medicine in usa

Hi! I have just started sixth form in the UK doing bio chem and psychology but was very interested in studying medicine in the usa. For context, I have a US citizenship and did live there for a year but moved back to the uk. I am going to the us college fair in a few weeks so will check out the colleges but i’m not really sure of the process of studying there? i heard some people saying it’s 8 years?? i have to do pre-med?? please someone help! thanks!!

(edited 7 months ago)

Reply 1

TSRorist

8

Original post by annoymous72

Hi! I have just started sixth form in the UK doing bio chem and psychology but was very interested in studying medicine in the usa. For context, I have a US citizenship and did live there for a year but moved back to the uk. I am going to the us college fair in a few weeks so I will check out the colleges but i’m not really sure of the process of studying there. i heard some people saying it’s 8 years?? i have to do pre-med?? please someone help! thanks!!

Yeah, it will take 8 years (4 years of pre-med course, followed by a 4 year medicine course).

Unlike other hopeful US med applicants living in the UK, you actually have a US Citizenship so you're probably eligible for financial aid. I assume that you also want to work in the US, and if that is the case go for it. I wouldn't recommend studying medicine in the UK and then sitting the USMLE and transferring to the US as you'll be considered an IMG and will likely be rejected by most specialties that are competitive amongst domestic US med grads (unless ofc u plan on doing ur residence in internal med, family med etc).

Try have a good set of extracurricular and references alongside academics as US unis look at your application holistically. You apply via common app for most US unis and there's several deadlines for different applications such as Early decision, EA etc.

(edited 7 months ago)

Reply 2

annoymous72

OP

7

Original post by TSRorist

Yeah, it will take 8 years (4 years of pre-med course, followed by a 4 year medicine course).

Unlike other hopeful US med applicants living in the UK, you actually have a US Citizenship so you're probably eligible for financial aid. I assume that you also want to work in the US, and if that is the case go for it. I wouldn't recommend studying medicine in the UK and then sitting the USMLE and transferring to the US as you'll be considered an IMG and will likely be rejected by most specialties that are competitive amongst domestic US med grads (unless ofc u plan on doing ur residence in internal med, family med etc).

Try have a good set of extracurricular and references alongside academics as US unis look at your application holistically. You apply via common app for most US unis and there's several deadlines for different applications such as Early decision, EA etc.

Thank you so much!! do you know if they look at ur gcse results or just alevel? and do i have to take the mcat or any other exam? thanks!

Reply 3

TSRorist

8

Original post by annoymous72

Thank you so much!! do you know if they look at ur gcse results or just alevel? and do i have to take the mcat or any other exam? thanks!

Almost all American universities will look at A-levels. In regards to GCSEs I know that the Top 20 American Colleges do want a decent set of GCSEs, but it's best to check each College entry requirements.

Since you've just gone into Y12, I recommend you start practicing for the SAT or ACT exam, whilst most colleges don't require it anymore, it's still good to have it under your belt.

Additionally, you will need to do the MCAT. However, you do this after or during the last year of your undergrad iirc.

Reply 4

dx7

5

American here. advice above is all valid but I'll try to add to it:

• US uni's are gonna want a SAT/ACT, esp for the competitive ones as an international student.
• "pre-med" isn't an actual major, just something kids call themselves amongst themselves to make themselves feel more competitive–you'll find for every 5 kids that begin ugrad as "pre-meds" maybe 2 actually sit the MCAT and maybe 1 will actually get an offer and attend, and that's at better US unis. you just need the pre-reqs in bio, chem, orgo, physics, and I think maybe english or maths to apply.
• omg it costs way more, google the tuition rates for wherever you're considering. also consider which state you have legal residence in, and whether the top public uni / med school there is somewhere you'd attend (all US MD programs are nxt lvl they're just diff).
• after 2nd year but before applying AMCAS/AACOMAS you need to take MCAT and ideally score in 90th+ percentile to have a chance at US MD programs. there are also DO programs which will make you just as much a Dr. but usu for less competitive specalties plus less of a research-focus and you have to learn osteopathic manipulative medicine [which realistically very very few actually utilize professionally].
• honestly, it's a lot more competitive than UK medical schools, as far as any MD programs go. I would say DO is perhaps on par with GEM here. applied to US MD schools twice with a single offer I couldn't take, and applying now to 5yr A100's and its straight up just night and day. google average GPAs and acceptance rates at any US med school, there's a reason most candidates apply to anywhere btwn 10 and 30 schools…
• straight up, you better have money to blow btwn ugrad and med school tuition [even after financial aid and scholarships], but there's always that carrot dangling that you'll make significantly more in salary one day as well. don't even consider if you're taking out loans to do it and have to pay back interest.

any more Qs/advice can DM me. all the best.

(edited 6 months ago)

Reply 5

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

21

Original post by annoymous72

Hi! I have just started sixth form in the UK doing bio chem and psychology but was very interested in studying medicine in the usa. For context, I have a US citizenship and did live there for a year but moved back to the uk. I am going to the us college fair in a few weeks so will check out the colleges but i’m not really sure of the process of studying there? i heard some people saying it’s 8 years?? i have to do pre-med?? please someone help! thanks!!

Medicine in the US is only available as postgraduate degree. You need to do a first degree in another subject (and a standard bachelors in the US takes 4 years, rather than 3 here), normally taking specific premed coursework (4 semester classes of chemistry including organic chemsitry +/- biochemistry, 2 semesters biology, 2 semesters physics, 2 semesters calculus +/- statistics, plus some change usually).

The medical degree itself in the US (the MD) is normally 4 years after that. Also extremely expensive (expect around £200-500k USD for the whole medical degree for tuition fees +/- living costs) and with limited funding normally. Note that the figure given is just for the MD; the undergraduate degree probably costs similar if you're not going to a state college where you are eligible for in-state tuition fees, so can probably roughly double that figure in total. The exceptions for that are what comprise essentially the most selective "elite" colleges out there which have more generous financial aid schemes.

Also US students loans are very different from UK ones and they will send bailiffs after you if you don't make repayments and you can go bankrupt from them. Unlike in the UK. Although as a US citizen you should in principle be eligible for them, unlike most UK students who have the same idea and even fewer ways to make it a reality...

medicine in usa

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