graduate entry medicine UK

[aurora84]

Hi everyone,
I would greatly appreciate your advice on my situation and desire to apply to medical schools in UK.

I am a citizen of an EU country; did an undergraduate degree in biochemistry (4 years) in the USA with a GPA 3.8/4.00 (I don't know how this corresponds to the UK grading system) and applied for a research master program in a top UK school (1 year). It is in translational research (aimed at training physicians and basic scientists in clinical research and clinical trial design).

After completing the master program, I really would like to apply to a 4 year graduate medicine course somewhere in the UK. Considering my nontraditional background, would I be eligible in the UK as I don't know how flexible their system is in accepting older students changing careers and students who have obtained their undergraduate degree abroad.

Will I be charged as a 'home' or foreign applicant for tuition purposes as I haven't lived in EU territory for the last five years? For the master program I am charged the much smaller 'home' fee but I don't know if the UK medical schools will assess my status the same way...

My other alternative is to come back to the USA and apply to schools here but it is insanely difficult and expensive for a non-citizen candidate to gain admission here..

If someone has gone through similar path, I would be very happy to hear from them!

Thanks! Looking forward to hearing from you.

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[bambi]

Your grades will be fine. You will probably have to contact schools individually though to discuss things. Not sure if all our grad courses accept non-UK students, none did when they first started but I know at least a few do now, not sure if all do though. Schools are very much in favour of non-trad students these days, some cap the age limit though, those that do say anything from 30-40. Quite a lot is expected from grads in terms of work experience, some applicants will have been working as nurses etc for 10 years. Usually some form of long term (1yr+) volunteering/working in some kind of healthcare setting and then a couple of other shorter things maybe, the more unusual the better. As an example- when I applied I had 4 yrs volunteering (weekends + hols) at a hospice, 1 yr part time working with young offenders and 1 summer spent in Kiev at a hosp specialising in treating chernobyl victims and I applied for the standard rather than the grad courses as a lot of grads do. It doesn't all have to be medical experience. As for tuition I really don't know, if you were charged home fees before then I don't see why you wouldn't be now but you never know and the loan people do mess up quite a lot. The majority of grads don't just apply for grad courses, some, like myself only apply for the standard 5 year courses so it is something to think about. Grad courses are very competitive. 5 year courses back when I applied varied from 8-15 applicants per place roughly, grad courses were something like 11-45 app/place, and that was a few years ago. If your application is good you will get in but it is something to consider.

 

[aurora84]

Thank you so much for the information! I will soon start researching the schools myself but would like to ask you a couple more questions.

Which are the schools you know that accept non-UK students? Aren't EU students considered the same as UK students? I did see, for example, Cambridge, mentions UK/EU students in the same category in its graduate entry medicine? Still, my undergraduate degree is from overseas and this may complicate the situation.

Is the standard 5 year course the one that is taken immediately after high school? I thought people with already a bachelor degree may not be eligible for it or it may not be suitable for them...

Thank you for the response.

 

[bambi]

I have never looked at it properly as I'm a UK student, I just know that originally none of the grad courses accepted any international students, which I'm pretty sure meant anyone not from the UK. It has definitely changed since that though. It should say on the individual school websites.

I know for the 5 year courses, a lot of places will ask for grades similar to what would be acceptable in your own country, others give a specific grade they want, either way your grades will be fine. If the 4 year courses accept international students I imagine their policy will be the same. If it's not on their websites email them and ask.

The 5 year courses are the ones we do straight from school, the vast majority accept grads. I think I remember reading a couple of years ago about one or two saying that if you are eligible for their 4 year course you have to apply for that rather than the 5 year, this isn't a widespread thing though.