Medical school

A medical school or faculty of medicine is a tertiary educational institution or part of such an institution that teaches medicine. In addition to fulfilling a major requirement to become a medical doctor, some medical schools offer Master's Degree programs, PhD Programs, and other educational programs. Medical schools can also employ medical researchers, and operate hospitals or other programs.

Medical schools teach subjects such as human anatomy, biochemistry, immunology, neurobiology, genetics, and human biology.

The entry criteria, structure, teaching methodology and nature of medical programs offered at medical schools vary considerably around the world. Medical schools are often highly competitive, using standardized entrance examinations to narrow the selection criteria for candidates (e.g. MCAT and BMAT). Students wanting to enter medical school often benefit from an undergraduate pre-medical curriculum including physics, inorganic chemistry, human biology and organic chemistry.

Although a medical school may confer upon a graduate the title of Doctor of Medicine, a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) typically may not legally practice medicine until licensed by a government authority. Licensing may also require passing a test, undergoing a criminal background check, checking references, and paying a fee.

Examples

Australia

Main article: Medical education in Australia

See also: Medical Schools in Australia

Bulgaria

In Bulgaria, a medical school is a type of college or a faculty of a university. The medium of instruction is Bulgarian, but the medical faculties in Sofia and Pleven also offer courses with English as the language of instruction. These cater to foreign students who come to study medicine here.

Students join medical school after completing high-school. Admission offers are made by individual medical schools. Bulgarian applicants have to pass entrance examinations in the subjects of Biology and Chemistry. The competitive result of every candidate is the based on their marks these exams plus their secondary-school certificate marks in the same subjects. Those applicants with the highest results achieved are classified for admission. International applicants for the English medium courses are selected on the basis of their high school results and proficiency in English.

The course of study is offered as a six year program. The first 2 years are pre-clinical, the next 3 years are clinical training and the 6th year is the internship year during which students work under supervision at the hospitals. During the 6th year students have to appear for 'state exams' in the 5 major subjects of Internal Medicine, Surgery, Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Social Medicine and Pediatrics. On successful completion of the 6 yrs of study and the state exams the degree of 'Physician' is conferred.

For specialization, graduates have to appear for written tests and interviews to obtain a place in a specialization program. Those who do not wish to specialize further can work as GPs.

Canada

In Canada, a medical school is a faculty or school of a university, and is typically offered as a four year post-graduate program.

Medical students begin study after receiving a bachelor's degree in another field of study. Most commonly, the bachelor's degree is in one of the biological sciences. However, not all medical schools in Canada necessarily require a bachelor's degree for entry, for example Quebec's medical schools accept applicants after a two-year CEGEP diploma, which is the equivalent of other provinces' grade 12.

Admission offers are made by individual medical schools, generally on the basis of a personal statement, undergraduate record (GPA), scores on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), and interviews. Francophone medical schools in Quebec and the (University of Ottawa) (a bilingual school) do not usually require the MCAT.

Many medical schools also offer joint degree programs in which some medical students may simultaneously enroll in M.Sc. or Ph. D. level programs in related fields.

Medical school in Canada is typically a 4 year program at most universities. Notable exceptions include McMaster University and University of Calgary whose programs run for three consecutive years. During the last year of medical education, students enter into the Canadian Resident Matching Service, commonly abbreviated as CaRMS. Students rank their preferences of hospitals and specialties and are entered into a matching system to determine their residency positions. Family medicine, or general practice, is a 2 year program that is also matched through the CaRMS service.

During the final year of medical school, students must complete the (Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada) (LMCC) to be eligible for practice in Canada. Upon completion of the final year of medical school, students are awarded the degree of M.D. (which is an undergraduate medical degree cf. common misconception that an MD is a graduate degree) and then register with the (Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada). Students then go on to begin training in the program designated to them by the CaRMS matching service.

