it is

No.
But quite frankly, it annoys me that this is possible. Its ridiculous that people who get often VERY low A level grades(in comparison to uk med/dental students) are able to just go abroad and come back and it makes no difference.
Its completely unfair on students who work incredibly hard to get their grades, do well on the UKCAT, work experience, volunteering EVEN take gap years to reapply, just to have these rich kids come back with exactly the same benefits as UK grads - fortunately, this is no longer the case with dentistry.

Yeh, I was rejected, and now I am studying medicine and taking the USMLE exams that will let me practice in the US, Canada and Arab Emirates as well as the UK and any other country in Europe. On top of that I am learning an extra language and getting life experience many UK students miss out on. So worked out quite well?

Very interesting points

because this is no longer the case with dentisry don't you think in a few years the same thing will happen with medicine i.e. the people who qualify abroad won't just be able to return and have the same benefits as UK grads?

A lot go abroad because they just didn't make the grades however many top students are also forced to go abroad because there just aren't enough places.

Affordability is another reason. The EU is far cheaper particularly when it comes to GEM. Despite some people making the cut academically there's no way they could fund GEM in the UK.


Posted from TSR Mobile

If at ANY medical grads from the UK cannot get a foundation place, then yes, this will be implemented.

Theres already a slight saturation in medicine and dentistry. Fully qualified specialists cannot find consultant positions apart from in very rural areas, waiting 5-10 years AFTER full qualification aka ~40 years old.
Getting foundation places in London hospitals is pretty much impossible unless you're a VERY good candidate as London is the number 1 choice for a large number of applicants.

If a student qualifies in the UK and decided to go abroad to Europe for whatever reasons would they be in the same position as you i.e. they would have to take the USMLE exams in order to work as a medic in Europe?

If at ANY medical grads from the UK cannot get a foundation place, then yes, this will be implemented.

Theres already a slight saturation in medicine and dentistry. Fully qualified specialists cannot find consultant positions apart from in very rural areas, waiting 5-10 years AFTER full qualification aka ~40 years old.

Getting foundation places in London hospitals is pretty much impossible unless you're a VERY good candidate as London is the number 1 choice for a large number of applicants.

When yoy say the EU is far cheaper particularly when it coems to GEM you mean it is cheaper for these students to do a first degree in the UK then go abroad to do graduate entry medicine rather than go abroad straight away as soon as they finish A level to do medicine...why is that though or have I misunderstood.