On average, it takes 11 to 16 years of study. Four years for a bachelor's degree (undergraduate school), and another four years of direct medical school, as well as three to eight years of secondary specialization in a particular field. Moreover, you need to obtain all the licenses required by law and undergo continuous professional development.

Applicants to medical school are required to have sufficient academic hours in subjects such as mathematics, biology, chemistry, organic chemistry and physics.

The structure of study at medical school is as follows: the first two years are studied anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, microbiology, pathology and pharmacology. The curriculum in the initial courses will include disciplines on the behavior of individuals and groups, medical examination techniques and medical history.

Primary specialization begins with the third year of medical school. At this stage, they study internal medicine, surgery, gynecology, psychiatry, obstetrics and pediatrics. Usually the last year of medical school is practical classes, visits to hospitals, participation in examinations of patients, as well as in the study of elective courses.

After that, graduates undergo a secondary specialization (residency). It is during this period that exams are taken for obtaining a license to conduct medical practice.

In the meantime, click on the picture below to download the free university brochures.

How is the US medical school admission process organized?

5. Volunteer work in the health sector

7. Work experience related to medicine

8. Non-medical volunteer work

After the interview

3. Science and Mathematics Grade Point Average (GPA)

4. Voluntary work (especially in the health sector)

5. Total score

6. MCAT result

7. Introductory essay

8. Work experience (medical related)

Documents for admission to the American medical school:

  1. certificate of complete secondary education
  2. score transcript
  3. diploma of pre-medical study or secondary specialized education in health care (recommended by most universities)
  4. bachelor's degree (for admission to the master's program)
  5. certificate of passing the IELTS or TOEFL language exam
  6. MCAT certificate (at the request of the educational institution)
  7. PCAT certificate (for admission to pharmaceutical departments)
  8. CGFNS certificate (for nursing students)
  9. NBDE certificate (for admission to dental departments)
  10. additional diploma and certificates (if any)
  11. motivational essay
  12. letters of recommendation
  13. student resume (at the request of the university)

In the vast majority of American universities there is a huge competition for places in medical schools. To enroll in a course, international students need to outperform many local applicants in the competition, proving excellent command of English, high academic performance and a serious intention to work in the field of medicine. That is why it is important to pass specialized entrance tests and, in some cases, to pass an interview with the admission committee of the university.

In addition, having experience in healthcare or just working with people can help in the admission process.

Top 3 Medical Schools in America

Medical education is one of the longest and most expensive in the world, including the US. However, here you can find suitable training options. Here are three American universities offering relatively affordable medical education and scholarships for international students.

Indiana university Purdue university Indianapolis

IUPUI was formed from the merger of two of Indiana's leading universities and today has over 30,000 students, 12% of whom are international. A distinctive feature of the university is a large number of study programs that are offered on the basis of 17 schools, and extensive scholarship opportunities.

Medical disciplines at the university can be studied on the basis of the School of Dentistry, the School of Health and Rehabilitation, the School of Medicine and the School of Nursing. At the same time, IUPUI is among the Top 20 universities with the best teaching at the undergraduate level, the university's programs in nursing are also included in the Top 20 US courses in this discipline.

On the basis of the schools of the university, you can get a specialization in almost any medical discipline, including the most popular ones: anesthesia, biochemistry, molecular genetics, psychiatry, urology, gynecology, surgery, and much more.

Students get full access to practical classes, as well as research activities. In total, IUPUI is raising more than $336 million in funding for research, grants and awards.

Average cost of a year of study: $25,000

Saint Louis University

St. Louis University is a medium-sized university with 13,000 students and two campuses, in Missouri, USA and Madrid, Spain. For almost 200 years, this university has been offering students not only a wide range of courses, but also comprehensive support and accommodation on a well-equipped campus.

The university includes the Teaching Dental Center, the Center for Ethics and Health, the College of Health Sciences, the School of Medicine, and the School of Nursing. Here you can study endocrinology, surgery, plastic surgery, pediatrics, neurology, dermatology, anesthesiology and much more.

During the training, students are required to undergo clinical practice and have the opportunity to engage in research in various fields, including biomedicine and genetics.

Average cost of a year of study: $20,000

University of Utah

The University of Utah is a major university in Salt Lake City with about 30,000 students. The educational institution is included in the Top 100 universities in the world and is famous for its quality teaching, various scholarship programs, organizing interesting leisure activities for students and accommodating students on a beautiful campus.

