St. George's International 6-year Medicine Program (A900) or Boston University?

Hello,

I am an international student who applied for medical school in the UK. Unfortunately, I was unsuccessful in securing a med school place even after applying for the second time (as a gap year student). I applied to SGUL and sadly didn't meed the UKCAT cutoff score which would've helped me secure an interview. However, I remember receiving an email from them regarding a 6-year medical course exclusively for international students. According to SGUL, the program is the exact same one as the normal, 5-year MBBS program except for the extra year and the clinical placements in the USA during years 5 and 6. I also know that this A900 program was recently established in 2012, meaning that it is relatively new.

At the same time, I got accepted into Boston University and if I do end up going there, I'll major in Biomedical Engineering with a pre-med track. I know this is not so relevant since the website is mainly based on UK universities, but I decided to bring it up in order to lay out my choices in front of whoever is reading this.

I am extremely tempted to go to BU and ditch the SGUL program since the former is much more recognized worldwide, but I understand that rankings don't mean anything as far as medicine is concerned. The risk with BU is that after four years of undergraduate study, med school is EXTREMELY difficult to get into if you're an international student. At the same time, I'm aware that SGUL offers me the more 'direct' route to medicine and can help me minimize my risk. Apparently, the amount of time it takes to become a doctor (with specialization) in the USA is faster than that of the UK; I'm surprised by that as well, but this could be wrong. Could someone clarify please? :smile:

Is there any student currently enrolled in the 6-year medicine program that can vouch for SGUL? I'm feeling kind of 'suspicious' about it since the program is still new and it may end up being nothing but a money-grabber (tuition is higher in this program). Why is this program easier to get into? What is the acceptance rate for the A900 (if the info is present)? Which one would you recommend I choose?

Everyone, please try your best to be as impartial as possible with your responses. It will make my life easier. I'm looking forward to hearing your responses. :wink:

bump

Hmm, that's a hard one. If I were you I would go to Boston and work my socks off to polish my med school application. I've heard that Boston is a fantastic place to study, so I'd opt for that just because of the student experience tbh - after all, it's many years of your life you're never getting back. :smile:

Then again, if you desperately just want to become a doctor as soon as possible, SGUL could be the better option. In the US you'd first have to work your way through the undergrad degree, then get accepted to med school, and then spend 4 years there before actually qualifying. Also, I'm sure that the fees are really high for internationals in the UK too, but apparently they're absolutely ridiculous in the US.

Reply 3

srrfar

Have SGUL offered you a place for the international program? If so, and you meet the requirements; take it. As with the Boston pre-med route, there's a chance you don't get into medical school in the end (I hope you do). However, if Boston have accepted you, and you don't have an offer from SGUL, take that option bro

St. George's International 6-year Medicine Program (A900) or Boston University?

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you