See here for Pharmacy and Dentistry

International Medical Options

When international students talk of wanting to be a doctor, there are several key questions:

1) Where are they legal allowed to practice? (Clue: Their passport country). Students are usually best served by pursuing their medical degree in their home country.

2) Do they have the academic preparation? In general, the key course is Chemistry, followed by Biology.

3) Do they have practical experience? It could be a first aid course or volunteering in a clinic or any summer program focusing on medicine. Read a more detailed explanation for gaining work experience.

4) Do they want to get a degree first (Canada and The US) or go direct entry (UK, Ireland, Hong Kong, Australia, Europe)?

5) What are their back up plans? Medicine is one of the hardest majors to pursue with admission rates of only single digits. In my experience, future doctors boil down to two types of motivation: Those that want to heal people and those that are fascinated by the science side of disease and health. For the scientist, a back up plan can focus on medical research or bio-eningeering. For the healer types, an allied health profession such as nurse, chiropractor, physical therapist etc. may provide sufficient satisfaction. Check out this page from King’s College London for guide to careers in medicine, healthcare and sciences.

Click here to explore ways to increase your medical knowledge. 

Country specific information

Check before-hand if the degree will be recognised by your country using this tool

North American

Canada

  • First degree required (from any country, should meet essential science classes–Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Biology, Calculus)
  • MCAT required at most schools.
  • Highly Selective for internationals
  • In 2013, the Association of American Medical Colleges lists 17 accredited MD-granting medical schools in Canada. For a list, see here.

US

  • First degree required (from any country, should meet essential science classes–Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Biology, Calculus)
  • MCAT required. A higher MCAT does help with admissions:
    • Students with highest MCAT band (greater than 517) gained admission 82.5% of the time while those in the next band (514 to 517) came in at 72.8% compared with an overall admit rate of 41.9%
    • But grades are also important: students with the highest GPA (greater than 3.79) earned admissions 65.5% of the time compared to 47.3% of the time for the next mark band (3.6 to 3.79)
    • See a complete chart here.
  • Highly Selective for internationals —Johns Hopkins offers more insight. 
  • In 2012, the Association of American Medical Colleges and American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine listed 193 accredited M.D.-granting and 30 accredited D.O.-granting medical schools in the United States. For a list, click here.

Here is a compare and contrast of Canadian vs US Medical schools:

US Medical Education overseas (like the Caribbean).

  • In 2011, the International Medical Education Directory listed 59 current medical schools in the Caribbean. 54 grant the MD degree, 3 grant the MBBS degree, and 2 grant either the MD or MBBS degree.
  • 30 of the medical schools in the Caribbean are regional, which train students to practice in the country or region where the school is located. The remaining 29 Caribbean medical schools are known as offshore schools, which primarily train students from the United States and Canada who intend to return home for residency and clinical practice after graduation. At most offshore schools, basic sciences are completed in the Caribbean while clinical clerkships are completed at teaching hospitals in the United States.
  • An excellent resource is this article by Johns Hopkins

UK

  • Direct entry possible straight out of high school.
  • May require entry tests (UKCAT or BMAT)
  • Most will require Interviews
    • The MedicPortal does a fantastic deep dive on questions you can use to practice with.
    • BeMO gives us a thorough exposure to MMI type interviews including their expert responses.
  • Admissions for international students is highly competitive and capped at 7%
  • useful chart of who requires what. And download this PDF on Entry Requirements. This report complied by ICS goes into a lot of detail.
  • There are currently 32 institutions that offer medical degrees in the United Kingdom
  • Typically, a degree lasts 6 years.
  • Learn more about Vet science and Dentistry
  • Here is a list of UK Medical Schools and contact information
  • More great information (Webinars, podcasts etc.) here.

Fantastic Webinar on UK Medical schools

Podcasts with David Hawkins, The University Guy

TheMASG offers this short, useful guide to Medical Schools in Scotland.

Europe

Europe provides a growing set of opportunities to pursue medicine at an affordable price. The Medical Portal provides a sample of schools and costs.

