Medicine in USA

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Plan

Introduction

1. Study Medicine in USA

2. Application for admission to study medicine in USA

3. Study Medicine: Medical Residency in USA

4. Tuition fees to study medicine in USA

5. Alternative to Studying Medicine in USA

Conclusion

Introduction

Studying medicine (medicine and dentistry) in the US is extremely challenging in term of time, fees and intellectual effort. The admission criteria are very rigorous and education is very intensive, but after graduation the students have the skills to help those in need, and make a real difference in people's lives. That in itself is worth the hours of hard work. International students who love to help people and be faced with new and challenging experiences may want to consider studying medicine in the USA. The path is long and hard, but the reward for those students who want to study medicine is a secure, well-paying job that they can be proud of.

Medical education in the United States includes educational activities involved in the education and training of physicians (D.O. or M.D.) in the United States, from entry-level training through to continuing education of qualified specialists.

A typical outline of the medical education pathway is presented below; however, medicine is a diverse profession with many options available. For example, some physicians work in pharmaceutical research, occupational medicine (within a company), public health medicine (working for the general health of a population in an area), or join the armed forces.

1. Study Medicine in USA

Unlike studying Medicine in Europe, studying medicine in the U.S.A. generally begins after completion of four years of undergraduate study which includes meeting the pre-medical school course requirements along with obtaining a bachelor's (B.A.) degree in any subject. The requirements (prerequisites) to study medicine in UASA vary from school to school, but almost always include biology, general chemistry, and organic chemistry as main science courses. Some schools may also require that you have taken other humanities, English, math, and science classes as well, so make sure you look into medical schools while you are still an undergraduate so you can choose your classes appropriately.

University medical study in USA is a 4 year course divided into two roughly equal components: pre-clinical (consisting of didactic courses in the basic sciences) and clinical (clerkships consisting of rotations through different wards of a teaching hospital).

This program leads to Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) or Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) depending on the medical school; both degrees allow the holder to practice medicine after completing an accredited residency program. The main prerequisite is to have a bachelor degree in biology, chemistry or other field relevant to medicine

A few medical schools provide limited programs beginning after high school that combine undergraduate college study with medical education. Students are admitted provisionally to these programs based upon their high school credentials and, if their performance is satisfactory, are permitted to progress to the M.D. degree. This program generally takes six or seven years and admission to it is extremely competitive for foreign students.

Internship. During the last year of graduate medical education, students apply for postgraduate residencies in their chosen field of specialization. These vary in competitiveness depending upon the desirability of the specialty, prestige of the program, and the number of applicants relative to the number of available positions. All but a few positions are granted via a national computer match which pairs an applicant's preference with the programs' preference for applicants.

Historically, post-graduate medical education began with a free-standing, one-year internship. Completion of this year continues to be the minimum training requirement for obtaining a general license to practice medicine in most states. However, because of the gradual lengthening of post-graduate medical education, and the decline of its use as the terminal stage in training, most new physicians complete the internship requirement as their first year of residency.

Notwithstanding the trend toward internships integrated into categorical residencies, the one-year "traditional rotating internship" (sometimes called a "transitional year") continues to exist. Some residency training programs, such as in neurology and ophthalmology, do not include an internship year and begin after completion of an internship or transitional year.

Some use it to re-apply to programs into which they were not accepted, while others use it as a year to decide upon a specialty. In addition, osteopathic physicians "are required to have completed an American Osteopathic Association (AOA)-approved first year of training in order to be licensed in Florida, Michigan, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania."^[3]

Residency. Each of the specialties in medicine has established its own curriculum, which defines the length and content of residency training necessary to practice in that specialty. Programs range from three years after medical school for internal medicine to five years for surgery to seven to eight years for neurosurgery.

This does not include research years that may last from one to four years if a Ph.D. degree is pursued. Each specialty training program either incorporates an internship year to satisfy the requirements of state licensure, or stipulates that an internship year be completed before starting the program at the second post-graduate year (PGY-2).

Fellowship. A fellowship is a formal, full-time training program that focuses on a particular area within the specialty, with requirements beyond the related residency. Many highly specialized fields require formal training beyond residency.

Examples of these include cardiology, endocrinology, oncology after internal medicine; cardiothoracic anesthesiologyafter anesthesiology; cardiothoracic surgery, pediatric surgery, surgical oncology after general surgery; reproductive endocrinology/infertility, maternal-fetal medicine,gynecologic oncology after obstetrics/gynecology.

There are many others for each field of study. In some specialties such as pathology and radiology, a majority of graduating residents go on to further their training. The training programs for these fields are known as fellowships and their participants are fellows, to denote that they already have completed a residency and are board eligible or board certified in their basic specialty. Fellowships range in length from one to three years and are granted by application to the individual program or sub-specialty organizing board. Fellowships often contain a research component.

Board certification. The physician or surgeon who has completed his or her residency and possibly fellowship training and is in the practice of his or her specialty is known as an attending physician. Physicians then must pass written and oral exams in their specialty in order to become board certified. Each of the 26 medical specialties has different requirements for practitioners to undertake continuing medical education activities.

