SwedenForTheWin

So, I need to get a bachelor degree in science. Cause I want to go to med-school.

But I have no clue how this bachelor degree thing works in the states.
As far as I know, I need 90-120 credits to get my bachelor degree.

But where can I go and get the bachelor degree? Which college is good? I would prefer to go somewhere where its not impossible to find a flat or room.

Where in the states can I go? Btw, dont tell me texas, aint going to George Bush state, thats for sure.

Its difficult....

explodapop

well, some things from a fellow scandinavian:

1) Talk to a school councillor/organization dealing with students to the US (I didn't, and regret a bunch - would have saved me much time.).

2) Bush is from Connecticut. So don't go to Yale.

3) Obtaining a medical degree in the US as an international is (and this is an understatment) hard. Obtaining any financial aid in the process is insane. I suppose Sweden has some government funding like Norway.

Cheers, enjoy the summer.

SwedenForTheWin

Why would that be hard? Just get a bachelor degree and go from there? If I cant get accepted, I would just go to carribean or something.

I can tell you whats hard, come to hungary and study medicine and pass, thats HARD.

mourad23

That's a good question actually. Why is it so hard for international students to be accepted in med schools ? Is the number of med students regulated by the government ? Actually, in France, the government uses a "numerus clausus" in order to limit the number of medical students: admission to med school is open to everyone right after high school, but only few students pass the "concours" at the end of the first year and manage to go on for the second year. Rankings are used for this "concours" and an international student can get higher scores on the exams than a French citizen and still this doesn't mean he'll be accepted for the second year !

b@r!um

One very big med school issue for internationals is funding: decent med schools charge upwards of $30K for tuition each year (include living expenses and you are looking at $50K), and you cannot work because med school keeps you busy 12 months a year with classes or internships. American students can get federal loans to cover these expenses but foreign students have to find their own source of funding. Many med schools also shy away from the risk of admitting an international applicant: you don't want to admit someone who may not be able to get licensed to practice medicine, whose broken English might interfere with his job, or whose academic credentials you don't know (this applies only to applicants who got their undergraduate degrees abroad). And there is virtually nothing that med schools gain by admitting international applicants.

As for your undergraduate degree: you can get a degree in anything (including English or business) and then go to med school in the States. Most undergraduate degrees only require you to take half of your classes in your major and the rest is electives, which you can use take the courses required for admission to med school (calculus, general and organic chemistry, introductory physics, introductory biology - that's it!).

The "normal" time to complete an undergraduate degree is 4 years. Many students take longer than that but few finish earlier. You might be able to finish in 3 years if you come in with some transfer credit or take summer classes. At most universities the academic year consists of three "semesters" - fall, spring, summer - but you are only expected to take classes in the fall and the spring. Most students use the summer to get some work experience and have a few weeks off. (Pre-meds often spend their summer interning in a hospital to increase their chances of admission to med school.)

b@r!um

As for your question which university to attend... Well, there are over 1,000 accredited undergraduate colleges in the US that offer pre-med. I think you have to narrow that list down yourself.

Collegeboard has a college search engine that might help you in the process. It lets you pick the desired location, size and selectivity of your college, your major, the range of tuition fees you are willing to consider, and even whether or not on-campus housing is available or guaranteed. College Search - Find colleges and universities by major, location, type, more.