Admission & Financial Aid Important Information for International Students Intending to Study Medicine

International students who perform well academically at Amherst College often have opportunities for further study in the U.S. For example, international students have graduated from Amherst and entered Ph.D. programs at U.S. universities with substantial scholarship support. However, there is one important exception for students interested in medical training leading to the M.D. degree.

It is significantly more difficult for international students to be admitted to medical school in the U.S. to train as medical doctors, even if those students have graduated with good records from a U.S. college or university. A significantly smaller number of U.S. medical schools will consider applications from students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Among those medical schools that may consider international applicants, an even smaller number offer any scholarship aid. International students are not eligible for the government or non-government loans that most U.S. citizens and permanent residents use to finance their medical educations. When a U.S. medical school does accept an international applicant, the school often demands payment of up to four years of tuition before the student is allowed to begin; the cost can exceed $US 200,000.

It is important for international students considering attendance at Amherst or other U.S. colleges and universities to think carefully about the barriers to attending a U.S. medical school after graduation.