<p>I would like to know my chances for getting into Cambridge University as a medical student (the six year medical program). I am an American, living in Austin, Texas. If it matters, my school is ranked #550 in the country :/ </p>
<p>The only reason I'm even asking is because I'm taking all IB, so maybe I have a chance. I'm a junior, currently in IB chemistry, biology and physics (same time), as well as IB English, Spanish 4, IB math 1 and history of the Americas 1. Im focused on medicine, thus I'm in "anatomy & physiology" and "health science" (they count as state credits). Next year I'm taking all the same classes (just the second year), as well as "anatomy & physiology". Although it's just a state credit, health science 2 involves extensive rotations at a rather large hospital near me. </p>
<p>In regards to HL and SL, I'm taking as many HL as possible. I also plan on getting 6/7 on all my IB exams (such as one might plan on breathing air).</p>
<p>As for extra curricular, I'm in HOSA (health occupation services of America), spanish national honors society, (regular) national honor society and deca (a business thing). On top of everything, I do a lot of community service. </p>
<p>I'm 5th in my class (always room for improvement) and plan on at least a 5.5 weighted gpa and 3.9+ unweighted gpa.</p>
<p>This summer I also plan on taking a few medical classes at the Austin community college. I've been studying like crazy and feel confident I'll get 2300+ on the SAT. </p>
<p>So what do you think? Do I have a chance? Any room for improvement?</p>
<p>If you are taking the IB, you won’t need to submit your GPA or SAT scores. You should normally get 40-41 points with 7, 7, 6 at HL. Your extracurriculars sound good; they will form between 15-20% of your UCAS application. </p>
<p>You really need to seriously consider the advantages and disadvantages of applying to a medical school outside the United States. The cost may be somewhat lower, but getting a residency (even the lowest ranked ones) will be incredibly a difficult and frustrating process, even for with Cambridge degree.</p>
<p>Like all international students, very low. This is because, due to the way funding works, the UK government severely limits spaces on medicine and dentistry courses for international students. It’s extremely competitive for UK students, let alone international students. The only medicine universities that exist outside this funding system are Buckingham and UCLan. However, these two courses are so new that they haven’t yet started teaching (!), they’ll likely only teach international students, and the universities themselves are not known for their academic rigour. </p>
<p>You will also need more, relevant and diverse work experience and volunteering, as what you have simply isn’t good enough. </p>
<p>I’d suggest checking out The Student Room - their medicine forum is fab. </p>
<p>You would also need to consider your career options - getting a residency in the US would be very difficult if not impossible, and I’m not sure what the visa situation would be like if you wanted to stay in the UK for your foundation years. </p>
<p>Think very carefully before you embark upon this path, and make sure you have back up options.</p>
<p>Following Boomting, the odds are exceptionally low for international medicine applicants at any UK uni, and virtually nil for Oxbridge. Cambridge is not allowed to take more than 22 international students for medicine, and although I don’t know for Cambridge, the Oxford admissions person said that Ox rarely takes its full quota of international students. </p>
<p>And as not the others have noted, it is getting harder and harder for foreign trained medics to get US residency placements. </p>
<p>One clarification of Boomtings comment about more ECs- only ones that are directly relevant to medicine would be considered. Frankly, you would have a shot for a lot of other courses at Oxbridge, but medicine has different limits.</p>
<p>If the 6 year part is what is interesting to you, here is a list of some in the us:</p>
<p>I think being number 5 in your class would hurt your application, unless Cambridge is aware that you went to a very competitive high school. Most international students being admitted to Cambridge were either top 1 or top 2 in his/her class. </p>
<p>I doubt it if they wouldn’t really know – that’s what they’d like to say. But really, most students admitted to Cambridge are either top 1 or top 2 of their class, unless they come from schools that regularly send students to Oxbridge in horde. </p>
<p>RML, there is no way for Oxford or Cambridge to know the class rank unless the applicant supplies the information- for any student, and certainly for American students. Moreover, there are many Oxbridge students who were not top of their class- again, especially from the US. One of the attractions of Oxbridge for American students is that they don’t have to be equally good at everything- they can focus on their areas of strength. </p>