Questions about US undergrad for med hopeful!

Student Lounge International Students
1

<p>Hey everyone! </p>

<p>I'm a student from Canada starting grade 12 next week & I'm considering applying to some US schools but have a few questions. I would really appreciate it if you could please help answer some of my questions -- thanks in advance!</p>

<p>I want to study biochemistry & then medicine. Would I have any advantage if I attended a US school for undergrad, in terms of admissions to medical school/better preparation? I've heard that schools in Canada like McGill & University of Toronto are basically at the same level as the really good schools in USA in terms of caliber, rigour, etc. If I attend one of these Canadian schools for undergrad & apply for med school in the US, will I be at a disadvantage being an international student? It's harder to get admissions in Canadian med schools because there are far less seats and lots of international students who apply, but I figured since there are more schools in the US I'll have more chances to get in so I should apply there for med school as well. Also, I was thinking of not applying to US for undergrad because it's a LOT more expensive and I don't think it's worth it. Basically, what I want to know is: will I be at a disadvantage applying to US med schools coming from a Canadian undergrad?</p>

<p>Also, is there any advantage of attending an Ivy League school for undergrad if you want to get into med school in the US (not necessarily an Ivy med, just any good school)? I've heard that it matters if you want to go to law school, but I'm not sure if that's true at all, for law OR medicine. I am thinking of applying for this reason (not sure if I would get in, though) but again, it's VERY expensive. </p>

<p>My plan right now is to study undergrad biochem in Canada, then apply for med school in both Canada & the US. The chances of getting into a Canadian med school are much lower, and the reason why I don't want to go straight to the US is because lots of Canadian schools give preference to those who studied in Canada so it would be even harder to get in. Do you guys think this is a good idea, or is there a better approach to my situation? I would really appreciate any information or input you could give me. Thanks very much for your time! :)</p>

<p>EDIT: I really want to stress this question -- is there ANY benefit at all for me to study undergrad in the US over Canada if I want to go into medicine? I know it's a big deal to get into any med school in either country, so I'm not concerned with Ivy League or anything.</p>

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<p>It’s not really a disadvantage to come from a Canadian school, and there’s not that much of an advantage to coming from an Ivy. It’s definitely not worth the cost to go to an Ivy, and most if not all universities in Canada have pretty decent reputations and should allow you to continue on into med school, so I think you should stay in Canada and save your money for med school. Remember that the preference that Canadian schools give to Canadian students (or, more typically, to students from their own province or region) also applies at many public med schools in the States (which will work against you), and in addition, the preference is not just a preference, but a reservation of seats (which works in your favor, if you are in the region of the school you’re applying to). Besides that, there is a very, very low acceptance rate for internationals (which works against you in the States at many med schools), so though they may be numerous, they aren’t really your main competition at all. :p</p>

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<p>Many U.S. med schools do not accept international students. If you do not have dual citizenship, or a green card, your chances of being accepted to med school in the U.S. are severely limited.</p>

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<p>Well, American medical schools don’t accept tons of internationals. Read something stupid in the ballpark of like 150 international students across all schools. Anecdotal though so don’t sweat it. Several Canadian schools rank higher than half the Ivy Leagues anyway, so who cares? </p>

<p>Medical school location doesn’t really matter. You need to find a place for a great residency/fellowship. Depending on where you want to live (Toronto = oncology, transplant, cardio, neurology/Montreal = cardio, neurology), you may want to attend school there. I chose U of T because I have an interest in immunology and cancer research.</p>

<p>You can always do your medical/undergrad degrees here in Canada and move to America for residency.</p>

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<p>You might post this on the pre-med forum where people would know which schools do accept Canadians more readily than other internationals</p>