The university's medical school has educated most of Utah's practicing doctors, and its graduates also work throughout America and other countries. The school offers many programs in various branches of medicine and health care, and also conducts research in the fields of genetics, cancer treatment, biomedicine and modern medical technologies.

Popular specializations include: family medicine, psychiatry, oncology, pediatrics, biochemistry, dermatology, etc. The university also has a College of Health and a Nursing College, on the basis of which you can get professional qualifications.

Average cost of a year of study: $22,500

Prospects for graduates with a medical degree

Qualified doctors are needed in all states and cities of America, from rural areas to busy metropolitan areas. The salaries of doctors depend on specialization, qualifications and place of work. At the same time, doctors in large clinics and doctors who conduct private appointments in large US cities receive the highest wages.

The three highest paid medical specialties in America are surgeons, dentists, and pharmacists. Physicians with these profiles receive, on average, more than $130,000. Orthopedists, anesthesiologists, obstetricians-gynecologists, ophthalmologists and specialists in the treatment of older people also receive high wages.

It is important to note that holders of an American medical diploma can successfully find a job not only in the United States, but also in other countries of the world. This qualification allows you to count on career growth within medical institutions, the opening of a private medical practice or the transition to scientific medical work.

In America, there is no more difficult, exhausting and time-consuming path to higher education than the path to becoming a doctor. It is no coincidence that doctors in America are called eternal students. From the beginning of training to the opportunity to practice independently, it usually takes from 11 to 15 years.

In order to start this difficult path, you must finish high school. Americans themselves admit that their level of secondary education is not very high. Therefore, students who dream of becoming doctors in the future should mobilize as much as possible in high school in order to get into colleges with a good reputation and a high level of training.

One of the main conditions for achieving this goal is the passing of a written exam called the Scholastic Aptitude Test, or SAT. This exam is a test of mathematical intelligence and knowledge of the English language. You must pass this exam very well. Otherwise, the chances of getting into a prestigious college are significantly reduced.

Recently in America there has been a trend towards less rigid selection. Some fairly prestigious colleges have stopped requiring mandatory SAT and enroll applicants based on the grades contained in the certificate of secondary education. But at this stage, such an order of enrollment in prestigious colleges is the exception rather than the rule.

It takes an average of four years to complete a college education. If desired, this time can be reduced to three years or stretched indefinitely - it all depends on the number of subjects that the student chooses in each semester. Unlike those countries where all students study according to a single curriculum, in America you can choose not only the number of subjects, but also the subjects themselves.

Thus, students of the same college can choose a completely different specialization. Those of them who plan to enter medical schools in the future should choose subjects with the combined name Premed. This is a set of courses with an emphasis on biology, chemistry, physics and sociology. The presence of these subjects in the diploma at the end of college is a prerequisite for admission to medical school.

In their final year of college, students who wish to apply to medical schools must take another test. The test is called the Medical College Admission Test, or MRU for short. This test is difficult, and good knowledge of the above disciplines is required to pass it.

In order to enter a prestigious medical school, getting high scores when passing the IRU is not enough. It is also necessary to have letters of recommendation, write a decent essay on the topic "Why I want to become a doctor" and pass a difficult interview.

Many college students take an annual sabbatical during their studies. Such a vacation is needed in order to engage in scientific activities. Engaging in science, especially if it culminates in publication in a scientific journal, certainly increases an applicant's chances of getting into medical school.

Education in medical school lasts four years. Variations are also possible here, but it is almost impossible to complete the training in a shorter period of time. Medical school schedules are much tighter than college, but like college, medical students have the option to choose a different number of subjects each semester. It all depends on how soon they want to graduate.

The first two years of study at medical school are spent in the knowledge of fundamental disciplines. Communication with patients at this time among students is extremely limited. Within two years, in various combinations, students pass the following disciplines:
— anatomy, neuroanatomy, pharmacology, biochemistry, fundamentals of psychiatry, physiology, histology;
- pathology;
- Embryology.

Such a system of education, which is close and understandable to us in its structure, has recently begun to be subjected to certain criticism. Many progressive and serious medical schools, including even Harvard Medical School, have switched to a new system called Double helix, which means “Double Helix”. This system of education is built on the principle of merging theory and practice, when students from the first year begin to immerse themselves in clinical medicine, while simultaneously studying the above fundamental disciplines.

At the end of their second year of medical school, all students must pass the first part (Step 1) of the United States Medial Licensing Examination, or USMLE for short, which means "US Medical Licensing Examination".