Bulgaria

Croatia

TheMASG offers this short, useful guide to Medical Schools in Croatia taught in English.

  • University of Split
  • University of Zagreb

Cyprus

Czech Republic

TheMASG offers this short, useful guide to Medical Schools in Czech taught in English.

Estonia

  • University of Tartu

Germany

Hungary

TheMASG offers this short, useful guide to Medical Schools in Hungary taught in English.

Ireland

National University of Ireland, Cork, Medical Faculty *
http://www.ucc.ie/ucc/faculties/medical/
Cork University Hospital, Wilton, Cork
Tel: +353 21 490 2809, Fax: +353 21 427 0339

National University of Ireland, Galway, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
http://www.nuigalway.ie/med/
Clinical Sciences Institute, Galway
Tel: +353 9152 4268, Fax: +353 9175 0519

Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Medical School
http://www.rcsi.ie/
123 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2
Tel: +353 1402 2100, Fax: +353 1402 2460

University College Dublin, Faculty of Medicine
http://www.ucd.ie/~medicine/
Bellfield Campus, Dublin 4
Tel: +353 1706 7440, Fax: +353 1475 3655

University of Dublin, The Trinity Center for Health Sciences
http://www2.tcd.ie/Health_Sciences/
St. James Hospital, Dublin 8
Tel: +353 1608 1727, Fax: +353 1671 3956

Italy

TheMASG offers this short, useful guide to Medical Schools in Italy taught in English.

There are currently 12 public universities and 4 praivate that have medical programs in English plus one for Dentistry.

Brochure

The total of EU seats in public universities is 543, and 244 for non-EU seats. As for private universities, there are 135 EU seats and 145 Non-EU seats.

University Region EU seats International seats
(non-EU seats)
University of Pavia Lombardia 70 40
University of Milan Lombardia 34 16
Federico II University of Naples Campanie 15 10
The University of Milan-Bicocca Bergamo 22 13
University of Turin Piemont 70 31
Bari Aldo Moro University Apulia 42 8
University of Bologna Emilia Romagna 75 15
University of Rome: La Sapienza Lazio 38 10
University of Rome Tor Vergata Lazio 25 10
Luigi Vanvitelli University Campanie 40 40
University of Padova Veneto 54 9
University of Messina Sicily 30 30
University of Siena
(Dentistry)
Tuscany 28 12
Cattolica University Lazio 20 30
The University of San Raffaele Lombardia 17 25
Humanitas University Lombardia 130 50
Uni Camillius Lazio 80 65

Latvia

Lithuania

Malta

  • Queen Mary University of London, MBBS

Poland

TheMASG offers this short, useful guide to Medical Schools in Poland taught in English.

  • Medical University of Lodz
  • Medical University Warsaw
  • Poznan University of Medical Sciences

Romania

TheMASG offers this short, useful guide to Medical Schools in Romania taught in English.

  • Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest.
  • Craiova University in Medicine and Pharmacy.
  • Titu Maiorescu University of Bucharest.
  • Vasile Goldis Western University of Arad.
  • Ovidus University Constanta.
  • Iulio Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy.
  • Oradea Medical University.
  • Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine of Iasi.
  • Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara. r.

Solvakia

TheMASG offers this short, useful guide to Medical Schools in Slovakia taught in English.

  • Pavol Josef,
  • Jessenius Faculty of Medicine and
  • Comenius University

Spain

  • CEU Valencia, Spain
  • Universidad de Navarra

The Netherlands

  • Groningen University, the Netherlands
  • Maastricht University, the Netherlands

Learn more about studying medicine and dentistry in English in Europe from our friends at Medical Doorways:

Medical Doorways has a great series of Webinars here.

The Ukraine

Searchable database can help arrow down English taught programs in Medicine (

This article is helpful for understanding some the nuances of studying medicine in the Ukraine.

