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From Grey's Anatomy to the Good Doctor to Dr. House, some of the most popular American series are set in US hospitals and show the exciting lives of doctors and their interactions with their patients. It is no coincidence that these films are so popular, because many American high school students dream of enrolling in one of the medical universities in order to be able to practise healing and treating illnesses in hospitals themselves one day. But what does the career of a doctor look like in the USA and how does the American university system differ from the German one?
Requirements: USA vs. Germany
Basically, studying medicine in the USA differs from studying medicine in Germany already in the application phase. In order to study medicine in the States, unlike in Germany, you need to have already completed a Bachelor's degree. It doesn't matter in which subject the degree was earned, be it in literature or biochemistry. However, most US applicants choose a degree programme in the natural sciences or directly the so-called pre-med programme, as these offer the best preparation for the MCAT, Medical College Admission Test. The MCAT is a test that is part of the application process and tests four hours of biology, chemistry, physics and verbal reasoning. It consists mainly of multiple-choice tasks and may be repeated three times a year, but only seven times in total. The cost of the MCAT is approximately 300 to 370 US dollars and can be taken not only in the USA or Canada, but also in Germany, England or other countries to make it easier for foreign applicants to apply.
But how does the actual application process work?
The application process is not centralised as in Germany, but takes place at the respective university for which you are applying. You need to have a bachelor's degree and an MCAT score. Since the number of competitors is extremely high, it is important to try to stand out from the others. This can be achieved through letters of motivation, awards or voluntary work. In the USA, even excellent performance in sports can help you get a place at university. However, those who want to study medicine in the USA should not ignore the high costs. A medical student pays approximately 25,000 to 45,000 US dollars per semester, which is equivalent to about 23,000 to 41,000 euros. If you extrapolate this over the four years, a considerable six-figure sum accumulates, for which a student loan must be taken out in most cases. On average, these graduates in the USA need ten years to pay it off.
When the start is made
If you are accepted to one of the many universities, you will have to study medicine for four years and graduate with the title Medical Doctor (M.D.). The first two years of study cover subjects such as anatomy, histology, microbiology, physiology, pharmacology and biochemistry to build a good foundation and background for clinical knowledge. The first major examination, called USMLE Step 1 (short for United States Medical Licensing Examination), is usually taken after the second year and tests the basic subjects.Other subjects such as cardiology, gastroenterology, endocrinology, psychiatry, neurology and pulmonary medicine are added in subsequent years and are tested and completed by USMLE Step 2 at the end of the fourth year. For students in the third and fourth year, clinical rotations also follow, i.e. teaching in the hospital with patients.
What happens after graduation?
Once the four years have been successfully completed, the "residency" or the specialist required to work as a licensed doctor follows. Here, medical students can apply for specialties and find out on the "match day" in which region and in which specialty they can start. Finally, there is the last big exam of the USMLE, Step 3, which is often taken in the so-called Intern-Year, the training year. The path to becoming a doctor in the USA is a long and expensive one, but one that offers a high quality education, which enables many students to pursue a lifelong dream. Those who make it to one of the medical universities can expect highly interesting studies with the best career prospects!
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