Based on the chosen specialty the prerequisites for becoming a doctor in the US vary. The student has to complete undergraduate program, which runs for 4 years. The students need to spend 4 years in the medical school and additional 3 to 7 years of residency training, which are required to become a licensed practitioner.
Educational Prerequisites
Two degrees and a clinical residency are required to become a medical doctor in the US. General medical coursework is dealt with in these programs, and choosing specialty has to be done during the residences.
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( vote)Why Students Should Study Medicine In USA?
The standard of education is very high in the US and many students dream of getting education there. The medical degree obtained from US College or University is recognized globally so you can either get a job as a doctor in US or any other European country. Getting admission in the MD Program of US is highly competitive for the foreign students and if you can make it; it is indeed a boost for your career.
Career Opportunities
After earning a doctor degree from US, a wide range of opportunities will be open for you. You can choose to work as a doctor in US or in any other country you reside in. Moreover, you can also go for further specialization in any of the medical fields or choose to work in any hospital, scientific institute or healthcare sector.
Doctor Of Medicine (MD)
In a medical school, of the four years of training, the first two years are dedicated for book study and laboratory training, which helps the students to identify and treat illnesses. The National Board of Medical Examiners administers the United States Medical Licensing Examination. The portion which is offered under their guidelines is taken by the students in the second year of medicine school.
The clinical experience is offered during the last two years in the medical school. Students work with physicians by attending to them, and get trained. The second licensing test is issued during the 4th year of the med school. The residence training too starts here. A few institutions have a different structure. The students can take a 6 year training and education program, which allows a compressed medical and academic education.
Top Universities In US Which Provide MD Courses
All of these universities are accredited and ranked highly in the list of Best Medical Schools by the US News of the year 2014. Some of these universities offer MD program and scholarships for international students also.
–Harvard University MD Program
Rank # 1
For four years, the students read about biology, social behavior and clinical sciences. The biological sciences receive focus for the first two years of study in the Harvard University. The education’s venue is moved to various medical facilities that are affiliated to the university like the TMEC.
Financial Aid: Financial assistance is provided on the basis of financial need and the funds are given to the individual students who strive hard but fail to accumulate the funds. To know about the eligibility of international students for financial aid, please visit the website.
–University of Washington-MD Program
Rank #6
University of Washington’s MD program has undergone various changes for the past 38 years. The university covers 5 northwestern states and is recognized by the WWAMI program. Consistent monitoring for excelling in clinical skills, patient-centered care and professionalism is provided by this university. This is one of the universities that consistently get the top rank by US News and World Report.
Financial Aid: The priority deadline for UW FAFSA is February 28th, 2015. Regardless of admission status, the deadline is applied. Regardless of the age of the applicant the parental status, marital status, and independent status should be provided. The eligibility is not affected by the parental information. However, it helps in determining the primary care loans, loans for disadvantaged students and the scholarship for disadvantaged students. Online FAFSA application can be done. Please contact the University to know if the scholarships or funding is available for international students.
–Yale University MD Program
Rank # 7
The traditional four-year program pattern is followed by the Yale University to confer the Doctor of Medicine program. However, an optional program of 5 years (tuition-free fifth year) is offered to the students who prefer it.
International Financial Aid by Yale University for International Students
The international students are evaluated for the scholarship just like the US citizens. It is a need-based program, and the rules are same except for the loan sources. The financial aid award of Yale University is chosen based on needs. Please check the website for further details.
–Duke University School of Medicine-MD Program
Rank # 8
MD program from Duke University prepares the students for pursuing a broad spectrum of medical career, and they are prepared to become the leaders of the field who can contribute to biomedical research, national and global health. This is the very reason that the university has been placed in the top ten ranks of medical schools of US.
The students learn the fundamentals of the sciences in the 1st year, clinical clerkships in the 2nd year, and the 3rd year is all about the scholarly investigation, and elective rotations are offered in the 4th year.
Funding Aid for International Students
The need-based grant program for 2014 to 15 will make arrangements for funding for The School of Medicine. This is a limited funding program. This is based on the number of applicants, and the newly applied students too are taken into consideration. For students who are returning for the funds, reapplying every year is required. The application process is reminded for the returning students.