  • Bogomolets National Medical University –is in Kiev, the capital city of Ukraine.
  • Bukovinian State Medical University
  • Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University
  • Dnipropetrovsk State Medical Academy
  • Donetsk National Medical University
  • Higher Educational Communal Institution of Lviv Regional Council “Andrei Krupynskyi Lviv Medical Academy
  • International Humanitarian University
  • Ivan Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine
  • Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University
  • Kamianets-Podilskyi Ivan Ohiienko National University
  • Kharkiv National Medical University
  • National Pirogov Memorial Medical University, Vinnytsia—-Sample medical curriculum   Dentistry (Curriculum Dentistry), Pharmacy (Curriculum Pharmacy)
  • Odessa State Medical University;
  • National University of Pharmacy
  • Oles Honchar Dnipro National University
  • Petro Mohyla Black Sea National University
  • Poltava State Medical University
  • Private Higher Education Institution “International European University”
  • Private Higher Educational Establishment «Kharkiv International Medical University»
  • Private Higher Educational Establishment “Kyiv Medical University”
  • Private Higher Educational Institution “Kyiv International University”
  • Private higher education institution “International academy of ecology and medicine”
  • Sumy State University–is in Sumy city in the North-East of Ukraine.
  • The State Institution “Institute of Neurosurgery named after acad. A.P.Romodanov of NAMS of Ukraine”
  • V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University
  • Zaporizhzhia State Medical University–is a leader in the field of medical education and innovation in Ukraine.
  • Zhytomyr Medical Institute of Zhytomyr Regional Council

 

Asia

Hong Kong

Malaysia

Qatar

  • Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
  • Weill Cornell Medicine

Singapore

  • Nanyang Technical University
  • National University of Singapore

Oceania

Australia

  • Australia has recently changed medical schools. Very few offer the traditional direct entry, opting for a 3+3 undergraduate Bachelor of Medical Studies / Doctor of Medicine. More details here.
  • Most require you take UCAT-ANZ entry exam. Some will require the ISAT.
  • Grade requirements vary between universities between ABB and A*A*A, or between 35 and 43 in the IB. Please note that achieving (or being predicted) the minimum grades required makes you eligible to apply; it does not guarantee you a place.
  • Undergraduate programs typically last 5–6 years, and by-definition, admit secondary school matriculants. Applicants are usually assessed by a combination of high school leaving certificate performance, UCAT – University Clinical Aptitude Test score and an interview.
  • Roughly 20% of seats are taken by international students. Many public universities offer undergraduate and graduate entry full fee places to international students. Private universities are able to offer full fee places to Australian students. On average, a standard full-time year of study in the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) can cost over $60,000 for domestic students and $75,000 for international students. You can see a detail report of number of international students here.

See detailed chart of medical schools and more information here.

New Zealand

  • University of Auckland
  • University of Otago

Americas

  • St George’s Grenada

Africa

South Africa

  • Free State University, Bloemfontein
  • Medical University of South Africa, GaRankuwa
  • Pretoria University
  • Stellenbosch University
  • University of Cape Town
  • University of KwaZulu/Natal, Durban
  • University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
  • Walter Sisulu Medical School, Umtata

Veterinary Sciences

Universities of Veterinary Medicine in Europe and beyond: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus (the Greek part), Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, United Kingdom, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Czech Republic, Sweden, etc. Most of them offer veterinary medical programs in English and a few of them in French in plus of veterinary medical programs in respective national languages.