The third and fourth years of medical school are entirely devoted to the study of clinical medicine. Students are attached to a team of resident physicians with whom they manage patients and attend educational clinical conferences. At the same time, students are supervised by instructor doctors who help them with the analysis of clinical scenarios, examination of patients, etc.

When undergoing such practice in most medical schools, the system of rotational education (Rotations) is widespread, when students can choose the sequence of studying medical disciplines. They spend most of their time in the departments of therapy, surgery and gynecology. At the same time, it is possible to choose a number of other disciplines (Subspecialties), such as dermatology, nephrology, neurology, etc. Although such a system may seem frivolous and disorganized, American students receive very serious and comprehensive training.

Each course or subject studied by students both in hospital and outpatient settings ends with a written assessment of their performance by resident doctors and instructor doctors. Such assessments are important for students and greatly influence their future destiny. They become the student's rating in relation to fellow students. These same grades serve as the basis for those letters of recommendation that the dean of the medical school writes for each of the students at the beginning of the fourth year of study. In the future, these letters are sent to residency programs (postgraduate education) and are one of the most important factors when considering a student's candidacy for admission to residency.

At the end of their fourth year, all students take the second part (Step 2) of the USMLE medical exam. This exam is about testing clinical knowledge.

After completing their studies at medical school, students are awarded the title of Doctor of Medicine. However, having a diploma does not give the right to practice independently, and all graduates of medical schools are required to complete postgraduate training. In America, this training is called residency.

A residency is somewhat similar to a clinical residency, but there are notable differences in the approach to teaching. Thus, the residency has a strict structure and schedule, which clearly describes the number of hours spent by the resident in the hospital, on an outpatient basis, as well as the number of lectures and seminars.

The duration of training also differs. Depending on the specialty, it lasts from 3 (therapy) to 5 (surgery) years. Upon completion of the residency, the doctor receives a general education in the specialties "surgery", "therapy", "gynecology" and some others.

It is residents who are the main workforce in many American hospitals. They work an average of at least twelve hours a day in a six-day work week. A ninety-hour work week for residents is a fairly common phenomenon. At the same time, the annual salary in the years of postgraduate training rarely exceeds $40,000, which is about three times lower than the salary of a medical practitioner.

The first year of residency is called Internship, or internship. Regardless of the specialty, this is the most difficult time in the life of a resident. Interns are run by everyone from second-year residents to attending physicians.

Interns spend almost the entire year in hospitals. A lot of time is devoted to work in intensive care units (Surgical Intensive Care Unit - SICU, Medical Intensive Care Unit - MICU, etc.), in the emergency room (ER), as well as night shifts (Night float). The amount of time spent in these departments depends on the specialty and is set by each residency individually.

Starting from the second year of study, the life of residents gradually becomes easier and more interesting. They lead resident teams that include one or two interns and a few medical students. Being in direct contact with the attending physicians, they are directly involved in the development of plans for the examination and treatment of patients. Their responsibilities also include teaching interns and students. At the same time, residents spend more time working with narrow specialists. They choose the disciplines that are most interesting to them and work as assistants to medical specialists. This form of learning is called Electives.

Each resident during the training must pass one more exam - Step 3 USMLE. It is allowed to take it from the first year of study in residency. The purpose of this exam is to assess the clinical knowledge of residents. It includes questions on internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics and psychiatry. Since this exam is taken after admission to residency, the points obtained do not really matter.

Upon completion of the residency, each doctor has the opportunity to pass an examination in the specialty (Board certification). Successful passing of such an exam leads to certification by the American Association of Physicians in the chosen specialty. Although it is not mandatory to take this exam, almost everyone passes it. Having a certificate significantly increases the prestige and helps in further employment.

The American Associations of Medical Professionals wield significant influence both in medical circles and in society as a whole. They are actively involved in state health policy and control most of the licensing medical organizations in the United States.

At the end of the residency, the American doctor finally gets the opportunity to independently engage in medical practice. However, many doctors, after completing their residency, specialize in one of the narrow disciplines. This specialization is called Fellowship and takes from one to five years. Thus, a general practitioner who wishes to become a cardiologist must spend at least three years specializing in this discipline.

Education in the medical specialty takes not only many years, but also has a high cost. A graduate of medical school whose parents did not cover the cost of education, goes into life with an average debt of 150-250 thousand dollars. He will be able to start paying off this debt only by starting an independent activity, i.e. after completing residency.

