AMERICAN GOING TO OXFORD

[yoboiiikyle]

I am an American citizen and have lived in the US my whole life. However, I am really interested in Oxford University. It looks like they actually have a pre-med course, something that is almost unseen in US universities. What I'm asking is that if as a US citizen I receive my medical degree (Pre med and med) from Oxford, would I be able to return to the US afterwards and practice here on that degree?

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[Hakuna Matata]

You would essentially need to complete your residency in the US following graduating from med school.


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[yoboiiikyle]

Thanks!

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[DrMidlife]

Go to Oxford if you want to go to Oxford. But be honest with yourself about why. The following is irrelevant and untrue.

It looks like they actually have a pre-med course, something that is almost unseen in US universities.

 

[zukunft195]

I am an American citizen and have lived in the US my whole life. However, I am really interested in Oxford University. It looks like they actually have a pre-med course, something that is almost unseen in US universities. What I'm asking is that if as a US citizen I receive my medical degree (Pre med and med) from Oxford, would I be able to return to the US afterwards and practice here on that degree?

Get a medical degree in the country in which you want to practice. If you want to practice medicine in the US, then get a US medical degree (MD or DO). Applying to US residencies as an IMG isn't fun, and it's going to be even less fun after the AOA and ACGME systems merge.

"Pre-med course"? Are you a high school student by any chance, OP?

 

[yoboiiikyle]

Get a medical degree in the country in which you want to practice. If you want to practice medicine in the US, then get a US medical degree (MD or DO). Applying to US residencies as an IMG isn't fun, and it's going to be even less fun after the AOA and ACGME systems merge.

"Pre-med course"? Are you a high school student by any chance, OP?

Yessir I'm currently a sophomore in high school

 

[yoboiiikyle]

Go to Oxford if you want to go to Oxford. But be honest with yourself about why. The following is irrelevant and untrue.

Thank you! Honestly I'm still somewhat confused on the whole pre-med and everything

 

[zukunft195]

Thank you! Honestly I'm still somewhat confused on the whole pre-med and everything

This sort of stuff really belongs on College Confidential, but I'll give it a shot:

Go to a four-year accredited university in the US, and get at least one bachelor's degree in anything you want: biology, history, math, golf studies, gay literary criticism... Literally anything. During your four years of study, take a set of courses that medical schools require for entry (Bio I/II, Chem I/II, Orgo Chem I/II, Physics I/II, English, etc. -- the exact details vary by medical school). Then take a long, difficult exam called the MCAT.

During this time, accumulate clinical volunteering hours and shadowing hours.

After all of this, apply to medical school.

That's what it means to be pre-med. There's no "pre-med course" or "pre-med major." It's just a pre-professional track. Understand?

Good luck.

 

[yoboiiikyle]

This sort of stuff really belongs on College Confidential, but I'll give it a shot:

Go to a four-year accredited university in the US, and get at least one bachelor's degree in anything you want: biology, history, math, golf studies, gay literary criticism... Literally anything. During your four years of study, take a set of courses that medical schools require for entry (Bio I/II, Chem I/II, Orgo Chem I/II, Physics I/II, English, etc. -- the exact details vary by medical school). Then take a long, difficult exam called the MCAT.

During this time, accumulate clinical volunteering hours and shadowing hours.

After all of this, apply to medical school.

That's what it means to be pre-med. There's no "pre-med course" or "pre-med major." It's just a pre-professional track. Understand?

Good luck.

Yup! That helps a lot!!

 

[timephone]

So since nobody really appeared to explain this, the British model of medical education (followed in the UK, India, Australia, around much of the world) is very different from the American model.

When you apply to an undergrad university program for medicine, you're actually applying to med school. It's usually a 6 year program that combines pre-clinical and clinical training. At Oxford it seems they do 3 years pre-clinical and 3 years clinical, although I think at other universities they may do 4+2. At the end of it all you get a degree that's usually called an MBBS (but at Oxford they call it BM BCh for no other reason than they're the oldest university in the world and they can do whatever they feel like). That degree is equivalent to the US MD (or DO for that matter). After your degree you spend time as a "junior" doctor, followed by other funny titles like "registrar" and "consultant". That's your residency and fellowship. As others have said, if you want to practice in the US, you have to complete a US residency program, and as a foreign medical graduate you will be at a disadvantage compared to American grads (even if you went to Oxford).

Needless to say, competition is intense for UK med school admission even if you weren't looking at Oxford. Competitive secondary school grads over there typically complete what are called A-Levels in a number of subjects, equivalent to AP exams (but actually a little bit harder). If you haven't done A-Levels in all the sciences then I don't think you'll get into Oxford.

If you're absolutely sure you want to be a doctor then you should start volunteering and getting straight-As, and knocking out some AP courses. Get leadership positions. Apply to some of these programs listed here: Medical Schools Offering Combined Undergraduate/MD Programs

My uncle was a Doogie Howser back in the 70s. The University of Michigan used to have a fast-track to medicine which was 2 years of undergrad work followed by admission to their 4 year med program, he got into that right out of high school. He's loved his career as a physician and has no regrets, except for the fact that he doesn't technically have a bachelor's degree which has occasionally caused complications.