Studying medical school abroad?

Question

ok. so i definately want to be a doctor. but it's WAY TOO EXPENSIVE. i know most people take out loans, but i definately don't want to go into debt. so i thougth in going abroad.

now i am still in high school and i have my EMT already, plus i eat up all the science classes i can get my hands on. but i always feel like that 8 YEARS in med school is way too long. plus it's super expensive.

i know most people go to mexico or to central or south america or east europe (poland, czech republic, etc) to meet the degree. i've looked in the FAIMER directory but it's soo vast, and i don't know which schools are good or not. i'm looking for a med school that will take me STRAIGHT from HS and prepare me for the USMLE so i can work in the US. i'm not sure how to go about this. but i know that there is people out there that are doing it, or have. so please respond.

Answer 1

i dont know too much about this, but im trying to do the same thing pretty much.  however, i do know that in Italy you go straight into med school for about 8 years and its ridiculously cheap.  This probably doesnt help that much, but i think thats how it is in most of europe.

Answer 2

Your Question is a very complex situation.  I went to Medical School in Tokyo, Japan.  (Tokyo, University Medical School), direct from Catholic High School).  I was only 16 years old and the youngest student in their medical school.  (Did not cost me one cent as I had a full scholarship).  Japanese students commit suicide if they don't get into this school.  Rated # 1 in Japan.  I spent four full years in school and a two year internship in a local hospital.  One full year was General Medicine in all areas, and one full year was my specialty clinical psychiatry.  Then off to Beijing China to study acupuncture for four years.  

I had to learn Japanese really fast as they only teach in Japanese.  

You may want to try the University of Autonomy Medical School in, Guadalajara, Mexico.  They do accept Americans if you are an American and I attend for some advance courses in acupuncture with an English professor for two more years.

It was necessary for me to take the boards in Tokyo, my home France to obtain both medical Lic.  Mexico only required I show 100% proof of transcripts and they gave me a medical Lic., to practice if I wanted in their country.  

I also have a Federal Lic., as I am a volunteer Medical doctor in war zones all over the world.  

My advise is that you contact the medical board  in the country where you reside and obtain all the information you can about studying medicine over seas. schools. and what would be the requirements to obtain a Lic., where you reside.  (This is the key, you don't want to spend money and find out that you are not qualified where you reside to even take the boards).  Then you will have wasted all your money.  Or find yourself going back to the country where you attend medical school and have your Lic.

For sure stay away from all Island medical schools like Granada or other Islands located in the Carib. as they are a ripp off. (No country in the world will give you a medical LIc., if you go to one of them).

You should consider a medical loan.  There are certain risk involved.   The primary risk is not being able to get pass your first year of medical school.  On an average about 75% of the medical students are washed out on their very first year.  The first year in any good medical school will make or break you.  After the first year usually it is all down hill.  (The purpose is to weed out the ones they professors thing will not make it after the first year).  

Second, I have seen many doctors go through medical school and, FAIL I REPEAT FAIL THEIR INTERNSHIP.  WHEN THIS HAPPENS YOU ARE REALLY DEAD IN THE WATER.  NOW YOU HAVE COMPLETED MEDICAL SCHOOL AND PAID OUT ALL OF THE MONEY AND YOU ARE UNABLE TO TAKE THE BOARDS TO OBTAIN A LIC., BECAUSE YOU FAILED YOUR INTERNSHIP.

THIS HAPPENS, BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY DOCTORS WHO ARE NOT ABLE TO APPLY THE BOOK KNOWLEDGE OF FOUR YEARS INTO REAL LIFE EMERGENCY SITUATIONS LIKE THE EMERGENCY ROOM.  

JUST ABOUT IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND ANOTHER HOSPITAL THAT WILL TAKE YOU ONCE YOU WERE DROPPED OUT OF AN INTERNSHIP PROGRAM FROM ANOTHER HOSPITAL.  IF YOU HAVE TAKEN OUT A BANK LOAN YOU STILL HAVE TO PAY OFF THAT MONEY.  

LAST OF ALL YOU MUST PASS THE MEDICAL BOARD EXAMS., IN THE COUNTRY THAT YOU RESIDE BEFORE A LIC., WILL BE ISSUED.  IF YOU FAIL SOME COUNTRIES WILL LET YOU TAKE THE BOARDS OVER THE NEXT TIME THEY ARE GIVEN.  THIS CAN BE UPTO ONE YEAR.  FAIL THE SECOND TIME AND THEN IT IS OVER FOR YOU IN MANY COUNTRIES.

I wish you all the best as the world really needs good doctors.  Doctors who really care about their patients and not about getting rich quick.  

Please excuse my English, not my primary language.

Mind Doctor France

Answer 3

First of all med school is not 8 years...it is 4 years long (not including residency), however, in the US you first must get a bachelor's degree which is normally 4 as well. If you are serious about practicing medicine in the US you really should take the traditional route and go to med school here...you may have to take out loans to pay for it, but you will surely get a good paying job and paying those loans off won't be a problem. If you really want to go abroad then look at Australian and UK med schools. I know some med programs in Aus. admit students out of high school, but you must be a top student. Not only will going to med school in Mexico or Eastern Europe hurt your job opportunities back home...you aren't factoring in the language barrier...you must master the language as well!

Answer 4

Odds are you would not be accepted into a European medical school.  There are programs in various European countries that do accept US students, but only those who have completed their undergrad degrees.  

You might want to consider US schools that offer the combine degree programs.  These are six year programs where you earn your BS and MD at the same time.  This link will take you to a list of those schools:  http://services.aamc.org/currdir/section...

There are only two paths to a MD that won't cost you money.  One is through the National Health Service Corps (http://nhsc.bhpr.hrsa.gov/) and the other is the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (http://www.usuhs.mil/).  Unfortunately, both require you to have your undergrad degree.

Contrary to one poster's negative comments about Caribbean medical schools, there are actually several highly regarded schools.  These schools do have their own pre-med programs which would enable you to enter straight from high school.  The best source to learn more about these programs is www.valuemd.com  My advice is to research carefully, as there are several bad schools that you want to avoid.  As to which schools are the good ones--the single qualifier is whether the school qualifies for federal student loans.