Studying Medicine in the USA has been recorded to bring a lot of benefits to medical students. There are 172 medical schools in the USA. These schools have been recorded to offer standard education to aspiring health professionals. They offer professional courses such as medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and nursing. Additionally, studying Medicine in the USA is only available as a postgraduate option. You must have completed a bachelor’s degree in subjects such as Biology, Chemistry or Neuroscience.

Studying Medicine in the USA can be a rewarding career decision. The medical schools are known for training 21st-century physicians as well as forging discoveries. However, gaining admission into these Universities is highly competitive. Therefore, you need to prepare well before you make an application.

In this piece, I will walk you through the requirements that are needed when applying to study medicine in the USA.

Requirements to Study Medicine in the USA

1. Obtain a Bachelor’s Degree

   Universities in the USA does not accept applicants without a bachelor’s degree into the medical school. It is compulsory that you pursue a four-year undergraduate degree before applying to medical school. Furthermore, the bachelor’s degree should be a science-related discipline. It should be either a health science or a life science degree. Additionally, your bachelor’s degree should include courses in areas such as Biochemistry, Biology, Organic Chemistry, Physics and Laboratory practicals.

2. Transfer Students

   Medical schools in the USA do not accept transfer students at any level.

3. Write MCAT

   The Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) is compulsory for all applicants. You can take these tests multiple times in a year. However, it is advised that you take the test during the spring rather than the summer. This is to allow you to retake the test before the admissions deadline if you did not perform well. Furthermore, this test is valid for only three years. If you are not able to gain admission within three years, you need to take another test.

4. Apply through AMCAS

   All applicants must complete their application through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). The application site opens in May and ends in October. Therefore, you need to submit your applications early. After that, AMCAS will forward your application to the medical school of your choice.

5. Secondary Applications

   After AMCAS forward your application to the medical school, you will receive an invite through email to make a secondary application. Secondly, the University will notify you to make a secondary application three weeks after they have received your application from AMCAS. However, if your application is not considered, you will receive a notification email and you will not be able to submit the secondary application. Therefore, you should add the university’s domain to your email list and monitor your emails regularly.

6. Application Fee

   Applicants must submit an application fee. Without this fee, you will not be able to submit your application. The application fee for US citizens is $80. The application fee for an international student is $100. However, you can apply for the AMCAS fee waiver. This will enable you to submit your application without a fee.

7. Letters of Recommendation

   You need to submit between three to five recommendation letters.  You will submit these letters using the AMCAS. These recommendation letters will talk about your academic status as well as your potential. However, these letters will not be considered till you get to the secondary application.

8. Statement of Authenticity

   You need to write a statement of authenticity during your secondary application. This information is to verify the authenticity of all the documents you submitted. Additionally, you can also do this orally.

9. Interview Stage

   The next phase in the application process is the interview stage. This interview will be held virtually or physically depending on your location.

10. Interview Decision

    After the interview, you will get the outcome regarding your application. You can get emails such as acceptance, alternate list, or rejection.

How to Apply

You must submit your applications first through the AMCAS. Additionally, you can continue your secondary application through the university’s portal.

Duration

Studying Medicine in the USA lasts for four years. After graduating, you will receive a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree. Additionally, you will spend three to seven years in a residency program to learn the speciality you chose to pursue.

Tuition Fee

The tuition fee for studying Medicine in the USA ranges from $150,444 to $247,664. Additionally, students can apply for financial aid. This will help to reduce the high cost of fees for students. Some Universities offer financial aid to students. You can verify this by checking the school’s website.

List of Top Medical Schools in the USA

1. Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
2. Stanford University, Stanford, California
3. Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
4. University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
5. University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
6. Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri
7. Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
8. Columbia University, New York City, New York
9. Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
10. University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
11. University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
12. Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
13. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
14. New York University, New York City, New York
15. Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York
16. Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
17. Mayo Clinic School of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota
18. University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
19. Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
20. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
21. University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado
22. CUNY School of Medicine, New York, New York
23. Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
24. University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
25. University of Chicago School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
26. Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
27. Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
28. University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, Texas
29. University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
30. Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio
31. University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio
32. Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
33. Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, D.C.
34. University of Massachusetts T.H. Chan School of Medicine, Worcester, Massachusetts

In Conclusion, Studying Medicine in the USA is highly competitive. You need to ensure that you have all these requirements. Additionally, you should always verify from the school’s website before you make an application. You can reach out to us for further inquiries or assistance.

Good luck!

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