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UK Graduate Entry (4 year) Medicine


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Hey all,

 

I just wanted to offer my services to anyone who is thinking of applying for graduate entry programmes into medicine in the UK. These programmes are 4 years long and get you an MBBS degree (the requisite being that you have completed a degree already). It is more difficult to come back to North America to practice, but it is not impossible. If you're like me and your GPA is borderline for most Canadian schools, you may want to think about this option as back-up.

 

I know that it can be daunting to go through the whole process of researching schools abroad and finding out which schools are suitable, so I'd like to offer my advice to anyone who is interested. In the UK, not all graduate programmes accept international (non-EU) candidates and many schools have different entrance examinations, so it takes many hours of research to come up with a strategy.

 

Anyhow, seeing as I've been through this whole ordeal, I just thought I'd post so that people can contact me in the future.

 

Cheers and best of luck with applications!

 

As a post-script, I also know that several medical schools in Ireland have started with the Graduate Entry Medicine programmes, so you might want to check those out as well.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hey hows it going? Actually I'm also considering applying to UK and did my research of which schools to apply. But my question is whether there is hope of doing residency in UK? I mean do we only get the spots that are not desireable and in rural areas? Also if you could shed light on which colleges you'd recommend to apply for? Thanks in advance.

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Hey there,

 

I'm afraid that you might not like the response I have to your questions. It is possible to stay in the UK for your residency, but it is really difficult. The laws in the UK have very recently changed to make it much more difficult for foreigners (even those educated in the UK) to get positions, unless they're exceptional candidates.

 

As for where to apply, you'll probably have to figure that out yourself. UCAS gives you four spots for different med programmes, so do a little bit of research and find out about different schools. I really wanted to live in London, so I mainly researched graduate medical programmes in London. Barts and the London, Imperial College London and King's College London all have graduate programmes which accept international applicants. Also look at the entrance exams which are required for the different schools. For instance, I chose to take the MSAT, which was good for all the schools I applied to. I think that this coming year, they're introducing the UKCAT as the entrance exam, so check it out to make sure that you don't have to write different exams for each university.

 

If you have any more questions, I'd be pleased to help.

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  • 2 weeks later...

To be honest, I don't think you can apply for an international spot (though I could be wrong). I'm afraid you'll have to check this out yourself.

 

The really nice thing is that you'll probably be paying a very low fee for your education.

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From what I understand, just because your a British citizen doesn't mean you pay the same fees as the locals. I'm British and I've researched this. I can't remember for sure what the requirement is...but I think it was that one must also do their high school or something in the UK. I know that I'm British but I would still have to pay international fees. Make sure you check each schools website to make sure what the rules are as I'm not entirely certain.

 

Zuck

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Really? I guess I haven't researched this much, but I sort of assumed that if you're a British citizen, they don't make you pay international fees. I know, for instance, that other people in the EU don't have to pay international fees. I guess the best thing would be to check the websites/call the universities to be absolutely positive.

 

To answer someone's previous question about gpa, I have the feeling that it's pretty variable across different schools. My cumulative gpa is about 3.5 and I didn't have a problem getting into UK schools. I contacted the admissions offices to the schools that I was applying to and made sure that my marks were good enough. I know that at the University of Toronto (where I did my undergrad) graduates about 10% of the class with a 3.5 and above, so when I wrote them, I explained that. The UK uses the honours system, which is a bit different. You can look it up on wikipedia to sort of get the gist of how their degrees work.

 

Anyhow, I'd be more than happy to answer any more questions, so keep'em coming.

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I'll let you know when I start in September ;-)

 

I think its pretty similar to med school in Canada - time wise at least. We start at the end of September and finish mid June... Two weeks for Easter and Christmas. That sounds pretty similar to the Canadian schools, I think.

 

As far as life in the UK, I wouldn't be able to comment yet.

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Hey Neuromed,

Which 4 yr MD program are you enrolled in...like at which university? Which other universities have 4 yr MD programs? What are the tuition fees? As far as I know, the 4 yr programs must be new since before their were only 5 and 6 yr programs.

