As a long-time lurker, I figured that I might as well ask a few questions of my own regarding studying in the UK. I am currently a sophmore at a small public high-school and want to apply to a UK university either next year or the year after to study medicine/biomedical sciences (the latter of which would probably be easier to apply for). I know that UK unis are for the most part, more “standardized testing” based than the typical top US university. I have currently only taken 4 APs and only two of which are “relevant” to my desired field of study (AP Calc BC and AP Stats; both 5s). However, I do plan on taking AP Chem, AP Physics (both mechanics and E&M), AP Biology, and AP Psychology (in addition to some other less relevant APs) at the end of this year. My most recent SAT score was a 2310 which I hope to bump up perhaps a bit. Considering my rather limited qualifications so far, my questions are: if I were to apply to a uni in the UK, would it be worth my while to try for Oxbridge (seeing as they accepted an extremely tiny percentage of international med students)? And if I wanted to increase my chances of admission, would the University of Edinburgh be a good option? Hopefully I haven’t been terribly annoying or bothersome to any of you and I would be incredibly grateful if anyone could provide their opinions on this matter. Thanks!
Last year Oxford took 5 or 6 (forget which) international students for medicine - when they could have taken 14.
For SAT, Oxbridge won’t be more impressed with a 2400 than a 2310 (and honestly neither will US unis), so except for your own bragging rights I don’t see the merit in re-sitting it.
If you can actually take Chem, Physics B&C and Bio- not to mention Psych and ‘other less relevant’ APs - in May and get 5s on all of them I will be suitably impressed, and yes you would improve your chances for an interview offer (assuming a strong BMAT). 32 international students got interviews last year; 5 got offers- 1 in 6. That statistic is noteworthy because for most courses at Oxford about 1 in 3 students who get interviews get offers.
Also, medicine is one of the few subjects for which ECs are important: time spent in medical environments is expected.
Edinburgh doesn’t usually take students straight from US high schools:
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You might also like to consider other UK unis. You can find details on the UCAS course search, along with details of Group A and Group B AP subjects. Many of the unis offering medicine belong to the Russell Group eg Bristol, Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield; others to the 1994 group, eg Leicester. Details of uni grouping can be explored via this site http://university.which.co.uk/advice/choosing-a-course/what-is-the-russell-group.
Unis offering medicine usually offer a range of other medically related courses including medical science. Good luck.
You’ve chosen perhaps the most competitive discipline in medicine. In addition, UK unis are stricter for international (i.e. non-EU) students in that there are quotas. As @collegemom3717 noted, oxbridge lets in very few. Finally, you may have noted that the fees for international med students is much higher, i.e. about the same cost as a US undergrad.
I do not mean to discourage you, but with these odds you should cultivate other options as well. My son, who is American but also a EU resident, is also attempting to get into a UK med school, applic 2016. We will also apply for pre-med undergrad in the US and Canada.
If you’re really set on Oxbridge medicine, acing the BMAT is crucial. Shortlisting for interviews is essentially done based on BMAT scores since most people fulfil the standardised testing requirements anyway, and they can play a big role in determining who will be made an offer as well. It’s a difficult time-pressured test with lots of sections so make sure you do a lot of preparation for it.
Note the BMAT is also used by UCL and a number of other top-tier universities so it’s worth looking at regardless. The other medicine entrance test is the UKCAT, and it’s used by universities like Edinburgh etc. and that needs preparation as well.
Oh my gosh, thank you so much for all of these wonderful responses! I know that I am incredibly late in responding to this thread but I’d just like to extend my gratitude to all of you.
I am no longer considering studying Medicine at a UK uni. I probably will still apply to either Oxford or Cambridge (perhaps for something like Biomedical Sciences or even Physics? I guess we’ll see…) in the hopes that I might possibly get an interview. But besides that, I’ll probably just end up going to my state flagship (which is a wonderful school but definitely not as … alluring?) so that I can actually afford medical school if I choose that route when the time comes. I just think that I definitely have a more realistic perspective now and see many other potential career pathways that would be just as, if not more, fulfilling.
Thanks for all the help!
(BTW, @collegemom3717 I did end up retaking the SAT and got a 2400. Oops…)
@Jess80808 Edinburgh is a great option but note that most U.K. medical schools have limited spaces available to internationals. If you apply to a low ranked medical school you increase your chances. The only private medical school in the U.K. is Buckingham where I suspect internationals would have a decent shot at admissions especially since you’ll be paying full tuition.