Despite the foregoing, medicine continues to be an elitist profession. Until now, medical schools accept the best students from the best colleges. Until now, the parents of many girls dream of a doctor-in-law. The doctor in the family continues to be a subject of special respect and special pride.

Such respect for doctors in society is due not only to their high income, but also to their diligence and determination, which they demonstrate at all stages of their professional career. And although many doctors complain about the declining prestige of the specialty, they, no doubt, do not cease to be the elite of American society.

A recent survey among college students showed that those who value high wages in particular do not put medicine in the first place. They are much more interested in such specialties as economics, law and information technology.

However, the situation is not so sad. Despite the long term of study and the high cost of medical education, American doctors are among the highly paid category of people. Earnings vary depending on the specialty and place of work, but they are similar in their "six figures", i.e. exceed one hundred thousand dollars a year.

Schematically, the entire path of obtaining medical education from the moment of graduation from high school to the beginning of independent medical activity is shown in Fig. one.

From the book by V. Bogin "How to become a doctor in America"

In today's highly competitive world, success requires recognition, which comes only from top university degrees. However, if a couple of decades ago, the entire "medical and educational" color fell on the United States and Western Europe, today the situation is rapidly changing.

Check out the lists of the strongest medical universities in, and.

Top Ten Medical Universities in the World

The top ten medical universities in the world have not earned their reputation in vain - they are truly world leaders in both educational achievements and research activities in the medical field. It is these institutions that set the tone for the development of tomorrow's medicine. The teaching staff of these universities conducts the most up-to-date research in the field of combating cancer, mental disorders, cardiovascular diseases, etc.

Becoming a student at one of the best medical schools in the world means working side by side with the greatest minds of modern medicine.

  1. Harvard University (USA). Harvard University is proud of its success in the fight against cancer. University School of Medicine scientists are working with the Dana-Fraber Cancer Institute to make huge strides towards developing a cancer vaccine for leukemia patients.
  2. Johns Hopikns University (USA). The medical faculty of the university has gathered under its roof, perhaps, the best medical luminaries in the world. Medical scientists have already brought 19 Nobel medals to the university. Today, university students and professors are hard at work on creating blood vessels from stem cells and much more.
  3. Yale University (USA). Yale scientists have always been at the forefront of the most important medical research. For example, it was Yale scientists who pioneered the use of chemotherapy in the treatment of cancer. Recent discoveries include the use of fluorescent proteins to track electrical activity in the brain.
  4. Stanford University (USA). Scientists at the Stanford School of Medicine (including four Nobel laureates) are working on projects that immediately have practical applications in medicine. For example, a new protein has recently been found associated with Alzheimer's disease, which should soon help in determining the exact causes of this disease.
  5. University of California, Los Angeles (USA). The David Geffen School of Medicine has only been around for 10 years, but has already won a Nobel Prize for the work of Louis Iñarro, who used the nitric oxide signaling molecule in the cardiovascular system.
  6. Imperial College of London (Great Britain). One of the most famous employees of Imperial College was Sir Alexander Fleming, who received the Nobel Prize in 1945 for the discovery of penicillin. This discovery is believed to have saved more lives than any other. Today, university staff are working to create a "smart scalpel" that will be able to recognize cancer cells in the body.
  7. Karolinska Institute (Sweden). The Swedish Medical School is home to the Nobel Committee, but it is known for more than just that. Here, several vaccines are being actively developed at once, for example, from a number of cardiovascular diseases to hepatitis C and HIV.
  8. University of Melbourne (Australia). The medical faculty of this university was the first on the continent to train doctors and since then has always produced important practical results for medicine. Australia's first female Nobel laureate, Elizabeth Blackburn, works here, who discovered the mechanism of protection of chromosomes by the enzyme telomerase in 2009.
  9. University of Cambridge (UK). The Cambridge Medical Faculty constantly publishes articles by its scientists in the best medical journals, many of which are a real sensation. Recent research includes the discovery of a pattern for the HIV RNA packaging signal, which opens up new avenues for finding a cure for this virus.
  10. University of Oxford (Great Britain). 16 Nobel laureates have worked or are working within the walls of Oxford, and this is not the limit. It offers programs in neuromedicine, clinical embryology, diagnostics, etc.

Top Medical Schools in North America

  1. Harvard University (USA).
  2. Stanford University (USA).
  3. Columbia University (USA).
  4. Johns Hopkins University (USA).
  5. University of California, Los Angeles (USA).
  6. Duke University (USA).
  7. Yale University (USA).
  8. University of Washington (USA).
  9. University of Toronto (Canada).
  10. University of Pennsylvania (USA).

