<p>Foreign medical schools remain a viable option for Americans who are unable to secure a place in a U.S. school. Certainly, the academic competition for a spot in a U.S. school is intense now, just as it was years ago.
A significant number of people who truly want to become physicians, if denied a place in the States or in Canada, will seek out an alternative pathway.
Schools in Mexico, the Caribbean and Europe are often open to Americans who meet their requirements for admission. As many of these schools are 6 or 7 year programs that combine both pre-med and med school courses in their curricula, North American students generally are accepted with little trouble.
However, this "open door policy" does not guarantee the student a degree. In general, foreign schools are less supportive of the student who is having difficulty mastering the material; "sink or swim" might be an appropriate motto for many of these schools.
Students who do well, assuming they pass the USMLE steps 1 & 2 and then obtain an ECFMG certificate (for more detailed info, see: <a href="http://www.ecfmg.org%5B/url%5D">http://www.ecfmg.org</a>), will usually be able to get a spot in an ACGME-accredited Internship or Residency program somewhere in North America.
At that point, the alternative pathway converges with the traditional pathway, and with successful completion of the training program the foreign educated physician is able to practice with the same rights and privileges as his or her North American educated colleague.</p>
<p>Once you are in the real world though, and you are with your doctors and colleagues, will you be looked down upon because of your status as an international med school alumn?</p>
<p>hells no, my mom is Philippine-trained and she's not in anyway disparaged.</p>
<p>Most likely no one will ever even ask where you went to school. Far more common is "where did you train?"
You'll be judged on your competency and reputation in the medical community.</p>
<p>would a student who has complete his or her four years of undergrad be able to apply to these schools? Also if accepted where, as in what year, would he or she be placed?</p>
<p>Sure, though it will not give you any advanced standing.</p>
<p>thank you for your quick response :)</p>
<p>do you know of anywebsite with further information about this? I'm really interested in studying medicine in the UK.</p>
<p>thanks.</p>
<p>also would it be possible for a current undergraduate student to transfer into a medicine programme.</p>
<p>i'm still really confused about this whole process.</p>
<p>In response to Khan_t1m, my sister, brother in law and cousin all went to medical school in india rigth after high school - not because they could not get into a college here, but because you don't need undergrad before going to medical school. After graduating, they took their USMLEs and passed with great scores (85+). This may seem like they had a great chance at getting into any residency they wished, but some top tier and even second tier residencies denied them without an interview because being a foreign medical graduate lowers the reputation of the program. They are currently fnishing their residencies in ob gyn , and two internal medicines in highly respected programs in michigan, but they are still asked where they graduated from. While sending out their cv it is still an issue of what medical school they went to. They are highly competent doctors, seen as better trained than even the medical students they teach from University of Michigan (for example). They aren't looked down upon, but there is some prejudice from residencies when you first apply.</p>
<p>thanks, that is what i was afraid of :(</p>
<p>I'm thinking a worst case scenario is med school in Grenada. I'm sure st. george is well known amongst the residencies in the USA?</p>
<p>I think I have vaguely heard of st george's</p>
<p>why do you want to study abroad?</p>
<p>I dont, its more like a worst case scenario.</p>
<p>st. georges in london?</p>
<p>I am planning on going to an international medical school if I don't get accepted to a medical school in America. I was wondering though, if I graduate from a university in America would I have to retake all of those courses in an international school? The first post said that it would take 6-7 years so does that mean I have to do everything over again and start from the beginning?</p>
<p>What about studying in London or elsewhere in Europe? I went there this summer and loved it. My reasoning for applying to med school out of the US would be because I love world travel and new experiences. How difficult is it to get into schools in Europe? How hard is it to cross over from US to European schools (ie are there different pre-reqs or entrance exams?) What about costs? Structure of programs? Ability to transfer back to the US?</p>
<p>I am considering studying both undergrad and medical school in korea. do you think it will be difficult to get into a competitive residency in the US afterwards? also, do you know if there is an issue with language and terminology since i will be mostly learning in korean rather than english even though i am fluent in both.</p>
<p>I hv heard tat not all degrees given in foreign medical schools are recognised in the US..does any1 know which countries give u a degree which is recognised in the US so that u can practice there?</p>
<p>As far as medical schools in England it is very difficult to attend if you are not a citizen of the country. The reason is due to the fact that medical schools in England are relatively cheap because the state pays for most of it. As a result English medical schools will not accept an American student who will simply pick up and leave right after medical school.</p>
<p>In order to be licensed to practice medicine you have to have attended an approved school - the schools that are approved in the US are listed here:</p>
<p><a href="http://imed.ecfmg.org/%5B/url%5D">http://imed.ecfmg.org/</a></p>
<p>Some states have other requirements as well. California and Texas tend to have more restrictions on graduates of foreign medical schools -</p>
<p>Also, this list is established through ECFMG - Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates. </p>
<p>If you graduate from a foreign medical school and want to practice in the US you must go through ECFMG to take your exams and be licensed.</p>