Egypt

In Egypt, medical school is a faculty of a university. Admission depends on the score of the General Secondary Examination (الثانوية العامة) taken at the end of high school. There is no specific entrance examinations. Medical education is 6 years long, in addition to 4 months at the end where full-time training takes place. The first 3 years are dedicated to the basic medical sciences, while the last 3 years are dedicated to clinically-based subjects. Once graduated, medical students would receive their Bachelor of Medicine (بكالريوس الطب). After signing name up in the Organization of Doctors (نقابة الأطباء), they become officially valid General Practitioners (GPs) and can practise medicine freely.

Finland

In Finland, basic medical education is given in five universities: Helsinki, Kuopio, Oulu, Tampere and Turku. Admission is regulated by an entrance examination. Studies involve an initial two-year preclinical period of mainly theoretical courses in anatomy, biochemistry, pharmacology etc. However, students have contact with patients from the beginning of their studies. The preclinical period is followed by a four-year clinical period, when students participate in the work of various hospitals and health care centres, learning necessary medical skills. Some Finnish universities have integrated clinical and preclinical subjects along the six-year course, diverging from the traditional program. A problem-based learning method is widely used, and inclusion of clinical cases in various courses and preclinical subjects is becoming common. All medical schools have research programs for students who wish to undertake scientific work. The duration of basic medical education is six years and the course leads to the degree of Licentiate of Medicine.

Germany

In Germany, admission to medical schools is organized by the Zentralstelle für die Vergabe von Studienplätzen (ZVS), a central federal organization. The most important criterion for admission is the so called Numerus clausus, a person's final GPA on the Abitur (highest secondary school diploma). After 2 years of preclinical studies and 4 years of clinical studies, the students graduate as general practitioners. The degree course in medicine is called medizinisches Staatsexamen (medical state exam). A person who graduates from a Staatsexamen degree course doesn't receive an academic degree, in the sense of an academic title. However, graduates are authorized to use the German professional title Arzt (physician), and are informally addressed with the honorific "Dr". As in other countries it is optional to write a dissertation to obtain a Dr. med. (which is an academic degree in contrast to the Staatsexamen).

Hong Kong

Main article: Medical education in Hong Kong

Iceland

In Iceland, admission to medical school is awarded by passing a pre-organized test, controlled by the University of Iceland, which anyone who has a gymnasium degree can partake in. Only 48 people are granted entry each year and is the order of the people determined by who got the 48 highest scores on the test. Medical school in Iceland takes 6 years to complete and they must also complete 1 year of residency. Students are granted with an MD degree at graduation.

India

In India, admission to medical colleges is organized both by the central government CBSE as well as the state governments entrance tests, after the students complete their 10+2 education. These exams are highly competitive and often the volume of applicants far exceeds the number of students accepted. Entrance is solely based on the entrance examination and academic records have very minor consequences on an application. The undergraduate program consists of 9 semesters, followed by one-year internship (rotating housemanship). The degree granted is Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (M.B.B.S.). Further postgraduate qualifications may be obtained as Diploma or Degree (MS) under the aegis of the Medical Council of India [1]. PG diploma may also be obtained through the National Board of Examinations [2]. See Medical College (India) for more details

Ireland

There are five medical schools in the Republic of Ireland. They are at Trinity College Dublin, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, University College Dublin, University College Cork and University College Galway (the National University of Ireland is the degree-awarding institution for all except Trinity College). Training lasts four, five or six years, with the last two years in the affiliated teaching hospitals (UCD - St. Vincents University Hospital, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Holles St., The Coombe, Crumlin Children's Hospital) (Trinity - St. James's Hospital, Adelaide and Meath Hospitals incorporating the National Children's Hospital) (RCSI - Beaumont Hospital). Programs that are six years in length generally require high school qualifications. Programs that are four or five years in length generally require previous university degrees.

