It is no news that medicine is one of the most respected professions in the world and this has led to a high number of competitions when it comes to students applying for medical schools.
Doctors are one of the most respectable professionals in the world and a career as a doctor is quite rewarding and satisfying. If you have the passion and dream of helping people stay and live healthy, then becoming a doctor is the right path for you.
Studying medicine does take a long time unlike some other courses and the journey of starts with understanding how to become a doctor and if you are interested in studying medicine in USA, then you saw this article right in time as we are going to tell you everything you need to know about studying medicine in the U.S.
The United States is one of the best places to study medicine as it is home for some of the best medical schools in the world. These schools offer one of the best medical education and training. They also have a high level of graduate employability which means that graduating from a medical school in the U.S. would increase your chances of getting a job anywhere in the world.
Studying Medicine in USA
Studying medicine in the U.S. starts with completing a four years of undergraduate study which includes meeting the pre-medical school course requirements and getting a Bachelor’s degree in any science related subject.
For you to get into med school, you must have an undergraduate degree in the science field like biology and chemistry courses. Since you will be working in healthcare sector, you will have to look into human biology, organic chemistry, pharmacology, anatomy, physiology and even sociology.
The university medical study in the United States is a 4-year course that is divided into two components which are pre-clinical and clinical. This program leads to Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) or Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) depending on the medical school.
There is no undergraduate course for medicine in the U.S. as you can only study medicine at the post-graduate level in medical schools in the U.S.
How To Apply For Medical School In USA
· You will have to take a Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)
MCAT is a standardized test that is required for you to get into medical school and the test is a multiple choice exam that is divided into four sections.
You have the Biological and Biochemical Foundations; the Chemical and Physical Foundations. Try to schedule the exam within three years of applying to med school to ensure that they accept your scores.
Make sure you study very hard to prepare yourself for the test. Look for study guides and set out time to study them every day.
· Fill out the application for the school you want to go to
Ensure you take your time to research about potential medical schools you will like to attend and check if you meet the eligibility requirements to apply to the schools. if you meet the requirements for the school, you can proceed to applying online as most of these medical schools have websites through which you can apply.
You will have to apply with your information, transcript and any essays that you might be asked to write. Make sure you submit your application before the deadline that is given so that you can qualify for the coming academic year.
Try to get letters of recommendation from professors or advisors.
· Do an interview with someone from the school you want to go to
After your application has been accepted, you will have to do an interview with someone from the school either in person or on video call. The person interviewing you will ask your things like why you want to become a doctor and why you chose the school.
Make sure you answer the questions honestly and the best way can as this will increase your chances of getting accepted.
You can also go further to sending a follow-up email to thanks the person for their time and consideration.
Best Medical Schools In The U.S.
If you want to study medicine in USA, you will have to consider going to the best medical schools in the U.S. and like we said, there is no undergraduate course for medicine in USA and so you will have to complete an undergraduate course in any science related subject before you can enroll in a medical school in USA to study medicine at a postgraduate level.
Here is our list of some of the best medical schools in the U.S. according to rankings by QS World University Rankings, US news and some other world rankings.
Harvard University
This is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts and it was established in 1636 as Harvard College. It is one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in the United States.
The Harvard Medical School is located in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston, Massachusetts and it was established in 1782 and also one of the oldest medical schools in the United States.
The Harvard Medical School is ranked first in the best medical school in USA. It is at the top of the World Medical Research and inventions.
This med school is very competitive as it accepts three students out of every 100 applicants and so with this, we would say that the acceptance rate is 3.4%.
The students report Median GPAs of 3.93 and its polls 519 as an MCAT score.
The average cost of 15 programs in Harvard Medical School is around $55,588 to $65,785 per year.
John Hopkins University
This is a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland and it was established in 1876. It is the oldest research university in the United States.
John Hopkins University School of Medicine is a private research medical school that was established in 1893 and it is the second-best university for medicine in the United States behind Harvard University. The University has a median Undergraduate GPA of 3.94 with over 520 as the MCAT score.
It has a good Acceptance rate of about 6.10% with is better than that of Harvard which is 3.4%.
The tuition fee for medical students in John Hopkins Medical University is $58,949 and it has over 470 students as school enrollment.
Stanford University
This is a private research university that is located in the census-designated place of Stanford, California, near the city of Palo Alto. The university was established on November 11, 1885.
The Stanford University School of Medicine is located in Stanford, California and it was established in 1908.
The Stanford School of Medicine is on the number 3 spot in the United States but it is ranked number 5 on the best medical school in the world.
It has an enrollment of over 500 with a tuition fee of $58,300. New applications into the university’s medical school are ongoing and it will end on October 1st.
University of Pennsylvania
This is a private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and it was established in 1740. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States.
The Perelman School of Medicine usually called Penn Med is the medical school of the University of Pennsylvania and it was established in 1765 and it is one of the oldest medical schools in the U.S.
This med school is number four in best medical school in the United States but it is ranked 7th in the world. Through its researches and inventions, it earned its spot on the list of best medical schools in the world today.
The school has a median undergraduate GPA of 3.9 Median MCAT score 521 and the acceptance rate is 45.
It has a school enrollment of 587 students and their tuition fee is around $65,384.
University of California-San Francisco
This university’s school of medicine is ranked the 5th best medical school in the United States but 8th in the world. The university has pulled up a median undergraduate GPA of 3.85 and Median MCAT score of 517.
The school has an enrollment of 645 students with its acceptance rate of 3.4%. The tuition fee for the medical school is $54,384.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you study medicine in USA as an international student?
Yes, you can study medicine as an international student in USA as you just have to complete an undergraduate program in any science related subject whether in or outside USA and then enroll in a medical school in USA.
Most of the best medical schools in USA are very competitive and so you will have to work hard for you to be selected to study medicine in any of the medical school in USA.
How long does it take to graduate from medical school?
Some people are always considering the number of years they will have to spend in medical school. Well, to graduate from a medical school in US, you must first complete a four-year undergraduate degree and then four years of medical school.
You will then have to complete a three to seven years as a resident depending on the specialty.
You will have to pass a licensing exam in the state where you will be practicing and so to become a licensed and certified doctor, you would likely spend about 10 to 14 years.
What are the requirements to studying medicine?
This actually varies from one country to another. In the United States, medical degrees are considered second entry degrees and so you cannot enroll in a Medicine Bachelor’s program just like that.
Before you can apply for medical school, you must first complete a undergraduate degree in a related Science field and then you can enroll in a four-year medicine program.
Some of the general requirements to enroll in a medical school in the US are:
- High school diploma
- Undergraduate degree in a related science field (3-4 years)
- Good TOEFL language score
- Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0
- Minimum MCAT exam result (set by each university)
- Letters of recommendation.
How much does it cost to earn a degree in Medicine?
The cost of studying medicine has risen a lot in recent years. According to Shemmassian, the cost of medical school in 2022 is around $10,200 to $91,500 for out-of-state tuition fees and around $10,200 to $73,464 for in-state tuition fee.
Some school like Weill Cornell and Columbia now offer debt-free financial aid and this will allow students to study without taking loan. The tuition and expenses are totally covered depending on the student’s financial need.
Final Note
Medicine is a very lucrative profession and that is why it is very competitive. We have done our best to tell you everything you need to know about studying medicine in USA.
You just have to complete a 4-years undergraduate program in any science related subject and then you can enroll in a medical school in the U.S. for another 4-year course after which you proceed to completing a residence program which will certify you to become a doctor in the USA.