The best medical universities in Europe

  1. University of Oxford (Great Britain).
  2. University of Cambridge (UK).
  3. Imperial College London (Great Britain).
  4. University College London (Great Britain).
  5. King's College London (UK).
  6. Karolinska Institute (Sweden).
  7. University of Edinburgh (Great Britain).
  8. Erasmus University Rotterdam (Netherlands).
  9. KU Leuven (Belgium).
  10. Universität Heidelberg (Germany).

Best Medical Schools in Asia

  1. University of Melbourne (Australia).
  2. University of Sydney (Australia).
  3. University of Tokyo (Japan).
  4. University of Queensland Australia (Australia)
  5. Monash University (Australia).
  6. National University of Singapore (Singapore).
  7. Kyoto University (Japan).
  8. Seoul National University (South Korea).
  9. The University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong).
  10. University of New South Wales (Australia).
one of the highest paid in America. To become a certified doctor, you need to spend about 10 years on training, which costs a lot of money. For Russian-speaking doctors who have moved to the United States, there is another option - to confirm the diploma received at home. This way is less financially expensive, but it also requires considerable effort. ForumDaily figured out how Russian doctors get the right to work in the US in their specialty, and talked to those who succeeded.

To the medical specialty - through the Caribbean

Maxim Chumak was born in Ukraine. In 1992 he immigrated to Israel, and from there to the United States. Even before moving to America, he was educated as a nurse and dreamed of a career as a doctor.

“When I came to the USA, I was 26 years old, and I understood that if I didn’t go to study as a doctor now, I would never do it,” Maxim recalls.

In order to save some money on education, he decided to study in one of the Caribbean countries - at the American University of Antigua. Caribbean medical colleges are slightly cheaper and have a more streamlined admissions process. However, only 4 of them are recognized by all states, and the American University of Antigua is one of them. You also need to keep in mind that finding a place for a residency (analogous to an internship) after graduating from a university in the Caribbean is still more difficult than after an American college. When considering applications, priority is usually given to graduates of American medical colleges, then students who graduated from medical school in the Caribbean are considered, and then everyone else.

Maxim's training lasted from 2003 to 2008: first he studied at medical school and practiced in Chicago for 2 more years.

“My tuition cost something like $36,000 a year. I paid part of the amount on my own, and to pay for the second part I took a loan from a bank,” says Maxim Chumak.

During his studies, Maxim managed to earn extra money as a nurse - he had previously confirmed the corresponding education received in Israel in the United States.

After university, you had to get into residency. It was not at all easy to do this - in some hospitals, as Maxim recalls, the competition was about 900 people per place, depending on the specialty.

In search of a hospital for an internship, he went to several interviews. Thanks to his perseverance, 2 weeks before the start of the practice, he received a call from the hospital at the University of Michigan and was offered a place with a contract for 1-2 years in surgery. Maxim agreed. After working there for a year, he moved to the Henry Ford Hospital and changed his specialty to a family doctor. He now works in the Emergency room at Memorial Hospital in Hollywood, Florida.

In parallel with this, Maxim was selected for the reserve of the American army, where he received the rank of captain, and serves as a contract military doctor. When signing a contract, the army gives you the opportunity to take advantage of various benefits, one of which is the repayment of student loans.

After several years of working in hospitals, Dr. Chumak wants to work for himself and is now opening his own practice.

Three options

There are several ways to become a registered doctor in the USA.

1. Studying at a US medical college

It takes about 10 years or more if you want to become a neurosurgeon or a plastic surgeon. Requires solid financial investments - the cost of training can vary from $150 to $400 thousand dollars.

2. Study at a medical college in a Caribbean country

Certain medical colleges in the Caribbean are recognized in the US. The cost of education is significantly lower than in the US. It's easier to get on. Residency can be completed in an American clinic, which will eventually allow a person to get the desired profession.

3. Confirmation of a doctor's diploma

This way is the most budgetary, fastest, but difficult. In addition to passing difficult exams, you need to find a place for residency, and for this category of applicants, this is quite difficult. It is impossible to obtain a doctor's license and practice in the United States without completing a residency. The positive point in this case is that doctors do not acquire huge debts during retraining, and from the moment they get a place in the hospital, they start working “in plus”.