Medical education is regulated by the Irish Medical Council, the statutory body which is also responsible for maintaining a register of medical practitioners. After graduation with the degrees of MB BCh BAO (Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus in Chirurgia, Baccalaureus in Arte Obstetricia), a doctor is required to spend one year as an "intern" under supervision before full registration is permitted. Graduates of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland also receive the traditional "Licenciate of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons and Physicians in Ireland" (LRCP&SI), which was awarded before the RCSI became an Affiliate of the National University of Ireland and thus was allowed grant degrees, under the Medical Practitioners Act (1978).

Japan

In Japan, a medical school is a faculty of a university. Programs are generally 6 years. Entrance is based on an exam taken at the end of high school.

Medical students study liberal arts for the first 1-2 years, then clinical medicine, Public health and Forensics for the next 3 years.

Medical students train in the hospital for the last year. Clinical training is a part of the curriculum. Upon completion of the graduation examination, students are awarded a Bachelor degree.

At the end, Medical students take the National Medical License examination, and if they pass it, become a Physician. The scope of this exam encompasses every aspect of medicine.

Kenya

In Kenya, there are only 2 medical schools both of which are faculties within a university. One has a 5 year course while the other, under the problem based education system, has a 6 year course. Internship is done for 1 year hereafter.

Admissions is considered after completion of a high school education.

The first 2 years are basic science years and the remaining years clinical years. On completion, a bachelors degree in Medicine and Surgery is awarded.

Myanmar

Myanmar medical schools are government-funded and require Myanmar citizenship for eligibility. There's no private medical school exists at this moment.In Myanmar, admission to medical colleges is organized under the Department of Health Science which is the branch of Ministry of Health of Myanmar. A student can join one of the four medical universities of Myanmar if he gets the highest scores in the science combination of the matriculation examination. Theis exam is highly competitive. Entrance is solely based on this examination and academic records have very minor consequences on an application. The undergraduate program is 5 years plus 1 year for work experience in government hospitals. After medical school, Myanmar medical graduates are under contract to spend one year of internship and three years of tenure in rural areas before they are eligible for most residency positions. The degree granted is Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (M.B.B.S.).Further postgraduate qualifications may be obtained as a Degree (M.Med.Sc). See Medical Universities (Myanmar) for more details.

Nepal

In Nepal, medical studies start at undergraduate level. The program is of five and half years duration. There are three main medical bodies in Nepal:

• Tribhuwan University (own college: Institute of Medicine Maharajgunj, affiliated colleges: National Medical College, Janaki Medical College, Universal College of Medical Sciences)
• Kathmandu University (own college:Kathmandu University Medical School, affiliated colleges: Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Kathmandu Medical College, Nepal Medical College, Nepalgunj Medical College, College of Medical Sciences etc) and
• B. P. Koirala Institue of Health Sciences.

The first two years of studies are called "Basic Sciences" followed by two and half years of "clinical sciences" and one year of internship. After the successful completion of this course, a student is awarded Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (M.B.B.S.) degree.

Netherlands & Belgium

In the Netherlands and Belgium, medical students receive respectively 6 and 7 years of university education prior to their graduation.

In the Netherlands, students used to receive four years of the preclinical training, followed by two years of clinical training in hospitals. However, for a number of medical schools this has recently changed to three years preclinical training, followed by three years of clinical training. After 6 years students graduate as basisarts (comparable with Doctor of Medicine), which in accordance with the Bologna process is comparable with a master's degree qualification. All medical students are permitted entry from the highest level of secondary school: VWO, the entrant is not required to have a previous bachelor's degrees qualification.

The Belgian medical education is much more based on theoretical knowledge, whereas in the Netherlands medical education is focused more on skill than theoretical knowledge. In Belgium the first three years of education lead up to a bachelor's degree, followed by a four-year master's program.

New Zealand

New Zealand medical programs are undergraduate-entry programs of six years duration. Students are considered for acceptance only after a year of undergraduate basic sciences or, in a small number cases, following the completion of a bachelor's degree. There are two main medical schools in New Zealand: the University of Auckland and the University of Otago. Each of these has subsidiary medical schools such as Otago's Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences and Auckland's Waikato Clinical School.

