When to Go to Med School? Start earlier in AUS or later in US?

[mmehl1]

I graduated in May 2011, took a job in a cancer physio lab and got published as 4th author, traveled in Australia for 5 months, did one semester of a paid Master's program at CSU in Nutritional Sciences, didn't enjoy it and took a job in Kenya working at a non-profit children's orthopedic hospital doing communications/media/marketing type work documenting surgeries and patients, I got to scrub in multiple times and that's when I decided 100% to pursue medicine. I've come home to finish orgo II and physics II, take the MCAT and begin the application process.

I'm seeing emails from Princeton Review (bought the book for MCAT) forwarding emails from Australian med schools (Flinders and UQ-Ochsner) encouraging application for January 2015 admission. To me, being ready and eager to start medicine, not getting any younger, I see them as an opportunity to do just that. That said, January and August aren't considerably different in the grand scheme of things and if US med schools are simply better, more highly regarded, or entirely a better option for medical school, I will wait.

So what are people's advice or opinion in the situation? Apply and attend med school in Oz earlier resulting in being a doc earlier or wait and go to a (potentially) "better" school and get out six or so months later?

My MCAT date is May 22 and I'm about to finish this (final) semester in two weeks.

Are there other options I'm not seeing to start in January? Could I start earlier somewhere else (non-Carribean), or even, is this fall possible somehow?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[kmp0410]

If you want to practice in the U.S. then you should go to school in the U.S.

That's really what it boils down to.

 

[mmmcdowe]

Wait for the us schools

 

[Law2Doc]

Agree with kmp0410 . It's not an issue of "better". It's about where you want to practice. Historically 94% of US med school grads match into US residencies. About 40-50% of non-US med school grads match into US residencies. So the math isn't difficult. If you want to be a doctor here try to go to med school here.

 

[type12]

Just a note: you start a year earlier, but you're going to have a six month gap in your education (I believe rotations) anyway. So you're not going to start residency any sooner. This is the case for both the schools you mentioned.

 

[OneTwoThreeFour]

I also graduated in 2011, also eager to start. No way in hell would I go overseas for medical school given IMG difficulties in matching. Just because you are saving a year on the front end doesn't mean you may have to pay it back (at least) on the back end. Also, there are many 3-year programs if you're REALLY in a hurry.