Over Seas Med School. Experiences?

[dripcoffeenoroom]

Hi all. I'm a US pre-med student at a small liberal arts college in Oregon born Washington State. Sociology major. Decent GPA (3.4) Awesome MCAT (39). Tons of clinical work (Medical scribe, health research).

My question is about other premed journeys in foreign medical schools. I like the idea of going abroad for the adventure and a unique experience. Medicine is medicine doesn't matter to me where I get a degree. I'm probably going to do an emergency med residency. Ultimate goal is to work for Doctors Without Boarders. I'm willing to devote my life to med NGO and study global medicine. Also I'm good with MD or DO! I've worked with both types of doc and they appeal to me in diff ways.

So what are your experiences with foreign medical schools. I'm thinking about going somewhere like Australia, New Zealand, Canada, many in Europe? I also speak fluent Spanish so I'm okay with a Spanish speaking country. Tell me about your application process, financial aid, and life abroad! Thanks!

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[Snoopy2006]

"doesn't matter to me where I get a degree" --> It matters to residencies.

Go to medical school in the country you want to practice. Even if you want to do "global medicine" and work with DWB/MSF, you'll need a home country. If your goal is to practice medicine in the U.S., do not go abroad. You're making things unnecessarily difficult for yourself. IMGs face immense obstacles that graduates of American medical schools simply don't. Especially with the rising competitiveness of emergency medicine as a residency, you'll be handicapping yourself before you begin.

Now if you're OK with going to medical school in New Zealand and staying there to practice if you can't get a residency in the U.S., by all means. Most people would strongly disagree with this route, but it's your choice to make. Just think it through very carefully. Going abroad solely for the "experience" of living in a different country, and then trying to get back to the U.S. for residency could turn out very badly.

 

[To be MD]

We have similar life plans, but one thing to keep in mind is that a lot of the NGOs like MSF have extremely high acceptance standards as well.

That means that, if that's what you really want, you're going to be best off getting the best medical education you can get. As a US citizen, you happen to have the best medical schools in the world available to you right where you are.

If you're dying to go abroad, the UK is your best option. That being said, if you thought getting in to an MD over here was hard, there's a lot more competition for spots at an internationally recognized, English-speaking school like Oxford. Also note that, unless you're an EU or NZ or Australian citizen, you're going to pay a megaton for tuition.

It is possible to do. It's just even harder then it already is here to do, you have to pay more for it, you have no home base (most people don't know anyone from Adam in the Pacific), and, again, for those best schools, you have to out-compete the best of international applicants and the applicants from the respective countries.

Why make things unnecessarily difficult? Why take on even more debt in countries where you don't have residency?

 

[Psai]

a 3.4 gpa is not decent, it's well below average. a 3.7 would be decent