Medical student candidate will also need to have completed the MCAT test, which stands for Medical College Admissions Test. The test will determine the ability to think critically, problem solve, write clearly, as well as measure the student's knowledge of various scientific concepts. A good score on the MCAT is key to getting into a good medical school.

There are very few opportunities for foreign students to obtain the Doctor of Medicine degree in the United States. American medical schools receive twice as many applications from qualified U.S. citizens as can be accommodated and many of the publicly-supported medical schools are required by law to admit only state residents.

International student applying to medical universities in USA must bear in mind that he will, unfortunately, be at a disadvantage to local students because publicly funded colleges are required to put part or all of their state funds towards students who are residents of the school's state.

This is mainly to ensure that there are enough doctors for the area, but it can put international students at a huge disadvantage in the selection process. You can always apply to private universities, but, of course, these will be more expensive. Each student will need to weigh the pros and cons of each choice that is available, and apply to the school that is right for him or her.

Most institutions require foreign students to have completed at least the last two years of their undergraduate study in U.S.A. Universities. An increasing number of medical schools require a bachelor's degree from a U.S. school and more of that, the most important thing to know is that there are very low acceptance rates for international students.

2. Application for admission to study medicine in USA

To get into medical school in USA, international student must fulfill following criteria:

§ Undergraduate academic record (Bachelor degree),

§ Scores on the MCAT,

§ Letters of recommendation,

§ Extracurricular activities,

§ Personal qualities and

§ Commitment to medicine.

Most medical schools allow international students to apply through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) if they are pursuing a Doctor of Medicine degree or the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS) if they are pursuing a Doctorate of Osteopathic Medicine degree. Using these services is highly recommended, as it will save you a lot of time. Not that some public medical schools do not accept international students.

3. Study Medicine: Medical Residency in USA

Each of the specialties in medicine has established its own curriculum, which defines the length and content of residency training necessary to practice in that specialty. Programs range from three years after medical school for internal medicine to five years for surgery to seven to eight years for neurosurgery.

This does not include research years that may last from one to four years if a Ph.D. degree is pursued. Each specialty training program either incorporates an internship year to satisfy the requirements of state licensure, or stipulates that an internship year be completed before starting the program at the second post-graduate year.

4. Tuition fees to study medicine in USA

Studying medicine in USA is among the most expensive in the world. Taking in account that there is no financial aid available for international students, prospective student candidate must prove that he has around 25,000$ per year. Also, most of medical university schools that accept international students are private and annually tuition fee is around 40,000$,

Tuition fees for Public and private medical university schools in USA 10 approximately 10 years ago can up to 35,000 and 50,000$ per year

On the annually tuition fee, students must have also a good amount of living expenses during his studies in USA.

The student who can afford the high cost of medical school programs and living expenses, and has chance to get into USA medical school, after getting his medical degree from the USA, he will be able to practice almost anywhere.

5. Alternative to Studying Medicine in USA

Most medical schools in USA are extremely expensive and the admission is extremely challenging. Most of that, some public medical schools in USA do not have seats for international medical students and the acceptance rate for USA resident students do not exceed 50% .

As alternative, most USA students and International students go for medical university schools abroad. Among most popular university schools abroad, they are medical university schools in East Europe (Romania, Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, Check, Ukraine, and Russia etc.), Caribbean, China, Italy and Malta and Germany.

Most of schools of Medicine in these countries are very cheap, easy to get in (no need to have a Bachelor degree, Medical courses (medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, public health, veterinary medicine etc.,) programs are offered in English, fresh or German, medical degree are worldwide recognized. Premedical education and the MCAT exam are not necessary to gain admissions into medical schools abroad in Europe. High school diploma is enough. Even if some universities organize entrance exam in a medically-oriented field such as Biology, Chemistry and Physics, others accept students based on their academic background.

USA and international students dreaming to become doctors (in Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Veterinary Medicine, etc.) may choose to study medicine abroad, especially in Europe.

medical health education

Conclusion

Studying medicine in the US is extremely challenging, but if you have the passion and are willing put in the effort required, it is worth the hard work. After graduation, you will have the skills to help those in need, and make a real difference in people's lives. That in itself is worth the hours of hard work.

International students who love to help people and be faced with new and challenging experiences may want to consider studying medicine in the US. The path is long and hard, but the reward for those students who want to study medicine is a secure, well-paying job that you can be proud of.

Bibliography

1. Medline Plus (2012). "Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine". U.S. National Library of Medicine of National Institutes of Health. Retrieved 20 December 2012.

2. Medline Plus (2012). "Doctor of medicine profession (MD)". U.S. National Library of Medicine of National Institutes of Health. Retrieved 20 December 2012.

3. DO-Online.org | Postdoctoral Training | FAQS, [1]

4. "Osteopathic Postdoctoral Training Structure" (PDF). American Osteopathic Association. Retrieved 10 November 2012.

5. "About Medical Specialties Matching Program". National Resident Matching Program. 2010. Retrieved 20 December 2012.

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