Help with USA Premed program . . .

[Fowey25]

Hi there,
I'm 19, and have just finished taking a gap year, after graduating from high school in America. I moved over there from the UK when i was 13, and i'm still a British citizen. Now i'm planning on going to college in california, to do premed at UC Santa Cruz. I'm then hoping to apply to UK med schools.
I'm trying to find out what specific classes are required to get into UK med schools. The premed program is 4 years long, and i want to find out if i can shorten it, possibly, by just taking classes that are required for UK med schools, rather then the more extended and broder spectrum that is used in the University of California system.
I'm not sure if this is possible, but considering that A-Levels are just 2 years, maybe it can be done?!

[Kev]

You need to contact each university and find out what they will/ will not accept in lieu of A-levels. Their entry requirements do vary. Competition for overseas student places is severe, so it is best to keep your options open. A list of contact addresses can be found on this site.

[Fowey25]

Would i still be considered an international student if i'm a british citizen?
Thanks for your help!

[Kev]

I expect you would as you having been living out of the country for so long.

[Fowey25]

One of the reasons i was plannig on Med school in the UK, is because it's alot cheaper then in America, amongst other resons. I know that in america international students's fees are alot more, sometimes 3 times as much! Is it the same for interenational students in the UK?
Thanks

[Kev]

I expect it may vary but they are significantly higher than those for home students, but not as high as some of the US/ Caribbean schools. At Leicester Medical School the fees for overseas students for 2003/4 are £9,990 p.a. for the two pre-clinical years and £18, 258 p.a. for the 3 clinical years. So overall the fees for the degree would cost £76, 455 or US$121,762.28 :shock: A bargain I'd say Yet despite the costs there are many many applicants every year.

If you are a British Citizen and have resided in the UK for a full 3 years before the start of the medical degree I believe you would then qualify for home fees, but not before then. Some Brits who have worked in the USA have been denied home fee funding until they had been back in the UK for 3 full years.

[smiley]

If you had been in US due to parents work and they were on fixed term visas, then you will probably qualify as a home student (UK) for funding. It might be worth contacting some UK med schools to find out whether they would class you as home or overseas.

[Fowey25]

Thanks for all your replys!
Yeah i moved to California because of my parents work, and we now have green cards, and are permanent residents. Although we also always had a house in england, so we've still be paying taxes etc. . .
I've emailed some med schools i'm interested in, and am waiting for replies. I've got a feeling though that i'll be considered interenational, as you said I'm not planning on being in th UK for 3 years before applying . . .. i guess i'll find out!
Luckily the fees are cheaper in the UK, even if i'm an international student, it's about $40,000 a year in America! You we're right in saying it's a bargian, compared to America it's down right cheap

[Luc]

surprising that.

[Nikki Chow]

You should find out from your local LEA whether or not you would be considered a home status student. Have you been permenantely living in the US or could you claim that you are only there for educational purposes? If you still have a house in England you coudl claim that you are permenantly living there but in the US for education. That would allow you home status.