–The University Of Arizona MD Program
Rank # 68
The College of Medicine- Tucson offers the MD program and this program is designed to train the highly talented physicians to make them dedicated and efficient to enhancing the care for the patients. The state of medical knowledge advancement is another goal of the MD program. Students who graduate from the College of Medicine- Tucson come out skilled in the modern medicine, apart from diagnosing, treating and preventing disease.
Financial Aid: University of Arizona offers various scholarships, loans and grants. Most of the scholarships are for federal student aid which can be applied through FAFSA website.
–John Hopkins University MD Program
Rank # 3
After meeting the requirements, the students can take admission in JHU School of Medicine MD program. JHU is a renowned university for training the medical students and has been dedicated to making many great future medical leaders. International students can pursue the MD course at JHU after meeting the standard prerequisites and must have a year work experience in the approved university of USA. Moreover, non-US students have to pass the TOEFL examination also.
Scholarships: For motivating students to get enrolled in the JHU MD program offers a plethora of scholarships for the US resident students. Some of the external scholarships are offered by American Medical Association, Association of American Medical Colleges, Baltimore City Medical Society Foundation, Howard G. Lapsley Memorial Scholarship Fund, Maryland Graduate and Professional Scholarship and many more.
International students or Non.US students are also provided with the funding received under the JHM International Scholarship. Financial aid is provided on the basis of need and merit and the number of scholarships for international students is quite limited. However, there is also provision of getting financial assistance as institutional loan. Visit the website for further details.
–Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University MD Program
Rank- #34
At Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, students can gain the cutting-edge education for excelling in both medicine and science fields. The solid curriculum and the hand-on clinical training of the medicine college provide the solid foundation for building career in the medical science fields. The Einstein College of Medicine invites both the US and international students to pursue their world renowned MD Program. However, international students outside of US and Canada have to complete at least 1 year in the formal science programs recognized by an accredited American university or college. Moreover, both the internal and international students have to undergo the MCATs by November month previous to the matriculation year.
Scholarships– International students are not eligible for the U.S federal loans and scholarships; however, they would get an opportunity to get the benefit from the Einstein scholarships and College loan funds. The scholarships are limited and depend on the stupendous performance of the student.
–University of Minnesota, MD Program
Rank # 34
University of Minnesota offers its MD program at two campuses- Twin Cities and Duluth campus. The MD program has offered revised curriculum by integrating clinical learning and basic science in all the four years of the course. Right now University of Minnesota is accepting international till the year 2016 based on the high competition. Only two foreign students out of 300 applicants are given admission and they have to take up the full responsibility of financing their education.
Scholarships– University of Minnesota offers scholarships for the domestic students and one of these is Non-resident Tuition scholarship for the students living outside of Minnesota. Other scholarships for internal students are University of Minnesota Foundation, University Grants and Medical School scholarships.
–Emory University School of Medicine, MD Program
Rank #24
Emory University offers competitive domestic and international students to join their MD program. The aim of the Emory MD course is to develop competently and world-class physicians who are ultimately human at heart. International can get the admission in the Emory School of Medicine after clearing TOEFL and Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). Around 10-15 international students get the admission every year in the Emory MD program.
Scholarships– For international students, Emory School of Medicine do not offer any financial aid. However, for domestic students there is a plethora of scholarship options available and some of these are Alumni Medical School scholarship, Claudia Adikson Medical scholarship. Apart from these other scholarships are based on Need, Community service and merit and eligibility.
–Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, MD-PhD Program
Rank #18
Geisel School of Medicine has been ranked at 18 and offering MD-PhD dual degree course for both internal and international students. Regardless of the citizenship status of the students the Medicine school believes in providing training to future healthcare leaders. With the help of MD-PhD program of Dartmouth College, the students get the full advantage of both the courses for understanding the healthcare system on the whole.
Scholarships- Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, is quite generous in giving equal financial assistance to both internal as well as international students. Apart from meeting the standard admission requirements international students should be holding the proper visas and must have completed 3-years of full-time study in the US or Canada’s college or university. Please visit the website for further details.
Being a doctor is one of the noblest professions and your potential of becoming efficient doctor increases manifold if you have earned a degree from the US Medicine School or University. Not all the universities or medicine schools are open for the global education but still you can choose some colleges from the above list to grab the international scholarship opportunities and carry on the medical education in US.