The first year of the medical degree is the basic sciences year which comprises study in chemistry, biology, physics, biochemistry as well as population health and behavioural sciences. The following two years are spent studying human organ systems and pathological processes in more detail as well as professional and communication development. Towards the end of the third year students begin direct contact with patients in hospital settings.

The clinical years begin fully at the beginning of year 4 where students rotate through various areas of general clinical medicine with rotation times varying from between two and six weeks. Year 5 continues this pattern focusing more on specilaised areas of medicine and surgery. Final medical school exams (exit exams) are actually held at the end of year 5 which is different from most other countries where final exams are held near the very end of the medical degree. Final exams must be passed before the student is allowed to enter year 6.

The final year (Year 6) of medical school is known as the "Trainee Intern" year where a student is known as a "Trainee Intern" (commonly referred to in the hospitals as a "T.I."). Trainee interns repeat most rotations undertaken in years 4 and 5 but at a higher level of involvement and responsibility for patient care. Trainee interns receive a stipend grant from the New Zealand government. Currently this is $NZ 26,756/year (about $US 18,500). Trainee interns have responsibility under supervision for the care of about one third the patient workload of a junior doctor, however, all prescriptions and most other orders (e.g. radiology requests and charting of IV fluids) made by trainee interns must be countersigned by a registered doctor.

New Zealand medical schools currently award the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB).

Pakistan

In Pakistan a medical school is usually called a medical college. A medical college is affiliated with a university as a department. There are however several medical universities and medical institutes with their own medical colleges. All medical colleges and universities are regulated by the respective provincial department of health. They however have to be recognized after meeting a strict criteria by a central regulatory authority called Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) in Islamabad. There are almost equal number of government and private medical colleges and universities, with their number exceeding 50. Entrance in to the medical colleges is purely on merit under the strict guidelines of PMDC. Both the academic performance at the college (pre-medical) level and an entrance test are taken into consideration for the eligibility to enter a medical college. After successfully completing 5 years of academic and clinical training (clerkships) in the medical college and affiliated teaching hospital the graduates are awarded a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree. The graduates are then eligible to apply for a medical license from the PMDC.

• List of Medical Schools in Pakistan

People's Republic of China

Medical education is normally a five-year Bachelor degree, plus one year internship, and work experience before the final degree is awarded. Clinical specialization usually involves a two or three-year Master degree. Acceptance is based on the national entrance examination used for all universities. There are a few colleges that teach in English and accept foreign medical students.

The Philippines

Medical education in the Philippines became widespread under the American administration. The Americans, led by the insular government's Secretary of the Interior, Dean Worcester, built the University of the Philippines's College of Medicine and Surgery in 1905, with Johns Hopkins University as a blueprint. By 1909, nursing instruction was also begun at the Philippine Normal School. At present there are a number of medical schools in the Philippines, notable examples include the University of the Philippines, Manila, the University of Santo Tomas, De La Salle-Health Sciences Campus, Fatima University College of Medicine, Far Eastern University College of Medicine, and the University of the East.

Any college graduate may apply for medical school as long as he or she as accumulated a set number of units in biology, chemistry, physics, and math. There is also a test known as the National Medical Admissions Test or NMAT. Scores are given on a percentile basis and a high ranking is a must to enter the top medical schools in the country.

In most institutions, medical education lasts for four years. Basic subjects are taken up in the first and second years, while clinical sciences are studied in the second and third years. In their fourth year, students rotate in the various hospital departments, spending up to two months each in the fields of internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, and pediatrics, and several weeks in the other specialties. After this, students graduate with a Doctorate in Medicine and apply for internship in an accredited hospital of their choice. After internship, medical interns are eligible to take the medical licensure examinations. Passing the examinations confers the right to practice medicine as well as to apply in a residency training program.

Republic of China (Taiwan)

The medical education in the Republic of China (Taiwan) is usually 7 years in duration, starting right after high school. The reason for such a long period of study is because Taiwanese medical schools start include undergraduate education. Currently, only Kaohsiung Medical University offers a 4-year medical program, similar to the US medical school system, for university degree holders.

• List of Medical Schools in Taiwan

Romania

In Romania, medical school is a department of a medical university, which typically includes Dentistry and Pharmacy departments as well. The name facultate is used for departments in their universities too, but the Medicine departments distinguish theselves by the length of studies (6 years), which grants to graduates a status equivalent to that of a Master in Science. The Medicine departments are also marked by reduced flexibility - in theory, a student in a regular university can take courses from different departments, like Chemistry and Geography (although it usually doesn't happen, majors being clearly defined), while the medical universities do not have any extra offers for their students, due to their specialization. Admission to medical faculty is usually awarded by passing a Human Biology, Organic Chemistry and/or Physics test. The program lasts 6 years, with first 2 years being preclinical and last 4 years being mostly clinical. After these six years, one has to take the national licence exam (which consists of mostly clinically-oriented questions, but some questions also deal with basic sciences) and has to write a thesis in any field he/she studied. Final award is Doctor in Medicina (titlu onorific) (shortened Dr.), which is not an academic degree (similar to Germany). All graduates have to go through residency and specialization exams after that in order to practice, although older graduates had different requirements and training (e.g., clinical rotations similar to sub-internship) and might still be able to practice Family Medicine / General Medicine.

Saudi Arabia

In Saudi Arabia medical education is free for all Saudi citizens and a bachelor degree isn't important for registration. A medical student must pass an enterance examination and complete a 1-year pre-medical course contaning some basic medical subjects including: Biology, Organic Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Physics, Medical Biostatistics, and English for medical uses. Saudi Arabia has approximately 8 medical schools but King Saud University in Riyadh is the oldest one and the most experienced. It offers an MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) degree after 1 pre-medical course, 5 medical years and 1 training year.

South Africa

There are approximately 7 medical schools in South Africa. Many of the institutions follow the 'undergraduate' method of instruction, admitting students directly from high school into a 6 or occasionally 5 year program. Some universities such as the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg and the University of Cape Town have started offering post-graduate medical degrees which run concurrently with their undergraduate programs. In this instance, a student who has completed an appropriate undergraduate degree with basic sciences, can enter into a 4 year post graduate program. Medical students obtain an MBBCH degree upon completion of their curriculum. An additional 2 years of internship and 1 year of community service must be completed in order to be able to practice as a doctor in South Africa. Students from all over the world come to South Africa to gain practical experience in the country's many teaching hospitals and rural clinics.

Sri Lanka

There are five medical schools in Sri Lanka. The premier medical school is the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo (Started as Ceylon Medical School in 1870) and is 136 years old. The output of all medical schools is around 900 and they receive the degree MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery. The training period is around 5 1/2 years plus a residency period of 1 year for full registration.

Sweden

Medical education in Sweden begins with a five and a half year undergraduate university program. Upon completion, students are awarded a University Medical Degree (Läkarexamen). Following this the National board of health and welfare (Socialstyrelsen) requires a minimum of 18 months of clinical internship (Allmäntjänstgöring) before granting a medical license. This internship consists of surgery (3–6 months), internal medicine (3–6 months), psychiatry (three months) and family medicine (six months). Once the doctor has got a license to practice, the doctor is able to apply for a post to start his/her specialist training. There are currently 52 recognized medical specialties in Sweden. The specialist training has a duration of minimum five years, after which the doctor is granted formal qualification as a specialist.

Thailand

Most of the Thai medical schools are government-funded and require Thai citizenship for eligibility. Only one private medical school exists at the moment. Some Thais choose to attend the private medical school or attend a medical school in a foreign country due to relatively few positions and high college entrance examination scores required for enrollment in public medical schools. Generally those who did not graduate from a public medical college are not well received.

