Often considered one of the most rewarding and challenging professions, medicine is constantly at the forefront of the mind of an enterprising student.
There are many reasons to study medicine abroad. The quality of a country’s health care is often a primary reason, as is the quality of education. Affordability can be another aspect that motivates you to study abroad. Additionally, competition for jobs can be intense, so applying to courses abroad can be an easier path to graduation.
Studying medicine abroad is a good option for some, but it won’t be the right thing for everyone. It should not be seen as an “easy” option. You will sign up to study a challenging career in another country for (at least) five to six years of your life. You will also have to learn the language of the country in which you will be studying, since, although your studies and exams may be in your native language, you will communicate with patients in their native language.
However, the rewards for studying medicine abroad can be immense, personally and professionally. If you’re considering it, take a closer look at this guide to study medicine abroad.
Why study medicine?
As a vocational area of study, a very high percentage (generally more than 90%) of graduates will go directly to employment. Medical graduates will have a wide range of employment options, including:
- Hospital doctor
- General medicine doctor
- Surgeon
- Psychiatrist
- Pathologist
- Cardiologist
- Clinical radiologist
There are more than 60 specialized areas of medicine, and the degree can be applied to many other functions if you wish. Medical graduates can mix and match those specialties in the way that interests them most, giving the program great variability.
There is also a lot of job satisfaction with medicine, as helping a patient or developing a new treatment can bring you immense joy and the feeling that you are making a difference.
Medicine is often viewed as a difficult career and is therefore widely respected in general. Furthermore, the work done by medical graduates often requires constant learning as new discoveries are found. Medicine is truly an area of study in which you will work at the forefront of knowledge.
Most recognized institutions / countries in medicine
As measured by Times Higher Education, the following colleges are best for conducting clinical and health science studies with respect to a medical degree.
- Oxford University – United Kingdom
- Cambridge University – United Kingdom
- Harvard University – United States
- Imperial College London – United Kingdom
- Stanford University – United States
- Johns Hopkins University – United States
- University of California, Berkeley – United States
- Columbia University – United States
- University of Melbourne – Australia(For more outstanding universities in Australia for medicine, please check via: 10 Best Australian Universities for Medicine.)
- University of Pennsylvania – United States
As you might expect, the UK and the US dominate the top 20, although the rest of North America, Europe, and Asia are well represented in the top 100.
Apply to a medicine course abroad
The study of medicine varies greatly around the world. In the United States, medicine is studied in graduate school after completing a college degree that is not directly related to medicine. Elsewhere, such as the UK, students can enroll in undergraduate clinical degrees.
Wherever you study, almost all clinical programs span a good number of years, longer than non-clinical courses.
When you have decided in which country (or continent) you want to study, you should research the medical schools within that area. Medical schools and degrees are not as numerous as typical colleges, limiting the number of options, but also making it easier to decide which one to apply to.
Then you need to check the entry requirements and fees, see what others are saying about the experience at their preferred institutions. If possible, visit your city of choice to see if you would like to live there for six years or more.
Because studying medicine can be so competitive, each country will have its own very particular application process. Studying in the UK could have the most complex application process, which in short is as follows:
- Complete work experience
- Choosing a medical school
- Complete the UCAS application
- Write a personal statement
- Take the UKCAT test
- Take the BMAT test
- Pass the interview
Please note that this does not include language requirements, visa applications, or other traditional obstacles to study abroad. If you feel it is too difficult for you to complete the application, you can use Course Application as an assistant.
This is the full guide on studying medicine abroad. Obviously, it is not an easy task – it will cost you a lot of time and energy. But it deserves! You will gain a lot from the study.
