Universities in the U.K.

[DrJackal]

Anyone ever heard of an American applying for college in the U.K. (Scotland)?
How would per-say Edinburgh University compare to a U.S. school? What about later on graduating and going to Med-School, would I do residence there or could I transfer back to the U.S.? Are the degrees the same? How about college in general, could I do college in the U.K. and come back to the U.S. for med-school?

Would I still put up/show my ACT scores?


I'm quite confused.

College is 1 year away, so I'm just wondering.

By the way, my planned major is to go into Bio-Engineering.


Thanks in advance.

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[DrJackal]

Anyone?

 

[PeterJH]

Hey, I'm not too sure how the UK system works, but I just graduated from Canada in Bio-Engineering. It's a great program, but if you eventually want to go to a US-med school, make sure you take your biology, organic chem, and english (for some reason biology was not a core course for my bio-engineering program...wtf?!?).

Good Luck with everything!!!

 

[DrJackal]

Thanks..for the input.


So anyone else know how the system works?

 

[leorl]

I don't think University of Edinburgh takes foreign students. But this is just on heresay, since I know an American friend of mine who wanted to go to Edinburgh but couldn't apply, so ended up in Ireland. I'd call the Edinburgh health sciences office/administration and ask, and also ask the process for application .

 

[DrJackal]

I don't think University of Edinburgh takes foreign students. But this is just on heresay, since I know an American friend of mine who wanted to go to Edinburgh but couldn't apply, so ended up in Ireland. I'd call the Edinburgh health sciences office/administration and ask, and also ask the process for application .

I'm 2nd generation to be in America, could I somehow get into dual-citizenship? That's a dumb question, but I'll call I suppose.

Thank you!

 

[Mr. McDuck]

I dunno about Scotland, but you can't have a dual citizenship in America.

 

[omniatlas]

Thanks..for the input.


So anyone else know how the system works?

Once you gain entrance you'll have to sit through 4/5 years of medical classes and rotations. If you decide to stay in the UK you'll go through subsequent training called FY1/2 (Foundation year) and then onto your specialist training (it could take up to 10 years). If you do not hold a EU passport you are SOL b/c you are not guaranteed a work permit past your FY1/FY2 years -- that means you'll have to return to wherever you came from after your post graduate (albeit short) training. They are still fixing stuff out over there...i don't know how its going to end up but a lot of people are complaining because it is discimination (especially those that are going through the system right now -- studying for 6 years and then ending up with no job!). I don't know if this is how it works in Ireland, perhaps someone can enlighten me.

If you're going back to the US you'll have to sit for your USMLE's and match just like everybody else.

MBBS/MBchB (UK, commonwealth countries, etc) = M.D (U.S)

 

[DrJackal]

So, it's best to just stick it out in the U.S.? I fell in love with Europe after visiting it. I feel it would be a nice place to some-day live.

Back on topic;

Best to call them? Second U.K. schools = U.S. schools? Also, during College or Med-School is there anyway you can learn a language to become fluent in (French or German)? Maybe there are medical exchange programs?


I'm sorry my sentences are jumbled, I have alot on my mind.

 

[leorl]

there are medical exchange programs, but you will have to ask the specific school you are planning on attending to see whether they have a program or not. I really wouldn't try doing a medical exchange if you are not already fluent in a language though, because trying to do something like Pathology in a language you are not familiar with would suck.

Always best to call the programs you're interested in to find out first-hand yourself about their procedures.

UK schools = US schools? That is very hard to answer because the systems of education are completely different. Everyone in medical school universally learns the same things, same information. However, different places have different focuses on particular subjects. For instance, UK schools would not focus as much on genetics and biochemistry as US students would. This makes things harder when studying for the USMLE (if you intend on applying back to the US for residency).

Whether it's best or not to stay in the US...only you can decide. For those of us over here and want to be overseas, obviously attending school in another country was the best personal decision for us.

 

[DrJackal]

What if I was just to get a normal major/education in a U.K. school, take the MCAT and apply back in the U.S. ?

 

[omniatlas]

What if I was just to get a normal major/education in a U.K. school, take the MCAT and apply back in the U.S. ?

As long as you are a U.S. citizen, I don't see why this should be much of a problem. Note, that most U.S. medical schools require that you take the following pre-medical courses:

1 year organic chemistry
1 year inorganic/physicial chemistry
1 year biology
1 year physics

As long as you have fulfilled these requirements during your time at a UK university then you should be okay. If you're missing these core classes you could always take them at a local college, or a formal post-bac program. You might want to check out Harvard Extention (I did); the program is pretty reputable and cheap.

