2013-05-14

US Medical Schools Accepting Internationals

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PLEASE NOTE: UPDATED LIST OF US MEDICAL SCHOOLS ACCEPTING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS CAN BE FOUND HERE:
http://premedusa.blogspot.com/2014/06/US-Medical-Schools-for-Internationals-Updated.html


I am sure you have heard or read of it in various articles or here and there: with the exception of Canadians, it is very hard for international students to be admitted to an American medical school. That is a fact. According to the official AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) report from 2011, only some 13% of international applicants to medical schools in the US eventually matriculated. That is a really low number, considering that in comparison, up to a half of US-citizen applicants get admitted to at least one medical college - so why is that so?

One of the main reasons for this is that unlike American citizens, internationals are not eligible for federal financial aid or loans, and so most often, they need to provide their own funding for the entire duration of their studies - and sometimes they even need to prove that they have enough money (up to total of around $200,000) on their account at the time of their admission.
[More general info about obstacles for international students on the official NAAHP (National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions) webpage.]
And even the most prestigious schools are aware of it.



Let's be real

The university of Yale, for example, is being deterrent of international pre-meds, this is an excerpt from their Special Note to International Students Intending to Study Medicine:
It is extremely difficult for international applicants who are not citizens or permanent residents of the United States to gain admission to U.S. medical schools. (...) International applicants who are considering a career as a medical doctor and hope to receive their education at an American medical school should think carefully before applying for admission to an undergraduate program in the United States.
Hope College is even a little more discouraging:
(Note: the dubious statistics here is, in fact, too discouraging - from the numbers they mention, it follows that "more than 13% (0.132) of the international students who applied to medical school were accepted and enrolled," as mentioned in the first paragraph of this post. The point they make is still valid, though, I guess.)
We believe it is unfair and dishonest to suggest that attending a US college or university will provide international students with a strong chance of gaining admission to medical school. 
At Johns Hopkins university, they are much less emotional about this fact:
International students not holding a green card will have a more challenging time in the school admissions process, because only a limited number of schools can consider them.
This might be enough to illustrate that it is, indeed, hard to get into a medical school for international students. If this section made you believe that no American university can possibly admit you, this is heads-up for you: some of them out there actually might!


Good news

In fact, out of the total number of 141 medical schools in the US, more than 60 consider foreign applicants [according to we.jhu.edu and NAAHP official websites]. The policies of most of those that do are as follows, by state:
[in square brackets, you can find the available 2013 US Med Schools rankings]



PLEASE NOTE: UPDATED LIST OF US MEDICAL SCHOOLS ACCEPTING INTERNATIONALS CAN BE FOUND HERE: http://premedusa.blogspot.com/2014/06/US-Medical-Schools-for-Internationals-Updated.html


California
  • Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California [31]: applicant must have 1 yr of study in accredited US school & meet INS requirements
  • Loma Linda University School of Medicine: must provide evidence of ability to pay
  • Stanford University School of Medicine [2]: 1-5 accepted each year; must prepay tuition or establish escrow account for 4 years of tuition and expenses
  • David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA [13]: internationals are considered like everyone else; must show sufficient guarantee of financial support; financial aid is not available; 1 student is admitted every 4-5 years
  • Drew Medical Education Program, UCLA: Accepts international students; financial aid might be available in certain cases
  • University of California San Francisco [4]: Rare for those w/o permanent residency; must show proof of ability to finance education as funding not given to them
  • University of California, Davis School of Medicine [42]: must provide proof of the availability of sufficient funds for completion of the program
  • Irvine-College/Medicine, University of California [42]: accepts international applicants if completed minimum of 1 year of college at a US institution; preference given to US citizens & green card holders
Colorado
  • University of Colorado School of Medicine [35]: 6 admitted in last 6 years; must deposit 4 years of tuition and fees into a escrow account
Connecticut
  • University of Connecticut School of Medicine [59]: Usually 2-4 in freshman class; must show they can cover reasonable portion of expenses; policy currently reviewed (until June 3, 2013)
  • Yale University School of Medicine [7]: 10-11 enter each year; must provide proof on year-to-year basis they can cover cost

