I’m an American with sufficient ap classes and sat score. However, my gpa is around 3.5 which isn’t that good so I want to go to a UK College. Are the chances of me making it low? I want to work as a doctor on a cruise ship. Will working on a cruise ship with a uk degree give me as high as a salary as an American medical degree?
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Oxford Medicine is extremely, extremely competitive due to a limited number of spots available to international applicants. You have missed the deadline this year to apply as students are required to take the BMAT in late October and have submitted their UCAS application by October 15th.
Application Process: https://www.medsci.ox.ac.uk/study/medicine/pre-clinical/applying/application-process
Oxford International Admissions: https://www.medsci.ox.ac.uk/study/medicine/pre-clinical/applying/international
Medicine in the UK is direct admission program that starts after high school.
If you’re current HS senior, it’s already too late to apply. Application deadlines were October 15 at most programs.
The number of positions available for international students at UK medical programs is extremely limited. I’d say the odds are very strongly against you getting admitted.
US or UK degree–it doesn’t matter. Salaries are about the same for cruise ship work.
BTW, cruise ship doctors aren’t especially well paid. Salaries are only about $8000-$12,000/month, depending on your qualifications. You must have board certification in one of the following specialties–emergency medicine, internal medicine or family medicine. For European trained physicians, you must be board certified in general practice. Regardless of where you earn your degree, you must have at least 5 years of full time clinical work experience post residency be considered for employment.
I’m a junior
And also, I would like to get into oxford, but I don’t have to
If you want to attend a EU medical school, you may want to look into the Atlantic Bridge program for international (US & Canadian) students to attend medical school in Ireland
https://www.atlanticbridge.com/medicine/
The application is very straight forward and acceptance rates are much higher than at UK medical school.
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I want to go to uk because they don’t care about gpa, they graduate in only 3 years, and it is cheaper
I don’t think I would want a “backdoor” physician, who had only had three years of training, and had to go to medical school elsewhere because he/she couldn’t cut the competition and costs in the US.
Your priority doesn’t appear to be patient care but self-care.
A medical degree in the UK is 5-6 years
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From the job description for cruise doctor below it does not look like that you will need a US medical license. If Oxford is too tough for you, you should consider other British schools or EU countries. However, you need three years of “residency” experiences. Each country has its own residency program, so check them out before applying.
Good luck
"Must hold a diploma from an accredited school of medicine
Minimum two-three years of formal post-graduate/ post-registration clinical training
Board certification or equivalent in Emergency Medicine, Family Practice or Internal Medicine.
Current certification as an ACLS Provider (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) or its equivalent, unless Board Certified in Emergency Medicine.
ATLS (Trauma) Certificate and PALS (Paediatric) Certificate helpful, but not mandatory.
Some experience or a willingness to learn simple laboratory and x-ray procedures.
Current license, extensive experience with cardiac and primary care, trauma, internal, and emergency medicine.
Excellent command of the English language required (both spoken and written)."
Medical education in the UK is substantially more than 3 years. The direct entry program (for high school students) is 6 years long. (2 years of basic sciences followed by 4 years of medicine.) The graduate entry program (for baccalaureate degree holders) is 4 years.
Then you need to complete clinical training before you are eligible for a independent medical license. You can’t practice medicine without a valid medical license.
In the UK, it takes minimum of 5 years of clinical training post med school graduation to become general practitioner. (2 years of foundational training/internship, 18 months rotating through primary care specialties as a junior house officer, and at least 18 months GP registrarship).
There are no shortcuts to becoming a doctor.
Entry requirements for UK medical schools from the UK Medical Council:
https://www.medschools.ac.uk/studying-medicine/applications/entry-requirements?type=standard-entry-medicine
OP- no medical school in the US is going to ask your HS GPA. So you get to start all over again- find a college that wants you just as you are, work hard, and apply to med school once you have your BA.
And you are putting the cart before the horse worrying about where you are going to work… FIRST you need to get into Med school, then you need to get out, get a residency, etc.