It is an indisputable fact that every student is juggling his/her college choices with extreme pressure. Right after senior year (or grade 12), you will be bombarded with a lot of choices and career options to choose from. The options seem endless and confusing. However, if you’re thorough with your research and get proper guidance, these parameters will narrow down and will give you the required clarity regarding your career.
Nevertheless, credible resources are limited when it comes to going abroad for further studies, especially in fields like Medicine. The information available on the internet is sometimes incongruous with the college requirements. Moreover, if you rely entirely on this information, you might lose out on your only chance of pursuing a career abroad.
Through this blog, we are going to assist you regarding the application process for one of the most sought-after yet selective career fields in the U.S: Medicine
How to get into a medical college in the U.S. as an Indian student?
The relevance of the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET)
NEET exam is not the qualifying criteria; however, a passing mark in the NEET is a requirement for Indian students who are planning to study medicine abroad. NEET is needed to get into Indian Colleges for Medicine courses but won’t be of much use when planning to go to the US for the Medicine course.
What other exams are required to pursue medicine in the U.S.?
If you’re determined to study medicine in U.S. colleges, then you first need to complete your Bachelor’s degree and then apply to Medicine Colleges. You can apply for courses reminiscent of Medicine Courses(or pre-med courses). For example, you can opt for a major in General Life Science, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Maths, or Social and Behavioural Science as an undergrad; post that, you need to take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). Furthermore, if you did your pre-med from some college in the United States or Canada and you’d like to do the Doctor of Medicine (MD) course from the same college, then you don’t need to appear for the MCAT exam. In that case, you do need a good CGPA. Ideally, your CGPA should be more than 4 for pursuing an MD in the U.S.
MCAT requirement for admission in Doctor of Medicine (MD) course
MCAT is required if you want to switch your college after completing your 4-year bachelor’s degree and want to take up an MD course in some other college. You can take the MCAT exam in your final year and then go through the admission process comprising of interviews, essays, profiles, etc.
Scope of studying Medicine Abroad
As an International student, the chances of getting into the top Medical colleges are very bleak. The colleges are very selective and have a stringent acceptance rate of only 1%. However, you still stand a good chance of getting into other private colleges if not Harvard or John Hopkins.
To conclude, if you want admission into the top medical colleges in the U.S., you need to attain your bachelor's degree from the U.S. Also, you need to have a good CGPA as it is an important aspect of your college application process for pursuing an MD. And if you want to change your college for MD then you need to appear for MCAT.
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