District of Columbia
  • Georgetown University School of Medicine [48]: 1-3 matriculate each year. All considered w/o regard to citizenship; must show proof of financial support
  • Howard University : International students accepted on a limited basis
  • George Washington University School of Medicine [57]: Must apply to the 5 year International MD program and have foreign sponsor who will pay costs; no financial aid available for international students
Georgia
  • Emory University School of Medicine [22]: 8-10 accepted each year; must provide proof of payment of tuition and $30,000 expenses per year; no financial aid
Hawaii
  • University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine [82]: Number accepted varies; must meet INS requirements for student visa and show financial support
Illinois
  • Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine [18]: In 2011, 635 applied with about 16% accepted; international students are offered financial aid
  • Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science: Around 36 in 3 years accepted; required to provide proof of ability to pay 1st year of med school, expenses and supplies; no financial aid available
  • University of Chicago - Pritzker School of Medicine [8]: 10/600 accepted in past 3 years; must show plan of payment for meeting their financial obligations
Kentucky
  • University of Kentucky College of Medicine [59]: 8 accepted in last 3 years; show proof to pay 2 years of expenses and have a detailed plan of payment of last 2 years
Luisiana
  • Tulane University School of Medicine: 6/100 accepted in last few years; strong preference for US citizens and permanent residents
Massachusetts
  • Harvard Medical School [1]: Take at least 1 yr of coursework at US institution; proof of ability to pay 1 yr expenses required; financial aid is limited to institutional, not federal programs, but is comparable to the aid for domestic students
  • Tufts University School of Medicine [51]: Has only accepted 2 applicants in last 2 years, neither matriculated; strong preference for US/permanent residents
  • Boston University School of Medicine [30]: Must have 1 yr of funds in escrow account, completed minimum of 2 years of undergrad studies & receive a BA from US or Canadian school
Maryland
Minnesota
Missouri
  • Saint Louis University School of Medicine [70]: 5 accepted per year; must escrow four years of tuition
  • Washington University School of Medicine [6]: no need-based financial aid, but eligible for MSTP institutional funding and merit-based financial aid; must escrow four years of tuition
Nebraska
  • Creighton University School of Medicine [82]: Must complete all prerequisites at US or Canadian school and provide escrow for all 4 years of tuition and fees; no financial aid available

New Hampshire
  • Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth [38]: Considers everyone; must show proof of deposited funds to cover 1st year expenses; limited financial aid available

 New Jersey
  • Rutgers, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School: Applications accepted, though no international applicants were admitted or interviewed recently.


New York
  • Albert Einstein College of Medicine [38]: Must deposit funds to cover estimated tuition for first 2 years or forfeit their place in the class; minimal (only partial) financial aid available
  • Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons [8]: ~8 per year accepted; must put 1 year's tuition into escrow; may apply for Columbia financial aid
  • Mount Sinai School of Medicine [18]: 20+ accepted in last 3 yrs, must prepay tuition or have an escrow account equal to 1 years tuition; No financial aid available
  • New York Medical College: 2-3 per year; must prepay tuition for 4 years; financial aid is not available for those without permanent residency
  • Stony Brook University School of Medicine: Applications accepted, though no international applicants were admitted or interviewed recently.
  • SUNY Upstate Medical University: Non citizens without permanent residency considered if they have very strong credentials, meet INS requirements, have escrow account for 4 years
  • Weill Medical College of Cornell University [16]: No financial aid available; must pay 4 yrs tuition in advance/deposit in escrow
North Carolina
  • Duke University School of Medicine [8]: Accepts 3-4/200 applicants; must provide evidence of ability to pay entire 4 years of school
    Joint MD program with the Graduate school of Singapore, admitting international applicants, fully funded; required to sign a service commitment agreement for 5 years in Singapore
  • University of North Carolina School of Medicine [22]: Not eligible for fed loans/scholarships. Must provide evidence of ability to pay entire 4 years of school

