Medical School Acceptance

Foreign Medical Schools

Foreign medical schools have several advantages over medical schools in the USA. This is why they may have suddenly started to become more popular with students in the US who are looking to be come doctors.

Currently schools in Europe offer the students the chance to study medicine as soon as they leave high school. However the program is for 6 years rather than the usual 4 as in the US and the Caribbean. Whilst on the other hand the medical schools in the Caribbean are allowing post baccalaureate students a much less expensive way of gaining their 4 year medical education. Also in order to attend such schools many of them do not require the MCAT in order to gain admission on a medical education course.

However when it comes to you considering attending a medical school outside the USA there are a number of important facts that you should be looking at.

1. How is the school actually licensed?

It is important that you see what ECFMG status the school has otherwise you may well find that after all that training you can not actually practice in the USA.

2. Obtaining a residency position in the US?

You need to find out whether any of the hospitals close to where you want to live and work actually accept those students who have earned their qualifications outside the USA. Certainly the amount of spaces that hospitals will make available to students trained abroad will be much less than for those who have carried out their training at a medical school in the US.

In most cases US students who wish to attend one of the international or foreign medical schools are opting for those which are either located in Mexico or the Caribbean. The main reason why so many are now choosing to attend schools especially in the Caribbean is that they have an accreditation system in place which the US Government feel is closely linked to the accreditation system they have in place for US Medical Schools. However although you may well discover that some people do not feel that the degree you have obtained from these schools is the same as that you would have received from an American medical school the training they do provide you with the same skills and training that students in the US need in order for you to take and pass your United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE).