As everyone knows, studying medicine is excruciatingly difficult, so much so that there’s a saying in the medical world: “Persuading someone to study medicine is like inviting a lightning strike.” Because it’s just that tough!
First of all, the sheer volume of material in medical school will force you to study like your life depends on it, or else you’ll fail. From the most basic pathology, physiology, histology and embryology, systematic anatomy, to more specialized textbooks like imaging—without exception, you have to memorize them all (smile).
So medical students truly suffer. Freshman year is like repeating high school’s first year, sophomore year like the second, and then every subsequent year is like the final sprint, constantly memorizing, taking notes, and studying. There are also endless new updates to knowledge, and most importantly, while classmates in other majors are already hearing their little ones call them “daddy,” you’re still a single dog kicked out of the library back to the dorm.
Ahem, but all that is for later. What’s even harder is how you get into medical school to become that single dog~
Why Choose Medical School
In the U.S., the medical profession enjoys huge advantages in both income and employment policies. Moreover, doctors hold very high social status and are in great demand. As a result, medical school holds enormous appeal for Chinese students as well.
However, applying to medical school is also extremely difficult. On one hand, acceptance rates are very low, averaging below 10%. On the other hand, many medical schools give priority to domestic applicants, making it even more challenging.
How to Apply Despite the Immense Difficulty?
I. Preparation for Application
1. MCAT
(the Medical College Admission Test)
This is a required exam for medical school applications, similar to the GRE for graduate school. It primarily tests problem-solving skills, critical thinking, analytical writing abilities, and mastery of scientific principles and knowledge.
2. Medical School Entry at the Graduate Level
Medical school applications take place at the graduate level. In other words, generally, applicants must complete their undergraduate degree before applying to medical school.
3. Prerequisite Courses
Medical schools also have requirements for the types of courses taken during undergraduate studies. Here are the course requirements:
Biology with Laboratory ：
Advanced one year, including genetics, molecular and cell biology
Chemistry with Laboratory ：
Advanced two years, including organic, inorganic and bio chemistry
Physics with Laboratory：
Advanced one year, biologically relevant, quantum theory, wave theory. One year Calculus based classic Physics
Computational Skills：
Advanced one year, including Mathematics: Differential equations and Biostatistics, Computer Science: Matlab
Analytical Writing ：
including logically writing and oral presentation
Psychology and a second language is a plus
Important Notes for Applicants:
First, most U.S. medical schools consider domestic undergraduate lab courses to differ from their requirements. Therefore, having U.S. undergraduate experience is highly beneficial for medical school applications.
Second, while medical schools currently do not explicitly require a second language, proficiency in a second language has become indispensable. For Chinese students, knowing Cantonese, Minnan, etc., can count as a third language and can be an advantage.
4. Internships and Volunteer Work
Medical school admissions officers highly value an applicant’s dedication to medical progress and community service—the professional ethics of healing the wounded and rescuing the dying, compassion, and a sense of responsibility. Therefore, applicants often participate in volunteer activities during undergraduate years and holidays (or even take a dedicated gap year).
When applying to medical school, over 100 hours of hospital internship and over 50 hours of volunteer work are required, preferably completed in the U.S., which is more advantageous than completing them in China.
5. AMCAS
Unlike applications to other schools, all U.S. medical school applications must be submitted uniformly through AMCAS.
II. Preparing Short Essays
If the above application materials are complete, truthful, and the standardized scores meet the cut, most applicants can pass the initial screening. Then medical schools send out additional application materials to those who pass the preliminary review.
At this stage, the questions to be answered or short essays to be submitted vary by school. Essentially, each school digs deeper based on its specific needs to assess whether the applicant is a good match, including gauging the applicant’s level of interest in the school.
III. The Final Interview
After passing the previous stage, on average about 30% of applicants receive an interview invitation. This is the most critical part of medical school admissions, and typically about three-quarters of applicants are eliminated at this stage.
The interview format often involves conversations with two or three professors and senior students, though some applicants face four or five or even more admissions officers. The interview content is not fixed and challenges applicants’ knowledge structure, communication awareness, adaptability, and more.
CheersYou（清柚教育） Tip: The preparation cycle for medical school applications is roughly one and a half to two years, so applicants need to decide early.
Top 10 Medical Schools in the U.S.
Below are the names of the top 10 medical schools in the U.S., along with annual tuition and enrollment numbers:
Harvard 59,800 715
Johns Hopkins 51,900 485
New York 52,814 531
Stanford 56,229 482
UCSF 46,631 607
Mayo Clinic School of Medicine 49,900 263
University of Pennsylvania 55,928 595
UCLA 46,361 727
Washington St. Louis 63,230 494
Duke 57,100 486
Pre-medical Programs
Pre-medical programs essentially build a solid foundation for students during undergraduate studies to prepare for medical school. These programs fall into two main categories:
1. 3+4 (MD)
Three years of foundational undergraduate courses followed by four years of medical school, leading to a master’s degree in medicine.
Advantages: Saves one year of time.
Disadvantages: If the seven-year program cannot be completed, you end up with nothing.
2. 4+4 (BS+MD)
Four years of undergraduate foundational courses plus four years of medical school, earning both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree.
Disadvantages: Longer duration.
Advantages: High flexibility. After the four-year undergraduate program, even if you do not continue with medical school, you can still earn a bachelor’s degree.
For Chinese applicants, these programs are much less difficult than direct medical school applications. The application process is almost the same as for other disciplines.
There are quite a few schools offering these programs, but the application difficulty remains very high. So making an early decision is extremely important—remember that!
Here is a partial list of schools offering such programs:
AL
University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)
CA
UC Riverside,UCLA,UCSD(8 year program)
CT
UConn
DC
George Washington University,Howard University
FL
U Florida,U Miami
IL
Finch/Chicago/IIT，Northwestern，U IIIinois at Chicago
MA
Boston U
MI
Michigan State
Employment & Salary
After graduating from medical school, a long residency period is required before officially starting work. Although becoming a doctor is a very lengthy process, the employment rate for doctors in the U.S. is nearly 100%.
What’s even more enviable is that the employment policies for doctors are much more relaxed compared to other professions. H1B and even green cards are only a matter of time.
Here are the average annual incomes for various types of doctors:
Radiology
$315，000
Orthopedics
$315，000
Cardiology
$314，000
Anesthesiology
$309，000
Urology
$309，000
From this, it's clear that being a doctor is a high-investment, high-return profession.
It is also worth mentioning that for doctors already practicing in China, some choose to go abroad due to the higher income in the U.S. medical field.
Medicine is an exceptionally challenging field. Once you choose to become a doctor, it means endless studying, exams, and bearing greater responsibility. To truly excel is undoubtedly something that requires dedicating your entire life. But when you actually save a life, it all becomes worth it, and all the difficulties and hardships are temporary.
