Medicine in the USA

I'm doing GCSEs at the moment and (early I know) am looking at different colleges, I am planning on doing A level Maths, Biology, Chemistry and perhaps one other. I would love to go to university in the USA (Harvard, Dartmouth, Stanford, etc.), but I'm not quite sure what they offer- any help?

-I know an undergraduate degree is required (four years?) but I'm not sure what that includes, is it specialised or more general?
-Some tips for getting into American Unis- SATs/ACTs?
-Which colleges are best/ where to apply- I've wanted to go to Harvard forever, but now like the look of Dartmouth- is it possible to do an undergraduate degree at one and post graduate at the other?
-Some advice on finance?
-Neuroscience/biology are my interests ans I quite like the idea of surgery- and ideas on what I would need to study at (under) graduate level?

Thanks

Reply 1

ProspectiveGEM

5

If you don't have an American passport/residency you are absolutely not going to get into any medical school, let alone Harvard or Stanford!

Reply 2

Okorange

17

Original post by ProspectiveGEM

If you don't have an American passport/residency you are absolutely not going to get into any medical school, let alone Harvard or Stanford!

Not 100% true but its very difficult long and expensive, with that being said if you are highly talented it is possible.

Reply 3

ProspectiveGEM

5

Original post by Okorange

Not 100% true but its very difficult long and expensive, with that being said if you are highly talented it is possible.

Sure, you also have to be extremely rich. I'm assuming OP is British and has the entire EU to go to medical school in, and receive generous funding. I think it'd be in their interests to look at UK/EU medical schools!

Reply 4

username738914

21

Original post by bexward

I'm doing GCSEs at the moment and (early I know) am looking at different colleges, I am planning on doing A level Maths, Biology, Chemistry and perhaps one other. I would love to go to university in the USA (Harvard, Dartmouth, Stanford, etc.), but I'm not quite sure what they offer- any help?

-I know an undergraduate degree is required (four years?) but I'm not sure what that includes, is it specialised or more general?
-Some tips for getting into American Unis- SATs/ACTs?
-Which colleges are best/ where to apply- I've wanted to go to Harvard forever, but now like the look of Dartmouth- is it possible to do an undergraduate degree at one and post graduate at the other?
-Some advice on finance?
-Neuroscience/biology are my interests ans I quite like the idea of surgery- and ideas on what I would need to study at (under) graduate level?

Thanks

Just don't bother mate.

The acceptance rates at those schools are ~5-6% so 'always wanting to go' really won't cut it.

Med school will cost $250,000 for the 4 years in the US - including living costs.

Only apply if you have top grades and good ECs - that's only for undergrad - if you want to study at a top US uni. There are a few places (circa 27) that will meet the full demonstrated need of an international applicant, so you should be fine on that front.

Honestly though, just stick to the EU/UK. The quality is solid and the tuition will be far more reasonable - even for an international student.

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Reply 5

Ronove

18

Original post by ProspectiveGEM

Sure, you also have to be extremely rich. I'm assuming OP is British and has the entire EU to go to medical school in, and receive generous funding. I think it'd be in their interests to look at UK/EU medical schools!

The bit in bold implies that funding is available outside the UK for a British student - it's rare that a British student will meet criteria for any kind of financial assistance outside the UK.

Reply 6

Etomidate

15

Anyone who wants to practice medicine in the states needs to get their head checked.

Reply 7

Nucleotide

10

Do you actually want to be a doctor in America or do you just want to go to Harvard or Stanford for the name?

It will cost you a fortune to study in America and I personally wouldn't do it unless you get big scholarships or something. If you still wanted to work in the US you can do your USLME. Have fun with that, I've heard it's horrid..

Reply 8

Okorange

17

If you really want to go to the US, you do so after finishing medical school. You can always pursue residency there, or a fellowship. This is 10-15 years down the line. The UK has plenty of good medical schools to train at.

There is really no point in doing a 4 year undergrad in the US and essentially working extremely hard just for a chance at US medical school. Both undergrad and medical school are extremely expensive.

Reply 9

Going_To_California

12

There's a wiki page with some more information:
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Studying_Medicine_in_the_USA

Basically it's expensive and highly competitive.

Reply 10

ProspectiveGEM

5

Original post by Ronove

The bit in bold implies that funding is available outside the UK for a British student - it's rare that a British student will meet criteria for any kind of financial assistance outside the UK.

I can't say I'm aware of the rules but the free/very low tuition across the EU is funding in itself. All that a British person studying in say Finland would have to fund is living costs. In contrast most international students in the USA have to pay over 100,000 -200,000 $ tuition alone which is requested often up front and they don't receive federal loans and persuading an American bank to loan you the money is going to be very, very difficult.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 11

Ronove

18

Original post by ProspectiveGEM

I can't say I'm aware of the rules but the free/very low tuition across the EU is funding in itself. All that a British person studying in say Finland would have to fund is living costs. In contrast most international students in the USA have to pay over 100,000 -200,000 $ tuition alone which is requested often up front and they don't receive federal loans and persuading an American bank to loan you the money is going to be very, very difficult.

Yes but I suspect the OP is someone who is simply ignorant of the lack of funding in the US, as opposed to someone who has money that they could choose to use to cover their living costs elsewhere in the EU.

I'm well aware there are places in the EU with zero tuition fees. :wink:

Reply 12

solarplexus

15

You could do medicine in the USA.

But you would have to be a prodigy with rich parents.

The 'easy' part is to get into the undergrad degree. However you would still need to get A*s (not just As) a everything and superhigh ACT/SATs realistically. You would also need amazing extracurriculars e.g. sport played to very high levels. Don't forget those dream schools you mentioned will receive applications from the creme of the whole of USA not to mention also India, China, Singapore and South Korea - so you need to obviously stand out. Most of the universities you mentioned have lower acceptances rates than some Oxbridge courses.

Then theres the thing with grad. It's statistically gonna be near impossible unless you are a prodigy. Even with the highest credentials there is like 1000 to 1 competition for international places. Purely because there are not many international places in US medical schools. Thus in the end, most internationals who apply are not optimistic.

If you really are the best of the best, and want to apply; maybe look at BS/MD programmes etc. where your enrolment to medical school is conditionally guaranteed (still gonna be ultra competitive). I think Wayne State University and a few others have a Medstart programme like this. Lol these are not your Harvard, Johns Hopkins or Stanford - but sadly you are gonna be desperate as **** if you want to study medicine in the US.

So in conclusion, don't bother.

If you really want to study in the US, just aim for an undergrad at your said university and do the rest in the UK.

Reply 13

AnonymousPenguin

16

Original post by Ronove

The bit in bold implies that funding is available outside the UK for a British student - it's rare that a British student will meet criteria for any kind of financial assistance outside the UK.

Nearly free tuition I think counts as generous funding. After all the taxpayer is, and I think you can legitimately call it generously, stumping up about 200k* in subsidies for your degree pretty much in any EU country.

*more like 40 in eastern europe

Reply 14

Ronove

18

Original post by AnonymousPenguin

Nearly free tuition I think counts as generous funding. After all the taxpayer is, and I think you can legitimately call it generously, stumping up about 200k* in subsidies for your degree pretty much in any EU country.

*more like 40 in eastern europe

That's rather irrelevant if you have no way to support yourself.