Evidence of professionalism

Lyubov Klemin moved to the USA from Ukraine in 1995. She settled in Chicago with her husband. Prior to that, in her homeland, she worked as an obstetrician-gynecologist for 11 years. In the USA, I decided to confirm my specialty. She prepared for the exams herself with the help of American medical textbooks. It took 9 months to prepare. The exam was called USMLE and consisted of 3 stages, which she successfully passed and began a 3-year residency in the hospital under the Match program.

Dr. Klemin. Photo from personal archive

Its essence lies in the fact that students are looking for a place to complete a residency program, and programs choose their own residents. It's like the TV program Love at First Sight - the interests of the applicant and the hospital will or will not coincide.

“Now it is very difficult for a foreigner to get into residency,” says Lyubov Klemin. - In my time it was more realistic, because there was a shortage of doctors in the United States. In addition, it is important for American hospitals that no more than 3 years pass after the graduation of a medical school by a foreign specialist they are considering. That is, no one is interested in a lot of experience here and is considered rather as a minus.”

In residency, a medical specialist works under the supervision of other doctors, but still as a doctor, not as a student. Moreover, he receives a good salary for a professional who has not yet taken place, by American standards - $ 50-60 thousand a year.

“In order to get a residency, I sent out my resumes to hospitals. I had 3 interviews related to obstetrics and 3 as a family doctor. I practiced, as a result, as an obstetrician-gynecologist. Well, after the residency, I got a license and started my own practice in Chicago as a family doctor and obstetrician-gynecologist, ”says Lyubov Klemin.

Lyubov loves her job and says that she does not see any disadvantages in the work of an American doctor. “If you have already gone through this difficult path, then it will be easy. And the pay is great. But the important point is that you should always be aware of the latest research and innovations in medicine. You cannot smear a wound, for example, with green paint, if all the doctors in the United States already treat wounds differently. That is, an American doctor needs to constantly engage in self-development. Every year something changes! This is a huge difference compared to the healthcare system in Ukraine,” says Lyubov.

What you need to confirm a doctor's degree in the USA

  1. Register on the site ECFMG ( Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates ). Application fee — $65;
  2. Send documents: diploma translation, completed questionnaires, photos.
  3. Register for the first exam and pass it: USMLE Step 1 Basic Science (Fundamentals of science: physiology, pathology, anatomy, pathology, microbiology, pharmacology, embryology, behavioral science, biochemistry, etc.). Cost - $ 880;
  4. Pass the second USMLE Step 2 Clinical Knowledge exam (clinical subjects). Cost — $880;
  5. Pass the third USMLE Step 2 Clinical Skills exam (a practical exam that tests knowledge using actors). The cost is $1,535.
  6. After successfully passing the exams, you participate in the Match program, pass interviews at the clinics that invite you, and, if successful, conclude a contract for residency.
  7. After completing your residency and passing the medical license exam, you become an American physician.

good time

Alexander Merson moved to New York from Riga in the 1990s. In Latvia, he worked on blood diseases and malignant lymphomas for 13 years. He also defended his Ph.D. thesis on this profile.

According to Alexander, the 90s were a good time to confirm a medical diploma, since in the mid-1980s an AIDS outbreak began in America, and the healthcare system was not ready for this. Doctors were needed, but there were none.

Doctor Merson. Photo: from personal archive

Alexander decided to confirm his diploma. He was prepared for the exams at the famous Kaplan preparatory courses, which at that time cost $1,000. The Russian doctor passed the exams with excellent marks and found a place for residency.

“I remember very well my first month in residency. It was terribly complex. I, as an ignorant person, was put in the worst place - I was an errand doctor and did all the bestial work. I wandered around 3 hospitals, where I had a rotation. By the way, one of them was a soldier. In the first week, I came home only 2 times, because I finished my shift at 1-2 am and stayed overnight in the hospital. I don't know how I even survived. On the other hand, thanks to this experience, I learned to do absolutely everything: sew up wounds, and put a hose in my mouth for feeding, and even stop malaria. I did and saw things that I only read about in textbooks, ”the doctor shares his impressions.

When Alexander was doing residency, there was still no law in force prohibiting a doctor from working more than 24 hours in a row. Thus, often he could be on his feet for 36 hours - day shift, night shift and the next day shift.

For his practice, the doctor received $ 34,000 a year. This salary allowed his family of 4 to exist normally. For comparison, Alexander then paid $ 700 for an apartment.

“I completed my residency in 2 years instead of the required 3. The program director requested that I be allowed to finish early. However, New York did not give a license, and I had to complete an additional two-year fellowship in blood diseases (hematology),” says the doctor.