 

Zuck

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I'm enrolled at the University of London (Barts and the London). There are numerous 4 year MBBS programs all over the country. I know that specifically, in London, there are programs (that accept foreigners) at Imperial, Kings and Barts. Most other universities also have graduate entry programs, but you have to check the requirements and whether they accept foreigners.

 

Tuition is, unfortunately, problematic. About 10,000 pounds first year, followed by about 20,000 each year thereafter. My degree will cost me roughly what a five year degree in Ireland will cost (I think). But hey - I got out of my undergrad debt free, which, although common in Canada, is certainly uncommon in the States.

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I wanted to also mention that entrance into graduate entry programs in the UK is very competitive. Statistically (especially as an international student), it seemed more difficult, but the cutoffs were a bit more lax, so I ended up having much more luck than with the schools in Ontario.

 

Ironically, I felt that my interviews in the UK all went horribly and that my Canadian interviews were fantastic. Just goes to show you...

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Hey Neuromed,

Going to London would seem like such a cool place to study. I'm wondering, you must have written the UKCAT...so how did you do on that...that must have been hard. Do the schools put a lot of weight on that? What made you decide on the UK rather than Ireland or Australia? I've been getting no love from Canadian schools post-interview so I'm looking for other options.

 

Zuck

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The test that was required for the universities I applied to was the Medical Schools Admissions Test (MSAT). In comparison to the MCAT, it was the biggest joke... 3 hours and not very difficult at all. This test is being replaced by the UKCAT, which I've been told is a little bit more a test of aptitude. Having said this, I would recommend buying a book or study guide if you're planning on taking the test as I've heard it can be tricky. The good news is that it is offered at different testing centres all over the world and that it is a very short test.

 

As far as why I considered the UK - I had my own personal reasons for wanting to focus on London (relationship). Getting into schools in the UK is probably harder than in Ireland or Australia, which are countries that are used to accepting applicants from North America who can't make it into medical school in their own countries. Ireland (at the time I researched it) did not have any 4 year programs and I didn't like the idea of starting med school with people directly from high school. I should have considered Australia since I hold a valid Aussie passport, but it wasn't where my head was at the time. (As a sidenote, you still have a week or two to submit an application through ACER for med school in Australia for 2008, which starts in February.)

 

It is too bad that the Canadian schools are showing us no love. My only two interviews were at Queen's and Western and I was waitlisted at both.

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  • 2 months later...

So it's now official. I wasn't offered a spot from any of the Canadian schools and I'm now heading across the pond to continue my studies.

 

I'll be sure to update this thread mid-year and let the forum know what my impressions are of the UK system.

 

I also am thinking of applying to some Canadian schools again. Who knows?

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Hey there,

 

You won't have to write the MSAT - I believe that all unis have done away with that test and have adopted the UKCAT. As for the UKCAT, it's an aptitude test and doesn't require hours of studying, however, I would really recommend getting a book. Evidently it's a little like the LSAT in that there are tricks to doing well on the problems and being familiar with the different types of questions really helps.

 

It's also short and computer based, so I would assume you could take it at any number of places in North America. I would google the test and see what you come up with. One of the ****ty things about the MSAT was that, being a paper based test, it was only offered in Washington, DC, and Ottawa (outside of the UK). It was lucky that I am living in DC; otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to do it.

 

You should register to take the UKCAT soon, though. I think the cutoff date to register must be pretty soon.

 

Good luck!

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  • 3 weeks later...

I am not sure how other international schools deal with clinical electives, but I met up with a UCL medical student who tells me they only have 8 weeks of electives (compare that to 16 weeks I get with UWO). In fact, she tells me the British system for matching to residencies, your rotating internship, is backwards. There are no interviews; it is anonymous and simply based on your essays (maybe grades, I am not sure). Because of this, students realise electives are useless for matching and use it for overseas electives.

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