Archive | May 21, 2015

Guest Post: Should I go to medical school in Australia or the UK?

The following post is written by my friend Jiayi Hu, a classmate of mine from medical school. He obtained his BHSc and MD from the University of Toronto (2009 and 2013, respectively). He is currently a Plastic Surgery resident at McMaster University and very passionate about education and career mentorship. You can learn more about him here.

A very common question I get from students and their parents is “I (or my child) is graduating from Grade 12 this year and really want/s to be a doctor. Should I (or he/she) stay in Canada for undergraduate studies before applying to medical school here? Or should he/she apply for Australian/UK medical schools now?”

The answer is somewhat simple: it all depends on if you intend to return to Canada to practice medicine.

The obvious benefits of attending an international school after Grade 12 are the shorter time of duration to obtain a medical degree (6 years, in comparison to the usual 8 years in Canada) and a relatively less competitive (and therefore, less stressful) application process. Despite the high tuition fees ($50,000-$60,000 CDN equivalent/year), those international schools are a popular choice among those with financial means. In comparison, a Canadian medical school costs $20,000/year to attend.

Ok. You got your medical degree. You are a doctor. But, are you really a doctor?

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