Going abroad for med school.
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One thing I can tell you for sure is that US credentials are not the same as UK credentials. If I were you I would think really hard about pursuing an education in UK if I planned to practice in the US.
As long as you pass the USMLE's, you can practice in the US. You can either take them as you study, or tackle them after you are done with school. Be advised, the med school course in the UK consists of 5-6 years, and not all med school will accept students from the US. Look on the foreign study board for much more info on this.
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I'm moving this thread over to the General International forum as I think the op will get the best response there. If you do not get a good response there, I would try reposting in a few days in pre-allo.
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As long as you obtain your ECFMG certificate (see http://www.ecfmg.org for more details) you are eligible to start residency training in the US.
Do NOT do your residency training in the UK - while it may be an excellent experience the training will most likely not be accepted in the US and you will be required to repeat your training.
So....medical school yes, residency no.
Do NOT do your residency training in the UK - while it may be an excellent experience the training will most likely not be accepted in the US and you will be required to repeat your training.
So....medical school yes, residency no.
First of all, thanks everyone who helped answer my question! I really appreciate it! 
But I have another...
Someone above mentioned that the number of years to study medicine in the U.K. is about 5-6 years. Is that only graduate studies or the overall number of years it takes to study medicine?
But I have another...Someone above mentioned that the number of years to study medicine in the U.K. is about 5-6 years. Is that only graduate studies or the overall number of years it takes to study medicine?
Already replied Saph.
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Originally posted by musicmaker18
First of all, thanks everyone who helped answer my question! I really appreciate it!
Someone above mentioned that the number of years to study medicine in the U.K. is about 5-6 years. Is that only graduate studies or the overall number of years it takes to study medicine?
Most UK programs are designed for "high school leavers", ie people just out of high school, without an undergraduate university education. These programs are therefore 5-6 years in length.
There are some post-graduate programs which are 4 years in length after university. You *may* be able to get some advance standing in the former programs but I wouldn't bet on it - check with each school. Case by case basis, I would assume.
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UK med school is an undergrad degree, usually 5 years long (most London schools are 6 now). Essentially this consists of 2 years preclinical and 3 years clinical, although with intergrated curricula this is becoming less obvious.
The 4 year grad courses are all new, for graduates (usually those with Biology related degrees) only. The first one started in 1999 or 2000 I think (around then) and the rest have been coming on apace. The one here at Brum started last Sept. Some of these don't accept any overseas students, and they are all much more competitive than 5 year "traditional" courses.
If you were to do med school in the UK, then it would be worth staying on one more year to do your PRHO year, so you get full registration with the GMC. Otherwise, if you want to work in the US, I'd do the rest of your training there.
Can I ask why you want to do med school here if you're going to work in the US? UK med school is just as hard as US to get into you know!
Good luck
The 4 year grad courses are all new, for graduates (usually those with Biology related degrees) only. The first one started in 1999 or 2000 I think (around then) and the rest have been coming on apace. The one here at Brum started last Sept. Some of these don't accept any overseas students, and they are all much more competitive than 5 year "traditional" courses.
If you were to do med school in the UK, then it would be worth staying on one more year to do your PRHO year, so you get full registration with the GMC. Otherwise, if you want to work in the US, I'd do the rest of your training there.
Can I ask why you want to do med school here if you're going to work in the US? UK med school is just as hard as US to get into you know!
Good luck
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Unless you're planning to work in the UK, you will be better off studying in the US. If that doesn't work out you should try an Osteopathic medical school in the US. A foreign medical school should only be a last resort. I actually went to study in the UK when I was in college and I returned after one semester. The UK is too expensive, your living costs will be astronomical, especially if you are in London. The weather sucks, it rains all the time, during the summer when I was there it rained every day in August. The food sucks, there have been many jokes about British food, but believe the hype, the food is HORRIBLE, and its especially bad considering that a meal can cost double what it does in the US. I need either one of two foods to keep me sane, a good steak or a Taco Bell Burrito Supreme, they don't have either in the UK, the steaks there taste like old shoes.