In September 1995, Alexander had already opened his practice in Brooklyn, having bought an office where he had previously received a Chinese doctor. “I found an advertisement for the sale of the practice in the New York Times. It turned out that the office is a 5-minute walk from my house. It was very convenient, and the declared value was low, which allowed me to take this deal. Of course, many clients left after the former owner of the office, but the place was habitable, and they began to visit me, ”Alexander shares his memories.

For more than 20 years he has been working as an internal medicine doctor in his office. His working week is 6 days: 4 days he receives patients, and the remaining two go to him to fill out government papers. The doctor frankly dislikes the current US President Barack Obama because of his reforms, which have made life difficult for doctors.

“I used to go into medicine because of my great love for it. Things are different now: I spend a lot of time on paperwork after Barack Obama introduced the ObamaCare program. As the famous US neurosurgeon, Ben Carson, said: “Obamacare is the worst event in America after slavery,” Alexander confesses. According to him, after the introduction of ObamaCare, many doctors lost their patients, but many checks were carried out and the cost of liability insurance for doctors increased dramatically, because of which some ended their practice and left the profession.

Alexander hopes that Donald Trump will win the next presidential election, who promised to cancel ObamaCare if he wins, and advises everyone to think three times before linking their lives with medicine: “This is a very difficult and long path, a loan of $ 200-300 thousand , if you study in the USA, and work in insane conditions.”

But those who still overcome this path will get a good bonus - on average, doctors' salaries start at $100,000 a year and, according to Payscale, can reach up to $800,000.

How to get a medical education in the USA?

How to become a general practitioner, dentist, surgeon?

This article is written for parents and future doctors themselves who dream of getting a medical education in the USA in order to become a PRACTITIONER there.

If you already have a higher education and you have ALREADY graduated from any Russian/Ukrainian/Kazakh medical university,

then you need to refer to another article on our website:

And the material below contains information on how to “start from scratch” ...

In the United States, it is impossible to “go to the doctor” right away. Basically, it's impossible!

First you need to get a bachelor's degree in any discipline, but preferably in the natural sciences. The duration of undergraduate studies is usually 4 years.

PARALLELLY with obtaining a bachelor's degree, a student ADDITIONALLY to the main program enrolls in a program called Pre-Med.

Usually, before the 4th or even the 5th semester of study, they do not enroll in this program.

For clarity, consider obtaining a medical education on the example of one of the universities -

University of New Hampshire.

You can enroll and start your studies in a bachelor's program such as Chemistry or Engineering in Chemistry, or you can enroll in one of the environmental programs.
Studying on these programs, you turn to the university's Pre-Professional Health Programs Advising service, in which you will be asked a bunch of questions before they give you this very advise ... The main question: What kind of doctor do you want to become? Dentist or osteopath, or want to study another medical specialty? The medical specialty you choose will determine the exam you will need to take after completing the Pre-Med course. For example, allopaths and osteopaths must take the MCAT, dentists the DAT, and ophthalmologists the OAT. Well, the type of exam determines the courses (subjects) that you will study on the Pre-Med program ...

More information about the types of programs and the corresponding courses can be found on the university website on this page. The duration of the Pre-Med program is unlimited in the sense that ONCE the student has completed all the required courses, he can sign up for the exams. This can be done both in the third and fourth year of study - everything here depends on the student himself - on how quickly he "masters" the program.

A question that interests all students:
What should I do if I fail the MCAT exam?
Here is the official response from our University of New Hampshire Pre-Med Advising colleagues:
“The exam can be retaken, you can do this an infinite number of times. However, you need to keep in mind that information about all retakes will be known to all medical schools you will apply to, so we advise you to a) take your time with the test and prepare better for it and b) we advise you not to retake the exam for more than 3 once."

An important, very important and pleasant moment:
Extra classes on the Pre-Med program are absolutely free for all students of the University of New Hampshire! The student pays only for his main bachelor's program.

So, 4 years after starting your studies at the University of New Hampshire, you have everything you need to enter any US medical school, namely:

* bachelor's degree in natural sciences
* completed pre-med (or pre-dent) course with passed exams
To top it off, it is worth noting that these 2 points are complemented by an excellent command of the English language (without which medical practice is, for obvious reasons, impossible) and experience in academic life. Are you ready for medical school?

