Which medschool should I choose?

[Lee-Ann]

Hi All!

I just graduated from high school and I am dreaming of becoming a doctor in the US. But beforehand I want to attend medschool in my home country (Germany). As it comes to choosing a university, I am wondering if it would be better to attend a school, that is perceived more prestigious (at least in most European countries) like Heidelberg or Berlin or if the medschool I attend doesn't matter at all. I am actually free to choose whichever German university I'd like to attend, as the selection process here is merely based on high school GPA and a test score in a test somewhat similar to the MCAT...so due to my results getting in wouldn't be a problem. Though, I would rather like to attend a smaller medschool, where students are actually supported quite well and that is located in a nice region.

I am also wondering if getting my Dr. med. (a German title for doctors, obtained by writing a thesis, though the amount of work put in varies broadly among German doctors) would help me to match into residency.
Or is matching primarly about USMLE scores and US clinical experience?

Thanks!

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[ndafife]

If you want to be a doctor in the United States, go to medical school in the United States.

You would have to take the USMLE exams Step 1-3) to practice in the USA. And if you are applying as a new graduate to US residency, those (Step 1) test scores is going to be the main factor in your application regardless of whatever you do in Germany. If you complete residency in Germany, I am unsure whether that would transfer to the United States. Meaning you may have to redo residency if you move to the United States.

 

[OraclePL]

I couldn't tell based on your post - did you just finish high school in the US and want to go back to Germany, or you've done all your schooling in Germany?

Do you want to practice medicine in Germany at all, or only in the US?

These are extremely important questions. If you want to have the ability to practice in Germany (or spend the first few years of your career there), then just pick the German med school that you find most suitable for you.

But if your dream is to finish medical school and come straight to the US, you're better off attending a US medical school. Obviously this hinges on where you went to high school; I realize it's not easy to immigrate just to begin medical school. But if you're already in the US and want to practice in the US, do not go back to Europe for medical school.

As to whether the German school matters -

For the most part, I would say no. Most foreign schools are lumped into the same category. However, what I would do is go down the list of each school's graduates and see who has the best track record of sending doctors to the US. There are certain international schools that are well respected among residency directors and that carry more cachet on the interview trail than others. If you see that one school is an outlier in how many grads they send to the US, I would go with that school; otherwise it's unlikely to matter.

Someone might be able to provide you with more specifics but as this is a US-based board I doubt many people here will be familiar with differences among German medical schools.

 

[Lee-Ann]

Thanks for your answers.

"Meaning you may have to redo residency if you move to the United States."
Yeah, I would have to do so, as the U.S. do not accept foreign residencies (with the exception of residencies completed in Cananda), but I hope to be somehow able to start residency in the U.S. after half a year of residency in Germany (medschool here takes 6.5 years, so one usually finishes medschool around Christmas).

"I couldn't tell based on your post - did you just finish high school in the US and want to go back to Germany, or you've done all your schooling in Germany?"
I have done pretty much all of my schooling in Germany - except of a year and a half, that I lived in the U.S. during Middle School, due to my dad's job.

"Do you want to practice medicine in Germany at all, or only in the US? "
I'd actually love to live in the U.S. but I wouldn't mind practicing medicine in Germany either...

"But if your dream is to finish medical school and come straight to the US, you're better off attending a US medical school."
I just cannot afford attending a US medical school, as it is way to expensive and foreign students, who are not permanent residents can't take out federal loans.

"However, what I would do is go down the list of each school's graduates and see who has the best track record of sending doctors to the US. There are certain international schools that are well respected among residency directors and that carry more cachet on the interview trail than others."
I'll do some reasearch on that, though it is not that common for German med graduates to leave Germany, as working conditions and pay are not bad and if graduates decide to leave they usually choose Scandinavian countries (great work-life balance) or go to Switzerland (better salary, lower taxes).

So my "plan" is 1. study medicine in Germany + taking USMLE + getting US clinical experience
2. residency in the US (but I know that it is super hard to match into residency as an IMG)

 

[Splenda88]

Choose the best medical school in Germany and crush the USMLE step 1-2 once you are done with med school. Keep in mind that surgical subspecialties and dermatology are difficult for international medical graduates (IMG) to get.