UK Medical School - Teach Me Everything!

October 23, 2012 12:17 PM

Tell me everything you know about applying and going to medical school in the UK! Also, about possibly going back to the US after medical school.

So, as yet another question in my quest to figure out my path to medical school...

Can you tell me everything you know about the process of applying to, getting into, and studying at a medical school for graduate entry in the UK? I've been reading a lot about it, but I'd love to hear some personal stories.

Also, very important:

- Have you gone to medical school in the UK and then practiced in the US? I know how the process works (USMLE, etc.), but I'm curious about your personal story of how you did it. Did you go to the US for residency after being in the UK? Did you pursue a career in the UK for a while and then go to the US? What specialty are you in?

- How does the process of doing medical research transfer from the UK to the US?

- Did you pursue an alternate career that uses your knowledge and skills but is not clinical practice?

(If it matters, I'm a dual US/EU citizen and am resident in the UK. I should have home fees status. I'm currently doing a PhD in a different field in the UK.)

posted by carolinaherrera to education (3 answers total)

Have you had a look here? It's a pretty good introduction.

One thing to check with unis before you get too far into applying: some graduate entry medical programmes require that students qualify for "home fees" - and unfortunately, being an EU citizen doesn't automatically qualify you for that. The rules are pretty complicated and involve actual residence over certain time periods, not just citizenship. The admissions staff will be able to tell you if you qualify.

(source - worked in university admissions, advised lots of prospective medical students on where to start)
posted by cilantro at 1:10 PM on October 23, 2012

You could also look into the graduate entry programs available in ireland.
posted by Harpocrates at 1:52 PM on October 23, 2012

I'm a dual EU/Canada citizen with an MSc studying medicine in London. I applied for (but didn't get into) 4 year programs and ended up on a regular 5 year course (I got very lucky as my uni automatically considers 4 year applicants for the 5 year course).

Some things to consider:
1) You can only apply to 4 programs. Choose wisely.

2) Entrance exams: different unis ask for different ones. I narrowed my options down to the unis which required the UKCAT which is more of an IQ test than a science test. I found it a lot easier than having to relearn organic chemistry and physics. You can only take the UKCAT once per application cycle. If you decide to take it, practice enough that you're confident that you'll get a score of >750. The cutoff for interviews for the 4-year course at my uni was around there.

3) Some unis don't have interviews. From what I've been told, you should avoid these unless you look FANTASTIC on paper and interview horribly.

4) Unless you are specifically asked about a second nationality, do not even think of mentioning your non-EU nationality. You don't want to risk them using it as an excuse to charge you international fees.

5) If you don't already have volunteering and shadowing experience, get some. Alternatively, try to get a part-time job as a healthcare assistant.

6) Have a backup plan. Because you can only apply to 4 universities each year, you could easily have a run of bad luck and not be admitted even if you have a great application.

Feel free to get in touch if you want more info. Applying for med school here was the most stressful year of my life... but it's worth it in the end.
posted by snoogles at 2:48 PM on October 23, 2012 [1 favorite]