Universities of Veterinary medicine in Austria
  • Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien, Veterinärplatz 1, A-1210 Wien;
Universities of Veterinary medicine in Belgium
  • Université de Liège Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire,Boulevard de Colonster 20, B42, 4000 Liege (Sart-Tilman);
  • University of Ghent Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke;
Universities of Veterinary medicine in Bulgaria
  • Trakia University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine;
  • University of Forestry, Sofia Faculty of Veterinary Medicine;
Universities of Veterinary medicine in Croatia
  • University of Zagreb Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Heinzelova 55, 10 000 Zagreb;
Universities of Veterinary medicine in Czech Republic
  • Veterinární a Farmaceutická Universita, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Palackého 1/3, CZ-612 42 Brno;
Universities of Veterinary medicine in Denmark
  • Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Bülowsvej 17, DK-1870 Frederiksberg, Copenhagen;
Universities of Veterinary medicine in Estonia
  • Estonian University of Life Sciences Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences;
Universities of Veterinary medicine in Finland
  • University of Helsinki Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, PO Box 66 (Agnes Sjöberginkatu 2) 00014 University of Helsinki;
Universities of Veterinary medicine in France
  • École Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort (ENVA) ; avenue du Général de Gaulle, 94704 Maisons-Alfort, cedex 04;
  • VetAgro Sup1 avenue Bourgelat, 69280 Marcy l’Etoile, Lyon;
  • École Nationale Vétérinaire de Nantes (ENVN), Atlanpole – La Chantrerie, BP 40706, 44307 Nantes, cedex 03 ;
  • École Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse (ENVT),23 Chemin des Capelles, BP 87614, 31076 Toulouse, cedex 03T;
Universities of Veterinary medicine in Germany
  • Veterinärmedizinische Fakultät der Freien Universität Berlin,Fachbereich Veterinarmedizin, Oerzenweg 19b, 14163 Berlin;
  • Fachbereich Veterinärmedizin der Universität Giessen, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Frankfurter Strasse 94, 35392 Giessen;
  • Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover,University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Buenteweg 2, D-30559 Hannover;
  • Veterinärmedizinische Fakultät der Universität Leipzig,Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zwickauer Strasse 59, 04103 Leipzig;
  • Tierärztliche Fakultät der Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München, Veterinärstraße 13, 80539 München;
Universities of Veterinary medicine in Greece
  • Aristoteles University – Thessaloniki, School of Veterinary Medicine, University Campus, Thessaloniki, Macedonia;
  • University of Thessaly – Faculty of Veterinary Science;
Universities of Veterinary medicine in Hungary
  • University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest;
Universities of Veterinary medicine in Ireland
  • University College Dublin Faculty of Veterinary Medicine,School of Agricultre, Food Sciene & Veterinary Medicine, Belfield, Dublin 4;
Universities of Veterinary medicine in Italy
  • Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Str. Provinciale per Casamassima km.3, 70010 Valenzano (Bari);
  • Università di Bologna Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Via Tolara di Sopra, 50, 40064 Ozzano Emilia (Bologna);
  • Università di Camerino – Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Via Circonvallazione, 93-95, 62024 Matelica (MC);
  • Università di Messina Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria,  Polo Universitario dell’Annunziata – 98168 Messina;
  • Università di Milano Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, via Giovanni Celoria N.10, 20133 Milano;
  • Università di Napoli Federico II Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Via Federico Delpino n.1, 80137 Napoli;
  • Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria Università degli studi di Padova, Agripolis, Via Romea, 35020 Legnaro (Padova);
  • Università di Parma Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Via del Taglio 8, 43100 Parma;
  • Università di Perugia Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria
  • Via San Costanzo, 4, 06126 Perugia
  • Università di Pisa Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria,Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, viale delle Piagge, 2 – Pisa;
  • Università di Sassari Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Via Vienna, 2, 07100 Sassari;
  • University of Teramo, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Piazza Aldo Moro – 64100 Teramo (TE);
  • Università di Torino Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria,Via Leonardo da Vinci;
Universities of Veterinary medicine in Latvia
  • Latvia University of Agriculture Veterinârmedicìnas fakultâte, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Latvian University of Agriculture, 8 K.Helmana Str, Jelgava, LV-3004;
Universities of Veterinary medicine in Lithuania
  • Lithuanian Veterinary Academy
Universities of Veterinary medicine in Norway
  • Norwegian College of Veterinary Medicine, PO Box 8146 Dep., N-0033 Oslo;
Universities of Veterinary medicine in Poland
  • University of Life Sciences in Lublin Faculty of Veterinary Medicine;
  • University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn Faculty of Veterinary Medicine;
  • Warsaw University of Life Sciences Faculty of Veterinary Medicine;
  • Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences Faculty of Veterinary Medicine;
Universities of Veterinary medicine in Portugal
  • Escola Universitária Vasco da Gama – Coimbra, Mosteiro de São Jorge de Milreu, Estrada da Conraria 3040-714 Castelo Viegas – Coimbra
  • Universidade de Évora, Largo dos Colegiais 2, 7000 Évora ;
  • Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias – Lisboa, Av. do Campo Grande, 376, 1749 – 024 Lisboa ;
  • Universidade Técnica de Lisboa – Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária,  Av. Universidade Técnica, 1300-477 Lisboa ;
  • Universidade do Porto – Instituto de Cièncias Biomédicas de Abel Salazar, Lg. Prof. Abel Salazar, 2 4099-003 Porto;
  • Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro – Vila Real, Apartado 1013 Veterinary Medicine, 5001-801, Vila Real;
Universities of Veterinary medicine in Romania
  • Banat University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary; Medicine Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
  • Ion Ionesco de la Brad University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary; Medicine of Iași Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
  • University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
  • University of Agronomical Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine;
  • Spiru Haret University,  Faculty of veterinary Medicine,

