Is going to a foreign medical school a decent choice in my situation?

[Nick973]

Currently, my undergrad gpa is the only thing holding me back from US/DO so I’m considering going to a foreign medical school…but please hear me out!

I know that foreign degrees are incredibly risky because there’s a significant chance you might not match in the US…

But what if I’m okay with working somewhere else? I’m a dual citizen of both the UK and the US and the majority of my family is in England. From my research, it seems like I would have no problem finding a job in the UK with a foreign degree thanks to my citizenship. I would just have to pass the licensing exam.

What if I applied for the US match and, if I didn’t get a spot, went to work in the UK as a backup? I know the salary is less but I’ve heard the work-life balance is much better.

Of course, I am not opposed to doing a post bacc/SMP but I just wanted to assess all my options. I have no preference for working in the US vs the UK. I just want to be a doctor.

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[cj_cregg]

The problem with certain foreign medical schools is not just that it's difficult to match in the US as an FMG, it's that some of these schools are predatory and have ENORMOUS attrition rates. You say you have a low GPA - what evidence do you have that you have the academic chops to succeed in medical school, which is 10x harder than undergrad in terms of pace/volume? The worst case scenario here isn't that you don't match in the US and then go work in another country, it's that you fail out of medical school and have tens of thousands of dollars in debt to pay off and no way to do it.

 

[Med Ed]

I just want to be a doctor.

Right now you just want to be a doctor. Somewhere along the way you will suddenly want to become a specific kind of doctor. Then you will want a certain practice environment in a specific location. Then your salary requirement will rear its head. Then future you, who has massive debt and is scraping by as a GP in Chipping Sodbury, will hate current you.

@cj_cregg is right, either make yourself competitive for a "real" medical school or find another path in life.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

What are your A Levels like? How about your exam scores?

You need more insight into the admissions process for the UK schools. They are very competitive also.

Working in the UK as a growth year opportunity doesn't sound like it will help you at all. That said I am sure there are companies willing to take your money if you really want to do this.

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

If its a school like Oxford I don’t see why there would be a problem matching back to US

 

[Goro]

If its a school like Oxford I don’t see why there would be a problem matching back to US

Reread the OP. They're not Oxford caliber

 

[Angus Avagadro]

" No trouble finding a job in the UK"?? Do you even understand how it works there? There a fixed number of attending/Consultant spots. After residency, if there are no attending jobs, ( which is the most likely case), you continue on as a Resident/Registrar with that salary, until an attending retires or dies. Some Registrars might weigh 6 or 7 yrs after residency for an Attending/Consultant job opens up. Better investigate some more.