The Thai medical education is six years consisting of 3 pre-clinical and 3 clinical years. Upon graduation all medical students must pass the national examination and a university-based comprehensive test. After medical school, Thai medical graduates are under contract to spend one year of internship and two years of tenure in rural areas before they are eligible for most residency positions. Other than general clinical practice and basic emergency procedures, all Thai doctors are required by the Thai Medical Council to be able to perform six surgical operations, namely: appendectomy, caesarian section, circumcision, herniorrhaphy, tubal-ligation and vasectomy.

The students will receive Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree.

• List of Medical Schools in Thailand

Turkey

In Turkey medical education is quite like the one in Thailand. All the high school graduates who wish to pursue further education are required to take an MCQ exam abbreviated by OSS. The exam covers most of the high school and secondary school curricula. Currently there are disputes about the exam's objectivity. A student who scores high enough gets a place in a faculty of his/her desire.

Medical education takes 6 years, first three years being Pre-clinical years and the latter three being Clinical years. Right after graduation, graduates can either work as GPs or take another exam called TUS (Medical Specialization Examination) to do residency in a particular department of a particular hospital.

Most of the medical schools in Turkey are state schools but the number of private schools are getting higher. Language of instruction is Turkish but few universities also offer schools with English being language of instruction. This makes Turkey a popular place to study medicine for students from near areas like The Balkans, The Middle East and to a lesser extend North Africa.

United Kingdom

Main article: Medical school (United Kingdom)

There are currently 32 institutions which offer medical degrees in the United Kingdom. Completion of a medical degree in the UK results in the award of the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery.

Methods of education are diverse, with some courses offering problem-based learning, some having a more traditional pre-clinical/clinical structure, and others combining several approaches in an integrated approach.

Following qualification, UK doctors enter a generalised two-year, competency-based "foundation programme", gaining full GMC registration at the end of foundation year one, and applying for specialist training (in medicine, surgery, general practice etc.) after foundation year two.

Many medical schools offer intercalated degree programmes to allow students to focus on an area of research outside their medical degree for a year.

Some medical schools offer graduate entry programmes, which are typically accelerated (i.e. shorter courses). These may restrict entry to those who hold degrees in, or have previously worked in, other areas of healthcare, or may require any good degree (e.g. law, physiology, mathematics etc.).

Recently, medical schools in the UK have begun testing applicants in order to improve the selection process.

United States

Main article: Medical education in the United States

Medical education in the United States includes educational activities involved in the education and training of medical doctors in the United States, from entry-level training through to continuing education of qualified specialists.

A typical outline of the medical education pathway is presented below, however medicine is a diverse profession with many options available. For example, some doctors work in pharmaceutical research, occupational medicine (within a company), public health medicine (working for the general health of a population in an area), or join the armed forces.

Medical students

A person accepted into a medical school and enrolled in an educational program in medicine, with the goal of becoming a medical doctor, is referred to as a medical student. Medical students are generally considered to be at the earliest stage of the medical career pathway.

Medical students typically engage in both basic science and practical clinical coursework during their tenure in medical school. Generally, the first one to two years of training are devoted to the study of the basic sciences as they pertain to healthcare, including molecular and cellular biology, biochemistry, human anatomy, histology, physiology, pharmacology, microbiology, and pathology. The remainder of a medical student's training is typically devoted to gaining direct clinical experience by participating in the care of patients in a hospital or clinic setting.

See also

• Flexner Report
• Medical education
• List of medical schools
• Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) [United States, Canada]
• American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS)
• Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission Test (UMAT) [Australia]
• Graduate Australian Medical Schools Admissions Test (GAMSAT) [Australia]
• Foreign medical graduate

External links

• American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine
• Association of American Medical Colleges
• American Medical Student Association
• Medical College Admissions Test
• USNews 2007 Medical School Ranking
• UK Clinical Aptitude Test