Studying as a medical doctor abroad is a very difficult and, most often, expensive way. Moreover, not every country welcomes foreign students. But, having received such an education, you can be sure that all the knowledge gained is in line with the latest scientific data and after studying you don’t have to prove your professionalism to a foreign employer for a long time. “Theories and practices” explain how to choose the most suitable university, what documents are required for admission and how the rules for admission in different countries differ.
How to choose a university
First of all, you need to decide on finances and language. Of course, good command of English is a big plus everywhere. However, the two main countries in which you can learn to be a doctor for free are Germany and the Czech Republic, and there it is much more important to know German and Czech, respectively.
When to start preparing
For foreign universities such as top medical universities in Russia, school grades of the applicant (up to grades in a quarter) and the level of knowledge of the language (most often English) may be important. That is, you need to start preparing at least from the eighth grade (usually they look at grades no more than in the last 3 years of study). Of course, there should be good training in the fields of biology, chemistry, mathematics, and sometimes physics. Without very good grades, there is very little chance of admission: medicine is a highly competitive specialty, especially in countries where doctors have a decent salary.
Documents are best filed a year before graduation. Usually, this is an extract with grades and some proof of knowledge of the language: the results of TOEFL, IELTS or testing at school, but often there are additional requirements. If the desire to leave a Russian university arises already in the fourth year, then transferring without losing the course will fail.
Alternative
It is much easier to enter the medical faculties, after which you will not become a practicing physician. You can become a pharmacist, do biomedical research. Also, an alternative may be getting a specialty “nurse”. In this case, the UK and the USA are already very real options. Training in all these specialties is cheaper than in the case of future doctors.
USA
If you have a great desire to do medicine, and you want to study for this without fail in the USA, then the most common advice of specialists is to go to science. Then you can create medicines, study various pathological processes in laboratories, and get quite a lot of money for it. If you want to work with patients, go to the nurses: it’s also much easier to do and the salary is decent. Studying as a doctor in America is very expensive, enrolling is almost impossible.
In addition, not all Russia MBBS colleges accept foreigners. In the vast majority of cases, degrees obtained outside the United States do not matter. American medical schools accept the results of the Medical College Admissions Test, which must be passed after passing the Pre-Medical Track, where for four years they give basic knowledge in chemistry, biology, and physics. It is usually also necessary to provide the results of one of the language exams and go through an interview. After four years of study, a person must pass the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) and residency.