 

[Dr.Millisevert]

I dunno about Scotland, but you can't have a dual citizenship in America.

Hmm.. not true. I know a few people with dual citzenship with the US personally. so...

 

[DrJackal]

As long as you are a U.S. citizen, I don't see why this should be much of a problem. Note, that most U.S. medical schools require that you take the following pre-medical courses:

1 year organic chemistry
1 year inorganic/physicial chemistry
1 year biology
1 year physics

As long as you have fulfilled these requirements during your time at a UK university then you should be okay. If you're missing these core classes you could always take them at a local college, or a formal post-bac program. You might want to check out Harvard Extention (I did); the program is pretty reputable and cheap.

I would have to take those core classes anyway to get my major, so that should be relatively the same.

 

[Mr. McDuck]

Hmm.. not true. I know a few people with dual citzenship with the US personally. so...

Hmm. Maybe I shouldn't have said I "know". I was told that by a few people, but I checked the US State Department, and you're right. Stupid dinguses relaying false information.

 

[leorl]

What if I was just to get a normal major/education in a U.K. school, take the MCAT and apply back in the U.S. ?

I'd becareful of this. You might want to check this out as well, but some schools prefer to accept students for medical school who have completed an undergrad in the US (whether foreign or not). So it might be difficult going from foreign undergrad to US medical school.

 

[omniatlas]

I would have to take those core classes anyway to get my major, so that should be relatively the same.

Just to be on the safe side, I would call up the medical schools you are interested in applying to and asking them what their requirements are.

 

[Scottish Chap]

As long as you are a U.S. citizen, I don't see why this should be much of a problem. Note, that most U.S. medical schools require that you take the following pre-medical courses:

1 year organic chemistry
1 year inorganic/physicial chemistry
1 year biology
1 year physics

As long as you have fulfilled these requirements during your time at a UK university then you should be okay. If you're missing these core classes you could always take them at a local college, or a formal post-bac program. You might want to check out Harvard Extention (I did); the program is pretty reputable and cheap.

Barring a few unusual circumstances that I won't go into, all U.S. schools want the prereq's to be completed in the U.S. or Canada and they're asking for 60-90 credits to be completed in the U.S. if you have a foreign undergraduate degree (even with U.S. citizenship); it's an automatic red flag. You'll run into major hurdles if you have a foreign undergraduate degree and want to enter a U.S. medical school. That's not to say it's impossible - just very difficult and best to avoid if you can. I have first-hand experience. If you want to attend an American medical school, do your undergraduate work there to avoid headaches later.

In the past, Edinburgh did not accept North American college graduates into the MBChB programme because they traditionally favo(u)red applicants from countries where medical care is deemed to be sub-standard. However, higher tuition levels the playing field and a few well-qualified North Americans have gained admission in the past couple of years. You'll pay much higher tuition and, if you've taken the MCAT, they're asking for no less than 10, 9, 9. This is a five-year medical programme. Recently, there have been governmental regulations put in place that might not allow foreign citizens (even with a British medical degree) to stay in the U.K. for their clinical training after graduation, so check into that, too.

 

[FionaS]

As long as you are a U.S. citizen, I don't see why this should be much of a problem. Note, that most U.S. medical schools require that you take the following pre-medical courses:

1 year organic chemistry
1 year inorganic/physicial chemistry
1 year biology
1 year physics

As long as you have fulfilled these requirements during your time at a UK university then you should be okay. If you're missing these core classes you could always take them at a local college, or a formal post-bac program. You might want to check out Harvard Extention (I did); the program is pretty reputable and cheap.

Also, note that the UK undergrad system is completely different to the US system.

You go straight onto a specialised degree course, so I doubt that you would be able to complete these pre-reqs, even if you did do a bioengineering degree. UK degrees are only 3 years too, so you'd have to do an extra year.

That said, if it's just med school you want, then you can do that straight from high school. Not that this is an easy option, and if you are only 1 year away from finishing high school, you need to know that the deadline for your year to apply to med school is this October (the 15th usually) - look at UCAS to find out more.

 

[leorl]

Fiona, I like your signatures

 

[FionaS]

They're doing me well so far...!

 

[Scottish Chap]

UK degrees are only 3 years too, so you'd have to do an extra year.

.......4 years in some parts of the U.K.

 

[FionaS]

.......4 years in some parts of the U.K.

Ah yes, true.

I cover my head in shame!

English and Welsh degrees are only 3 years long...