As of now, I’m a junior in high school. I initially was planning on going to Rice University in Houston Texas because it was the closest school and because they’re known for medicine. However, being that my parents are immigrants, they thought that it would be better if I studied medicine in Europe for 6 years right after high school than to major in a degree for 4 years and a license in medical school for another 4 years, plus the extreme tuition for both.
Is there any way I can prepare for medical schools overseas? I’m currently planning on applying to University of Oxford (apparently you can’t apply to Cambridge and Oxford at the same time; there’s a limit of 5 school application choices in UK, instead of the unlimited choices of school you can apply to here), Durham University, and Imperial College London.
To my disadvantage, they don’t accept GPA’s and grades, only test scores. I have exceptional grades in my AP classes and all, but I still haven’t taken my SAT yet (I’m taking the January 2016 one, the last current one) and the new one, since I’m class of 2017. Their requirements are minimum 2100 on SAT, 700 on SAT subject sciences, and 4 or 5 on AP science exams (chem, bio, physics). I’ve contacted them and they said by the time I start applying, they’ll accept the new SAT scorings.
I’m taking a llooottt of AP’s this year so I’m already busy. I know I’d still have to take the BMAT and UKCAT (their admissions test), but is there a way I can prepare for the college life and rigorous studying that may happen? University is way more different than high school, I’m sure, so I need as much help as I can get. So far, the only help I’m getting is from my mom who studied medicine in Nigeria, but things have changed and they want me to study in the UK.
Sorry for the novel haha. Thanks!
Warning: cold shower coming.
You have essentially no chance of getting in to Medicine at Oxford or Imperial, and only an extremely, exceptionally, slim one at Durham. Medicine is different than other subjects in the UK: every university is strictly limited in how many international students they can accept. Oxford is limited to 14 international students: last year they accepted 5. Oxford admin people will say very bluntly that if you don’t think that you are one of the top 1 or 2 applicants in the world don’t bother applying. Afaik, no US students have been accepted for medicine at Oxford in the last 4-5 years (I don’t know that as a fact, but I haven’t been able to find any, and I know/know of a good percentage of the US students enrolled full time at Oxford).
Separately, undergraduate medicine is not necessarily cheaper for US students than most US colleges: you can figure on a good 40-45K/pa. If finances are a concern, you can do considerably better in the US with need and/or merit based aid. Med school is expensive, but there are ways to contain that cost as well.
*also, it’s 5s only- no 4s- always at Oxford and Imperial and for Medicine at Durham
@collegemom3717 Hey! Now, I wouldn’t say have no chance, but I would agree in saying I have a very very very small change of getting admitted. I’ve researched Oxford and they’ve had more American international students than other countries; they’ve recorded how many students they have from where ever in the world. So yes I know, I have a really slim chance in getting accepted, but I know it’s not impossible. 4s and 5s can’t be that hard to achieve in my AP sciences; I’ve been taking practice exams and I’ve been doing really well. My main concern is preparation in getting accepted in general and how to deal with the money aspect of it.
Can you work as an MD in the States with a foreign med school education? (I really am asking, I don’t know). Does that affect your decision if you can not?
@kandcsmom, yes you can, but there are a lot of hoops to jump through.
@canyounot, that’s what optimism is for!
but…be careful with statistics: Oxford has more international student from the US from anywhere else- but 1) of the 1,437 total, only 153 are undergraduates- the rest are post graduates or visiting students and 2) medicine is different than every other subject b/c of the NHS cap.
Also, remember that only 5’s in sciences will count- not 4s.
Good luck- let us know how it works out!
@kandcsmom Yes. That explains many foreign doctors haha.
@collegemom3717 Oxford isn’t the only university I’m planning on applying to. I know that I’ll have to work EXTREMELY hard right now (my junior year) to get high SAT scores and AP scores, along with their own entry exams. I have fallback universities I’m planning on applying to too. Just in case, Oxford and the other top schools I apply to reject me hahaha. Thank you! And I’ll tell you what happens haha