If it seems that there is wide variety in type and quality of medical school in the United States – well, that is nothing compared to the variety in type and quality that can be found from foreign institutions. International medical schools are created for a large variety of reasons, most with the best of intentions, but the schools themselves differ greatly from one and other. For American students, one difference stands above all the rest: Which of these schools will create an opportunity for its students to practice medicine in the United States? Which of these schools have the approval and accreditation necessary for its students to be recognized by American medical boards?

The fact of the matter is that many foreign institutions are much lower quality compared to their US counterparts. Many of these schools simply do not have the resources or facilities to hire quality faculty and offer the same type of education that most students would receive from an American medical school. It costs money to provide the quality of training necessary for doctors. Unfortunately, not all schools have the financial backing to reach that level of training. It should be noted that there is also a sect of foreign medical schools whose mission is purely to produce profits. These schools operate primarily as “degree mills” – with low standards of admissions, providing a low quality and easy level of education to the point that a degree from these institutions means absolutely nothing. These schools often make big promises to their students on accomplishing their dreams with a degree, but usually fail to deliver.

All that said, many foreign medical schools offer terrific opportunities. Many are well funded with high quality faculty and facilities. They are often cheaper than many American institutions – which can charge over $50,000 per year for tuition. These schools can also offer more opportunity for potential American students. US schools have limited seats in each class. Every year, many qualified students are turned away based solely upon lack of available slots. Foreign schools can help pick up the slack for these applicants. They also give the student an opportunity to experience another country and culture while obtaining their education – which can provide huge benefits both to a student’s future resume and to their person in general.

For any potential applicant who is interested in obtaining an education abroad, but being a doctor in the United States, the key is to find a school that has been approved or accredited by a US legislative body. Specifically, there are three states that should be looked at: California, Florida, and New York. These three states do most of the heavy lifting when it comes to approvals and accreditations. In fact, most other states use the findings of one of these states for their own decisions. For example, a school that is approved by California is automatically also approved by Kansas, et al.

The advantage of going to a foreign school that has approval and/or accreditation is that the student knows that it has been thoroughly vetted. These states are not only putting their own reputations on the line, but also the lives of their citizens in the hands of doctors from schools they have approved. As such, accreditation is extremely difficult to obtain. In addition, an approved school also creates competition for that state’s own institutions. So it speaks volumes for any school that has reached the level of approval and accreditation.

For more Information on:
Medical school new: NY Times
Accredited med school example
List of approved medical schools in CA: CA list

For more Information on:
Medical school news: http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/medical_schools/index.html
Accredited medical schools Example: http://www.auamed.org/accredited-medical-schools
CA approved Medical Schools:http://www.mbc.ca.gov/

Author Bio: For more Information on:
Medical school new: NY Times
Accredited med school example
List of approved medical schools in CA: CA list

Category: Education
Keywords: medical schools, accredited schools, study abroad, degree mills