Ohio
  • Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine [25]: Less than 5% admitted; have higher MCAT and GPAs than US applicants; no financial aid & 2 years tuition must be in escrow account
Pennsylvania
  • Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University [64]: 15 accepted in past 3 years; 1 year tuition in escrow, no financial aid available
  • Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine: No financial aid available; must pay 4 years tuition in advance prior to acceptance
  • Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania [4]: Accepts 2/year in combined degree program which provides tuition; must have escrow account and spend 12 months at a US institution before applying; financial aid otherwise not available
  • University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine [16]: Must have 1 year of undergraduate or graduate level study in US; limited scholarships; must place funds in escrow account
Puerto Rico
  • Ponce School of Medicine: Must have a BA degree for US institution to be accepted and meet immigration requirements; financial aid not available
  • Universidad Central Del Caribe: Must meet INS requirements and prepay 1st year tuition and show evidence of ability to pay for rest of cost of attendance
Rhode Island
  • Alpert Medical School, Brown University [31]: Must meet INS requirements and have escrow account for all 4 years of tuition; financial aid is available to 1-2 international students in each entering class
South Carolina
  • Medical University of South Carolina [59]: SC residency is primary consideration; out of state applicants generally MD/PhD candidates or with strong family ties to the State of SC
Tennessee
  • Vanderbilt University School of Medicine [14]: Can apply; financial aid is available but must show financial ability to attend each year of school
  • Baylor College of Medicine [18]: Foreign students are considered for admissions w 1-2 accepted; no financial aid available for these students
  • Meharry Medical College: 10/200 have been accepted in 3 years
Utah
  • University of Utah School of Medicine [48]: 7 accepted in last 3 years; not eligible for federal loans or scholarships; must provide evidence of ability to pay entire 4 years of school
Virginia
  • University of Virginia School of Medicine [26]: Must have 90 semester hours of courses from US institution; not eligible for fed loans or scholarships; must provide evidence of ability to pay entire 4 years
Wisconsin
  • Medical College of Wisconsin [51]: 2 matriculated in last 3 yrs; must prove ability to pay all costs

PLEASE NOTE: UPDATED LIST OF US MEDICAL SCHOOLS ACCEPTING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS CAN BE FOUND HERE: http://premedusa.blogspot.com/2014/06/US-Medical-Schools-for-Internationals-Updated.html



Osteopathic Medicine

In the list above, you can find medical schools of allopathic medicine (where you obtain the title MD), which most pre-meds focus on.
In the following list, though, you can also look at the schools of osteopathic medicine (resulting in a DO title), taken from aacom.org, which are considerably more open to international students (19 out of total of 29 of them accept foreigners):
(In one of my following posts I will explain the difference between the two.)

  • Arizona COM of Midwestern University (AZCOM/MWU): foreigners must provide a proof of sufficient funds prior to matriculation (more info in the official international applicant packet)
  • Campbell University SOM (CUSOM)
  • Chicago COM of Midwestern University (CCOM/MWU): foreigners must provide a proof of sufficient funds prior to matriculation
  • Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences COM (KCUMB-COM): foreigners must provide a proof of sufficient funds in order to receive student visa
  • Lake Erie COM–Erie/Seton Hill (LECOM): contact admissions@LECOM.edu for more information
  • Lincoln Memorial University–DeBusk COM (LMU-DCOM): foreigners need to submit an amount equivalent to one year of tuition prior to matriculation
  • Marian University COM (MU-COM): contact the MU-COM Office of Admissions for requirements at the time of application
  • Michigan State University COM (MSUCOM)
  • Philadelphia COM (PCOM) and Georgia Campus-Philadelphia COM (GA-PCOM): must provide a proof of ability to pay for the studies
  • Nova Southeastern University COM (NSU-COM): contact intl@nova.edu or call 1-800-541-6682, extension 27240 for more information
  • Rowan University SOM (RowanSOM): call Admissions Office for information, (856) 566-7050
  • Touro COM (TouroCOM-NY)
  • University of New England COM (UNECOM): foreigners need to show proof of ability to pay for one year of tuition
  • University of North Texas Health Science Center/Texas COM (UNTHSC/TCOM)
  • University of Pikeville-Kentucky COM (UP-KYCOM)
  • Edward Via COM – Carolinas Campus (VCOM-CC) and Edward Via COM – Virginia Campus (VCOM-VC)
  • Western Univ. of Health Sciences–COM of the Pacific 
  • (WesternU/COMP): foreigners are only accepted at the Pomona, CA campus
  • William Carey University COM (WCUCOM)

Last update: 4/1/2015

PLEASE NOTE: UPDATED LIST OF US MEDICAL SCHOOLS ACCEPTING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS CAN BE FOUND HERE: http://premedusa.blogspot.com/2014/06/US-Medical-Schools-for-Internationals-Updated.html