Outside the U.S., what is the BEST medical school?

[Pursuing MD]

What would you say is the best foreign (off-shore) medical school in terms of offering a good education, preparing its students for a career in medicine, caring for its students, having a high passing rate on the Boards, a low attrition rate, a respectable residency placement, etc.?

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[Pursuing MD]

Let me modify the question a little...

What's the best foreign medical school to attend (for the reasons mentioned above) if one CANNOT get into a U.S. medical school?

 

[ApacheIndian]

SGU.

 

[neilc]

in terms of getting back to the states, i agree with cuts...sgu has been doing it for years, and does it very, very well.

also, i think there are lots of great programs, with as good an education available as there is in the states, but these are not specifically designed for the US student who didn't get in, as SGU is.

australia, ireland come to mind as very good options. also, if you can study in a different language, pretty much every country in europe has great schools.

lots of good ones out there!!

 

[Stephen Ewen]

I noticed price did not enter in to your criteria. In my view, if one can get out of school with $15,000 versus $150,000--well, to me that makes a huge difference, and one that can be navigated by going a more "non-traditional" route to a non-US med school of high quality.

 

[Skip Intro]

Ultimately, I don't believe it matters a whole lot where you get your MD. You have to crush Step I. You have to stay focused. You have to take it seriously. And, you have to be motivated to learn.

SGU has the reputation, clearly.

Ross is the shortest time you'll spend 'off-shore'.

AUC is on a "real" island that has most of the amenities of home.

All three place their graduates in decent if not good (and sometimes excellent) residency programs. Mostly, it's up to the individual. You have to not only rock the boards (which I'm planning on doing come MAY '03... wish me luck as I begin the hardcore preparation phase) and you have to interview well.

It all depends on what is most important to you.

If you want to see a truly objective opinion, however, read this website - everything on this website (not just the "high-yield" parts) to know what you're potentially getting into.

http://www.aaimg.com/index.html

Good luck!

-Skip
MS2 Ross University

 

[Stockholm]

One should not forget the Scandinavian countries. The Karolinska Institute here in Sweden is one of the top research centers in the world and has a great medical program with about 120 students accepted each semester. It is a five and a half year long program and we have three months summer vacation each year. However, not many students go for the boards but chose to stay in Sweden, so I don't know yet how hard it will be to get into a residency program in the US. Actually, the only ones I know who have taken step 1 are myself and a class mate.

 

[Pursuing MD]

Steph:

Taking money into account what would you say is the best foreign med school, considering the other criterias mentioned? ...

NOT taking money into account, which is the best?

 

[great north]

All canadian medical schools, Oxford, Cambridge, Universita di Pisa, Karlinska Institute, all scandanavian schools, all european and japanese schools....Oh it's all the same crap worldwide!!!!

I would rather do an opthalmology residency in Georgia (the country) and practice in Nigeria giving people sight than have to deal with ignorance

 

[leorl]

The original poster asked about options if one could Not get into med school in the US. That rules out the likes of Oxford, Cambridge, etc...and I'm not sure what requirements the scandanavian countries have.

You could try Irish and Australian schools as well, but the students accepted there would be competitive American applicants as well, so that's hard to say. One of those "there's no harm in trying" things.

Best of Luck!

 

[Thewonderer]

Originally posted by leorl
The original poster asked about options if one could Not get into med school in the US. That rules out the likes of Oxford, Cambridge, etc...

However, I do not think some of the canadian + international schools are reserved for people who could NOT get into US med schools.

I knew someone who went to McGill over Boston U because of tuition and plus Canadian schools are accreditted by the same body and you can argue very favorably that McGill has better rep than Mount Sinai, etc. even. Heck, if you cannot get into your state schools, Australian med schools might be cheaper too!

 

[Pursuing MD]

Besides the big 2 Caribbean med schools (SGU & Ross), do the med schools you guys mentioned have a good reputation for having its graduates practice in the U.S.?

 

[pre-med lost]

Take a look at this program: www.varnamed.org The price is right and they offer US clinicals. The city looks pretty nice too!

 

[Bevo]

I would say Sackler University. Its out side of the United States and if you practice or get a residency in New York(not sure about this point) its like going to a med school in the United States. I think Sackler is considered a foreign medical school to all states except New York.