Universities of Veterinary medicine in Slovak Republic

  • University of Veterinary Medicine in Kosice

Universities of Veterinary medicine in Slovenia

  • University of Ljubljana, Veterinary Faculty Ljubljana, Gerbiceva 60, 1115 Ljubljana;

Universities of Veterinary medicine in Spain

  • Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Facultat de Veterinària, Facultat de Veterinaria, Edifici V, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona ;
  • Universidad de Cordoba Facultad de Veterinaria, Facultad de Veterinaria,  Campus Universitario de Rabanales, Ctra madrid Km 396, 14014, Cordoba
  • Facultad de Veterinaria de CáceresFacultad de Veterinaria,  Ctra. De Trujillo, s/n, 10071 Cáceres, Espaca
  • Universidad de León – Facultad de Veterinaria, Campus de Vegazana, sn, 24071-León ;
  • Universidad de Murcia Facultad de Veterinaria, Facultad de Veterinaria. Campus Universitario de Espinardo. 30071 Murcia;
  • Facultad de Veterinaria de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Veterinary Faculty, Transmontaña, 35416 Arucas, Gran Canaria ;
  • Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Facultad de Veterinaria,  Avenida Puerta de Hierro s/n Madrid 28040 ;
  • Universidade de Santiago de Compostela – Licenciado en Veterinaria (LUGO),  Veterinary Faculty, Ramon Carballo Calero, s/n, Campus Universitario, 27002 Lugo;
  • Universidad de Zaragoza Facultad de Veterinaria,  Facultad de Veterinaria Miguel Servet, 177 50013 Zaragoza ;
  • University Alfonso X (MADRID) El Sabio Facultad de Veterinaria,  Campus de Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid ;

Universities of Veterinary medicine in Switzerland

  • Vetsuisse Fakultät,  Vetsuisse-Dekanat Winterthurerstr. 204 CH-8057 Zürich Switzerland;

Universities of Veterinary medicine in Sweden

  • University of Agricultural Sciences Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7084, S-75007 Uppsala;

Universities of Veterinary medicine in Ukraine

  • Dnipropetrovsk State Agricultural University Faculty of Veterinary Science;
  • National Agricultural University of Bela-Cerkva Faculty of Veterinary Science;
  • National Agricultural University of Luhansk Faculty of Veterinary Science;
  • National Agricultural University of Ukraine Faculty of Veterinary Science;
  • Odessa State Agrarian University Faculty of Veterinary Science;
  • Sumy National Agricultural University Faculty of Veterinary Science;
  • Zhytomir National Academy of Agriculture and Ecological Sciences Faculty of Veterinary Science;

Universities of Veterinary medicine in UK

  • University of Bristol,Langford House, Langford, North Somerset BS40 5DU;
  • University of Cambridge Veterinary School,Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0EJ;
  • University of Edinburgh Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Summerhall, Edinburgh EH9 1QH, Scotland;
  • University of Glasgow Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Bearsden Road, Bearsden, Glasgow G61 1QH;
  • University of Liverpool Faculty of Veterinary Science Faculty of Veterinary Science, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 , 3BX;
  • Royal Veterinary College, Royal College Street, London NW1 0TU;
  • University of Nottingham, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough;