STEP 1: Earn an undergraduate degree with an emphasis on science courses such as biology, chemistry, and physics.

STEP 2: Take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) which is a computer-based standardized examination for prospective medical students in the United States and Canada.

STEP 3: Check admission requirements for each medical school you are interested in applying to. Generally, most medical schools will expect candidates to have taken the MCAT and have completed one year of biology, physics, English and two years of chemistry. Several medical schools have similar admissions criteria for domestic as well as foreign applicants. Medical school spans over 4 years, during which students will need to appear for the U.S. Medical Licensing Exams (USMLE 1 and 2), and decide on a specialty.

After graduation students will start their residency which can last anywhere from 3 – 8 years depending on the specialty. Now that you are familiar with the process involved in getting into medical school, let’s take a look at the schools that accept international students and the cost of attending such schools.

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So which medical schools accept international students?

According to the Association of American Medical College’s (AAMC) 2013 enrollment report a total of 1,559 of 83,424 candidates who were enrolled at a U.S. medical school were non-U.S Citizens and permanent residents. In 2012, the Medical School Admission Requirements specified that a total of 77 schools accepted applications from international applicants. We have listed a few schools to help you get started with your research process: 

For more information about medical schools, start your research at the official AAMC website. If possible try and connect with international students or current doctors who are familiar with the process – this will help you in getting some real insights and the possible obstacles you may face during the application procedure. 

Typically, how much would medical school in the U.S. cost? 

Unlike U.S. citizens, international students are not eligible for U.S. government financial aid or loans. In some cases, schools require candidates to prove that they have sufficient funds to pay for all four years of medical school, which can be very expensive. As per the, 2012 Physician Education Debt and the Cost to Attend Medical School report the median cost of attending medical school in 2012 in a public and private institution was $196,661 and $275,305 respectively. 

The ultimate take away is that, becoming a doctor does not only take time, effort and hard work but it is also very expensive. However, remember that there are always options when it comes to financing your education, if you research and plan ahead of time! 

If this information has inspired or benefited you in understating the steps involved in pursuing a medical degree from the U.S., leave us a comment below, we would love to hear from you. If you would like to receive insightful information like this, on studying in the U.S. or Canada in your e-mail inbox, subscribe to us now!