The Chiacago Tribune carries a story today on an alternative solution for students seeking a US medical degree. Medical school is simply among the most comeptive prorgams in any educational system. In the US, tradiationally students will go for an undergradaute degree in any major and then go to medical school and residency. This usually means a seven or eight year committment plus 1-2 years per speciality. although several colleges offer combined BA/MD s or seven year programs, these are highly selective. In reality, to be a liscened physician in the US or Canada, you do not neccesarrily have to go to undergraduate degree. You can go directly directly to an offshore medical school which will prepare you for to take the USMLE . The key for a student who wants to become a practicing doctor in the US:

• • Are U.S. residents or citizens.
• • Are eligible for ECFMG certification.
• • Have fulfilled all other residency and licensing requirements.
• • Receive a passing score on the USMLE.
• • Fulfill a one residency requirement

You do not HAVE to do your medical school in the US. Many students in the US who follow the tradional path find that medical schools simply do not have enough spaces for them. Dr. Mark Kaushal was one such student. He went to Hungary to study medicine and came up with a brokerage idea: Source America.

“There are lots of smart, highly motivated kids out there who don’t get the chance to be doctors–either because they couldn’t get into med school or they can’t afford it,” Kaushal said. Widening path for doctors | Chicago Tribune:

The numbers suppost his statment: University of Chicago, although more selective than many, is also typical of the demand: 7,520 students applied for admission to the Pritzker School of Medicine. Only 289 were accepted, of whom 112 will enroll this fall. That is about 3% admission rate. Costs tend to be cheaper in Eastern Europe as well:

Tuition, room and board costs about $10,000 a year, a quarter of tuition alone at a private medical school in the U.S.

The European option allows students to direct entry out of high school and six years later becoem a doctor or come after they finish their Bachelors degree. Or they can come after 2 years of US education in a 2+4 program:

The 2 + 4 Medical Program requires students to be admitted and be dual-enrolled for the first two years in an approved college in the United States with a deferred admission to the medical school program in Europe. Students take courses such as cell biology, medical chemistry, anatomy, physiology, etc. these first two years. The last 4 years of the Medical Education are completed in Europe.::: SourceAmerica - Pioneers in Medical Education ::::

Source America appears to work exclusively with 3 Bulgarian Medical schools:

Sofia Medical University  |  Official School Website  |  Discover Sofia

• Sofia Medical University was established in 1918
• Sofia University’s professor and associate professor staff comprises about 400 members
• The Medical Faculty at Sofia has 47 departments and clinical centers

Varna Medical University  |  Official School Website  |  Discover Varna

• Varna is the third largest Medical University in Bulgaria
• Varna Medical University has been training doctors for more than 40 years

Pleven Medical University  |  Official School Website  |  Discover Pleven

• Pleven, the smallest Medical University in Bulgaria, has 1,000 Beds in their hospital, compared to the biggest hospital in Chicago with 600 beds
• Pleven Medical University has been training doctors for more than 30 years
• Pleven University’s teaching staff comprises about 300 members

A searchable database of all medical schools can be found at ECFMG.com. The tradiation route in the US, as I mentioned, you can study any major, but to be “pre-med” you need to take the following five courses:

• 1 year of Biology with lab
• 1 year of Inorganic Chemistry with lab
• 1 year of Organic Chemistry with lab
• 1 year of English
• Many schools require 1 year of calculus or college level math
• Some medical schools request a course in Biochemistry

If you did not take these courses or you do not feel adequately prepared, many colleges offer PostBaccalaureate premedical programs. In addition to the application, you need to take the MCAT:

• Biological Sciences (Biology and Organic Chemistry - 77 questions),
• Physical Sciences (Physics and Inorganic Chemistry - 77 questions),
• Verbal Reasoning (65 questions),
• and Essay Writing (2 essays).
• Over 40,000 students take this test. Of the students who matriculate into medical school the mean grades are: Verbal Reasoning - 9.5, Physical Sciences - 9.9, Biological Sciences - 10.2. The essays are graded on a scale of J to T. The 50th percentile is a score of P. (www.aamc.org/stuapps/facts/ famg6.htm)

Consider this: Of the 37,364 applicants who applied to medical school in the us last year:

• half were women and half were men
• 17,978 were accepted
• 1204 applied from overseas.
• Only 82 Matricaulated.

Students may also want to consider studying Medicine in Australia, Canada or the UK. But I think I will save that for another post.