Studyng med in USA

cjlar2 · Regular Joined: 13 Feb 2010 Posts: 11

What is the go for Australian citizens studying graduate medicine in the USA? I have been looking at the MCAT exams and they seem easier to me than the GAMSAT (purely because in my undergrad course I studied a lot of human physiol and pharmacy, so I have more background knowledge than problem solving ability which the gamsat requires!)

I just wondered what is the process and are there only fee paying places there for international students, and roughly how much would that be?

If anyone could give me an answer that would be swell Wink

ashtool · Regular Joined: 26 Mar 2009 Posts: 22 Location: Sydney CBD

you may not realise, but if you obtain your med degree overseas, you are regarded by the australian medical council as an 'Overseas Trained Doctor'.

if you wish to come back to australia to work as a doctor, you have to go through a very legnthy process (called the 10 year moratorium) in order to work.

i suggest you google it. i don't recommend you go to med school overseas if you ultimately want to work in australia.

sandyfool · Regular Joined: 21 Oct 2009 Posts: 21

Coming here to be a doctor isn't a big problem, it is pretty expensive to study there. I remember seeing UC Berkeley's accommodation was over twenty thousand (USD) a year.

Almost every college there need a 4-year undergrad with a broad range of subjects (including humanities).

eternal.abyss · Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2010 1:19 am Post subject:

From what I know it's virtually impossible for non-US citizens/residents to gain admission into a US medical school. For those few that do consider international applicants, most require them to have completed at least 1 undergrad year at a US/Canadian uni. I found some websites that sum it up better than I ever could; sorry in advance for the long post =):

From the Uni.of Georgia,
http://premed.uga.edu/guide/four.htm#international
"International students in the USA... often find it surprising that it is much more difficult to enter a U.S. medical school (M.D. or D.O) than it is to enter a U.S. university graduate school to study for a Ph.D. or M.S. degree. Many U.S. medical schools give preference to legal residents of the geographic state in which the school exists, as they operate under instructions from the state governmental officials to 'produce' to meet the health care needs of the specific state. Eligibility for many U.S. Federal Government sponsored financial loans may well be defined by being a U.S. citizen, or a U.S. permanent resident ("Green Card"), or PERHAPS being designated sometimes as a 'political refugee', fleeing violence in their homeland."

"It is extremely difficult for international applicants who are not citizens or permanent residents of the United States to gain admission to American medical schools. State-supported medical schools rarely consider international applicants for admission, and those private schools that do accept applications generally require that international students place in escrow the equivalent of one to four years tuition and fees (U.S.$40,000-$200,000). Unlike undergraduate education there are virtually no scholarships available for medical school, and in order to qualify for U.S. government-sponsored loans the applicant must be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States."

Here's a list of all the medical schools' policies regarding international students, in case you're still interested - http://naahp.org/resources_InternatMed_Article_June09.htm

I think a better approach would be to hone those problem-solving skills and take the gamsat Smile

. US med school admissions consider the MCAT score, gpa, interview, recommendations, personal essay(s), relevant extra-curricular activities and/or personal experiences, completion of prerequisite courses, etc... It's basically a long process!

Hope that helps a bit, good luck ~

cjlar2 · Regular Joined: 13 Feb 2010 Posts: 11

Thanks guys! That's really helpful. I couldn't seem to locate the information anywhere, so I really appreciate it. My Irish cousin got a soccer scholarship and is studying Law in the US, so I thought it would be a possibility. But she is undergrad, so that makes sense now. So, cheers again all! GAMSAT here I come Sad

haha

sandyfool · Regular Joined: 21 Oct 2009 Posts: 21