You apply to a medical school (on your own or with the help of an academic tutor at the university) and wait for their admission decision. If the GPA (grade point average - performance) in the bachelor's program was high enough, and you passed the Pre-Med exams with a high score, then admission to one of the schools is ALMOST guaranteed to you! This "almost" comes from the fact that some medical schools don't accept international students... But there are plenty of others who are willing to accept international students! It goes without saying that the more prestigious the medical school, the more successful applicants they expect, so, in the end, success depends on you.

So, you have received a bachelor's degree with the Pre-Med course, passed the exam and finally entered the coveted Medical School.
How many more years do you need to study there?
4 more years!
But that's not all!
After training, you will have to complete an internship (residency). Its duration also depends on your medical specialization. Here are examples of internships in various specialties:
Emergency medical care - 3-4 years
Family practice - 3 years
Pediatrics - 3 years
Gynecology - 4 years
Psychiatry - 4 years
General surgery - 5 years
Specialized surgery, including plastic - 5-6 years (depending on specialization)
Urology - 5 years
etc.

So, above we described the path that must be taken in the USA,

to become a qualified, professional doctor.
If the path is clear to you, then now let’s dwell on the details and “trifles”, which, as usual, scare our compatriots when ... “What to do” is already clear, and “How to do it” is incomprehensible and scary ...

STEP ONE.
We collect documents for admission to the University of New Hampshire. For admission you need:
1) School certificate. If at the moment the potential student is still in the 11th grade, then an extract with grades for the last 3 years is first submitted, and the Certificate is sent in the summer. The class teacher can also make an extract of grades, the main thing is that the seal of the school and its (school) address should be.
4) IELTS or TOEFL certificate with the required score (minimum IELTS 5.5 or TOEFL iBT 69).
5) Copy of the first page of the passport.
6) A bank statement in the name of the student or one of his parents (sponsor), confirming the availability of funds sufficient to pay for tuition AND accommodation for one year. The account balance must be at least $46,000 (in any currency).

STEP TWO.
Sending documents for the PREPARATION program to the university. Don't be intimidated by the word "preparatory." After completing such a program, a foreign student immediately goes to the second year of undergraduate studies, that is, he does NOT lose a year of study at all! Why is it preparatory? Yes, because foreigners do not need to take the SAT exam when entering it (the American analogue of the USE exam, which Russian schoolchildren take at the end of grade 11) and the level of English of a foreign applicant may be slightly lower than when entering directly without such a preparatory course. So, for a 3-semester Preparatory Program, they will take at the level of English IELTS 5.5 or TOEFL iBT 69, and if the knowledge of English is higher (IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL iBT 78), then the duration of the Preparatory Course will be less - only 2 semesters. In ANY EVENT, after the preparatory course, you (subject to its successful completion) are guaranteed to move to the SECOND year of the bachelor's degree.

Finally, we left one of the main questions:

why do we offer education in this area at the University of New Hampshire?


Here are a few reasons that tip the scales when choosing a university in the direction of this university:

1. The University of New Hampshire is included in the TIER-1 of US universities - this is the "major league" - the best universities in the country. They are only 2% of the total number of universities in the country.
2. According to the 2011 rating of the U.S. News and World Report ranks 47th among ALL US public universities!
3. Only THIS university and only 2 others (Harvard and MIT) have contracts and research funding from NASA! This fact indicates the highest level of academic preparation of students and, accordingly, the level of teaching staff!
4. On the campus of this university, especially for foreigners, there is a program described above for admission through the Preparatory Course without losing a year of study!

There are also many other reasons, but the financial component, you see, plays an important role! The cost of education here is not low, but high too! For a university of this level, the price of education is more than normal and even competitive when compared with universities of a similar class! As of 2011-2012, the academic year of bachelor's programs was 28,570 USD for 1 year. Additionally, about 9.5 thousand dollars will be spent on accommodation with meals and others. Not much when compared with other prestigious universities in other regions. Why is less money spent on living here? For one simple but VERY nice reason… New Hampshire has almost the LOWEST taxes (state tax) - only 8.0% and… GENERALLY NO sales tax (sales tax)! We don’t know why New Hampshire has such a preference… Maybe because it was the first state that once declared independence from Great Britain… Read more about the city where the university is located and about the university itself on the Students International website at this link.

Assistance in admission, preparation of documents, filling out all application forms, as well as visa support for admission to the University of New Hampshire will be provided to you by the Students International Education Center.

In addition, you can contact any of the numerous offices of the company located in various cities of Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan.

OR SEND US YOUR QUESTIONS ONLINE: