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General Information
General Information
If you are interested in studying medicine here are some things that you might want to know:
If you are interested in studying medicine here are some things that you might want to know:
Different countries often have specialised requirements and different structures. Many programs requires specific courses in the DP, specialised testing, and experience volunteering and caring for people.
You want to consider licence-sure and where you want to work. Is the licence transferable to where you want to work?
Medicine is also a study in cultural understanding and social systems, so you will want to have some knowledge of the countries medical system, including issues and concerns as well as some knowledge of the policy side of medicine. As an example they may want to talk to you about current issues in global medicine and your thoughts, or to compare the system in the country where want to study to your own.
Programs around the world are highly competitive and it pays to plan ahead.
Many programs requires specific courses in the DP, specialised testing, and experience volunteering and caring for people.
Many programs around the world are for Graduate study, so after Undergraduate study/earning a BA or BS degree. Some programs are very specific about the content/title of the degree in order to be able to apply to that Medical programs and some are more forgiving.
Many countries strictly limit the number of international students admitted to medical schools.
Experiential learning out side of the classroom is also required for many programs. See the section below for ideas and suggestions.
Soft Skills needed for success in this field are extremely important. Strong Science skills are absolute, but it is not possible to be a good human doctor or nurse without the ability to communicate and listen. Please look at this link where soft skills for the medicine are listed, or google your own and then make a plan for how you can show these skills in action and work towards improving them. These activities that you engage in are also a great source of material for the personal statements and essays of your College Applications.
In this section I highlight information on the two most common locations where our students have attended programs with the intent of becoming a Doctor, Dentist, or other Medical Professional. There are additional links and information listed above.
UK
UK
Programs in the UK are highly competitive especially for International Students. Approximately 7% of the available spots to study Pre-Med in the UK are held for international students. Students should make sure that they have the correct IB courses for the Universities they are applying to. Having top marks in these classes is also required. To be a competitive applicant they also need to have experience/volunteering in a caring capacity. Below are some suggestions for Medical Internships, experiences, and projects around the world.
Test are also required. The BMAT or the UKCAT are the most common. Students should look at the Universities specific requirements in order to decide what exams they need to take. It is also good information to have when picking the 5 schools to apply to, as if you choose 5 that require the same test then you only need to take the one. Please go to these links for general information regarding testing for UK applications. For more specific information please see the UK link above:
UCAS Information on Admissions Testing
BeMo: Overview of the UK Medical School Application
If students are not able to meet the requirements for the Medicine programs in the UK there are a lot of programs which will assist them in gaining entry into careers in the medical field. The include programs like Bio-Med and others. Please see Ms. Borgerding for more information, and or follow the following link for more information: Medicine and Allied Subjects
If you do get invited to an interview check out the question bank at : https://www.themedicportal.com/
Study Medicine in Europe
Study Medicine in Europe
US/Canada
US/Canada
Medicine in the US and Canada is a Graduate level program. This means that you need to finish your first four years of College/University and have earned a Bachelor's Degree.
For the US you do not need to take Pre-Med and you do not even need to take a degree in Science, but can have a degree in Business or French. The caveat is that you must be able to show an extensive knowledge and understanding of the issues of medicine, and that you have taken the necessary classes. Prerequisites at Universities in the US do not generally state a specific degree listed that you must have earned, but they do state specific courses. That being said the most common undergraduate majors are in the wider fields of biology, chemistry, public heath and mathematics.
There are also Combined BA/BS/MD Programs for High School Applicants in the US. International students need to check each program to see if they accept international students. Over 1/2 of the programs in both the US only accept citizens.
Most programs in Canada do state specific degree requirements usually in the fields of Biology/Chemistry or Premed.
See this video summarizing the Medical School Application in Canada.
Most applicants do have degrees that are in areas of science/health care related as that is the most direct way to show your interest in the field. Please see the links below for some examples. This is important to research and know so that you can make sure that you can get the classes you need to meet the Medical School Prerequisites as you are finishing your Bachelor's degree.
It is also good to be able to show your interest in the Medical Profession by having had experience working with people in some kind of a caring way. It could be babysitting, or helping out by playing games/singing with the elderly in a nursing home to actually getting some volunteer hours in a Hospital or Clinic.
As for both the US and Canada Medicine is a graduate level of study I am not including any additional in formation on applying for medical school this page, but here are some links that you might find interesting.
Applying to US Medical School as an International Applicant:Association of American Medical Colleges
Suggestions for Medical Internships/Experiences for High School Students
Suggestions for Medical Internships/Experiences for High School Students
Experiences As Application Requirements and or Enriched Applications
Experiences As Application Requirements and or Enriched Applications
Please note that this list is not a recommendation but a list of opportunities. Please also note that there are lots of of opportunities that are closer to home as well. The most important thing is that a student can show an interest in caring for others and working with people of all ages who are in need. Please see Ms. Borgerding for ideas.
IMPORTANT!
For Med: What is important about these experiences in not the number of hours or the number of different experiences but rather your REFLECTION on what you learned. It is quality over quantity. Universities want to know what you learned and how you grew from the experience.
For Vet: A diversity of experience is important. Something related to domesticated animals like cats and dogs and something more large animal related is highly encouraged.
Links to Opportunities
Medical School Council (UK): General Information on Medical Experience Guidelines and Suggestions
Medical Schools Council (UK): COVID Times Experience opportunities
Vet MOOC at University of Edinburgh
Other Opportunities for the Health Care Field
Other Opportunities for the Health Care Field
So you wish to study Medicine--- but your grades are not strong enough? Here are some Health Care Field Ideas to think about:
Please note that this list is just a starting place and it is not intended to be a complete list of the possibilities.
Human Health and Disease-- Human Biology-- If you want to gain an in-depth, scientific understanding of the structure and function of the human body in health. The signs and symptoms of disease, the molecular basis of disease and therapeutics in treating disease.
Immunology-- If you want to understand how the immune system works, how it's failures lead to disease and how we can use our knowledge to design new therapies for infection, cancer and a range of other diseases.
Human Genetics-- If you are interested in understanding how genetics is central to controlling every cell and it's functions including 10-100 trillion cells in the human body, to directing intricate programs of development and to causing many different disorders when perturbed. Studying this will enable you to understand how genetic information is driving development to new therapies, enabling the individuations of medicines targeted towards patients needs and is revealing our ancestries and how that underpins evolutionary biology.
Neuroscience-- If you have an interest in how the brain works in health and disease. This field incorporates psychology, physiology, biochemistry, immunology, pharmacology and genetics.
Bio-Medical-- If you are interested in an interdisciplinary specialization that serves as a bridge between engineering, biology and medicine. Biomedical engineering studies ways to improve the diagnostics, therapy, care, rehabilitation and life quality by researching and developing therapeutic devices, equipment, implants, medical imaging devices as well as pharmaceuticals.
Bio-Chemistry-- If you are interested the chemical substances and processes occurring in living organisms. Biochemists focus heavily on the role, function, and structure of bio-molecules. The study of the chemistry behind biological processes and the synthesis of biologically active molecules are examples of biochemistry.
Parasitology-- If you have an interest in how the world of microorganisms interacts with the functions of larger organisms. (The bugs in the stomachs of termites that help them digest wood, or the organisms in our gut and how they affect our health and well-being)
Other ideas:
Nursing
Physiotherapy
Speech Therapy
Health Care Management
Pharmaceuticals
Nano-Technology
Prosthetic Design
Prosthetics and Orthotics
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