When you are deciding on studying medicine abroad many thoughts and questions come to mind. Some of the common ones are – What will be the culture like in the country where you are going? How will you cope up with learning the language? Which country will be the best for medical studies? Well it is natural to ask these questions as you are leaving the familiar territory of your home country and venturing out into a different world. It is never too late to get a degree from abroad as this will add to your career. The experiences will make you a more valuable employee and you will grow immensely as a person. It is an exciting prospect to consider.
Things to consider while choosing a College
The choices are numerous when you have finally decided to enrol in a college abroad for a medical degree. You already know why you want to study abroad. Most of the time it is done to increase skill sets. But you do need to consider where in the world you want your medical degree from. The first thing to consider is the return on investment. You are going to invest a lot of money while studying and you want to get the best returns available. For this you need to skim the choices and see the opportunities available to you from around the world.
You can take help from online portals while choosing your college and country where the college is. Another thing to consider is the sort of lifestyle you would want while studying abroad. Do you want to graduate from a famous University or just want to have an international experience with the right kind of resources? You will have to make the choice before you apply. Make sure you match up the expectations with the available facilities, so you can actually enjoy the experience of studying abroad. In the case of medicine, the top destinations around the world are Australia, the UK, Canada, Germany and of course the USA. Some of the international degrees do not have acceptance everywhere and you need to check this factor before enrolling. In this digital world, you can get all the information online. www.schoolapply.com is one portal which can help you get the information and prepare you for the road ahead.
Things to do After choosing the College
Once you have decided on the destination and the colleges in that area. You just need to shortlist the colleges where you want to study and apply. The application process differs in each country and this aspect should be researched well before applying. In some countries you need to submit two applications; one for a seat in the course and one for a seat in the University. All this information is clearly stated on the University website. If you still have queries about the process you should contact the University directly.
After making the application you need to wait for the process to complete before you get any response. The process of the application being selected or rejected might take months so you need to be patient. You might also need to apply for a student visa but in almost all cases it depends on the application being accepted. One of the things you would need to submit along with the application of Visa is the acceptance letter from the University. So never rush into the Visa process and allow as much time as it takes.
The next step is to arrange for travelling. Once you have got the letter of acceptance and Visa you should look ahead for the travel. Travelling requires some preparation and a study on the rules of customs check at the place where you are going. After booking your airline tickets and checking the things you need to carry with you you should read the rules and regulations of the destination country. Some articles are banned in international travel and a bit of awareness can save you embarrassment and trouble at the customs check.
Working Options After getting the Medical Degree
Doctors and skilled medical staff are always in demand. The undergraduate degree will give you the basic skills to build on. Then you need to choose the area in which you need to become and expert. Medicine is a vocational field with lots of options. The most common career options are: (1) Medical Teacher – You can become a teacher at a medical centre/school/university after completing a masters and then spending some time in research in a specific field like surgery. (2) General Physician – You can open a clinic and treat patients for general diseases. Masters will help in this career. (3) A job at a hospital – You can also work as a doctor or intern at a hospital.
A medical degree does not mean that you have to work only as a doctor. After the undergraduate course you can specialise in diverse fields. Some of the fields that you can specialise in are : (a) Forensic medical examiner – This is a career option which is a bit different. Do not confuse it with a pathologist. You will be examining the living not the dead. (b) Sports and Exercise expert – This is one of the new fields of study at the masters level. You will be dealing with the athletes and their medical condition. (c) Medical journalist – You can also start off as a journalist in the medical field as it requires specific knowledge of medicine. You would require taking up a short-term journalism course before venturing on this career path. (d) Medical researcher – You can also choose the path of research in medicine. There are many options like genetics clinical research and alternative medicine. (e) Radiology/Diagnostics – This is another related field with lots of potential for a good career.
Living and Working while Studying
Accommodation is the first issue when you arrive at the foreign location. If you have chosen a residential program you would generally get accommodation on campus. However sometimes you need to find your own accommodation. You can rent a flat and also share it with other students to make it economically viable. Student Unions of Universities can help in this regard. The second question is working while studying. You can work as an intern in a private hospital while studying. If on a student Visa you will face restrictions on the number of hours of work. However while studying without a student Visa you can work as many hours you want. But check with the University authorities before venturing out.