If you are considering studying medicine abroad, you will be considered an IMG (international medical graduate) upon graduating. To return to the United States, you will need to take the USMLE Step exams, which are explained in more detail by the Educational Commission for Graduates of Foreign Medical Schools. Preclinical years of medical school typically involve learning about physiology, anatomy, and physiopathology. During the third and fourth years, medical students often take the step to learning in the hospital, rotating in different areas of medicine and understanding how medical specialties work.
Longer medical degrees, such as those that last five or six years, may include additional subjects. For example, some Eastern European medical schools have an “internship year” at the end, which is an additional unpaid year of study that focuses on more procedural techniques. Most medical schools expect applicants to have at least two science subjects, usually chemistry and sometimes biology. You may also need to complete the Graduate Medical School Admission Examination (GAMSAT) or another admission test.
During the third year of medical school, students typically do a series of internships or clinical rotations. International educational institutions may be eligible to participate in federal student loan programs, but their medical programs may not be eligible. The typical duration of a medical school's curriculum is four years, after which the school awards the degree of Doctor of Medicine (MD). You can also apply to a medical school abroad, such as Charles University in Prague or St Georges in the Caribbean.
Depending on the curriculum, these subjects can sometimes be taught for several years or just for one semester. If you are a citizen of the United Kingdom and want to work in the UK as a doctor after obtaining a degree abroad at a medical school outside the UK, EEA or Switzerland, you must pass the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB) exam in order to enroll. In addition, international medical schools must submit annual reports and meet certain eligibility requirements to continue participating in federal student loan programs. There are many excellent medical schools located outside of the United States and it may be easier to gain admission into one of these institutions than into a US-based program.
It is important to contact medical schools directly for information on graduate programs and to check their entry requirements.
