Medical school

An image of a 1901 examination in the faculty of medicine.

A medical school, or faculty of medicine, is a tertiary educational institution, or part of such an institution, which is involved in the education of future medical practitioners (medical doctors).

The entry criteria, structure, teaching methodology and nature of medical programs offered at medical schools vary considerably around the world.

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Examples

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Australia

Main article: Medical education in Australia

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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 McGill University's medical school accepts applicants after a two-year CEGEP diploma, which is the equivalent of other provinces's 12th grade plus one year of university studies after 12th grade.

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

Many medical schools also offer joint degree programs in which some medical students may simultaneously enroll in master's or doctoral-level programs in related fields.

Programs lead to the M.D. degree. However, in terms of program length, the medical school at McMaster University in Canada is distinct; its program runs for three consecutive years: "The program is operated on an eleven months-a-year basis and students qualify for the degree Doctor of Medicine at the end of the third academic year.".: [1]

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Germany

In Germany, admission to medical schools is organized by the Zentralstelle fuer die Vergabe von Studienplaetzen (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 (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 (literally: medical state exam) and actually includes two exams. (Erstes Staatsexamen and Zweites Staatsexamen) 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. (literally physician) Writing a dissertation to obtain a Dr.med. degree (Doctor medicinae, a German MD; and, in contrast to the Staatsexamen, an academic degree) is optional.

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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. 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 (MD/MS) under the aegis of the Medical Council of India [2]. PG diploma may also be obtained through the National Board of Examinations [3]. See Medical College (India) for more details

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Ireland

There are five medical schools in the Republic of Ireland. They are at University College Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (also situated in Dublin), University College Cork and National University of Ireland, Galway. Training lasts five or six years, with the last two years in the teaching hospitals. 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 (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, Bachelor of the Arts of Obstetrics), a doctor is required to spend one year as an intern under supervision before full registration is permitted.

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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 part take 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.

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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.

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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 receive four years of the preclinical training, followed by two years of clinical training in hospitals. 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.

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New Zealand

New Zealand medical programs are typically undergraduate-entry programs of six years duration. There are two main medical schools in New Zealand: the University of Auckland and the University of Otago. Each of these has subsidary medical schools such as Otago's Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences and Auckland's Waikato Clinical School.

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, "TI"). 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).

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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.

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Hong Kong

The medical education in Hong Kong follows that of the British system. There are currently two Faculties of Medicine in Hong Kong, namely, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the University of Hong Kong. Together, these 2 universities produce 250 medical graduates a year (after a recent cut down). Medical education takes five years with an additional internship year. At the end of five years, the dual degree Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (abbreviated as MBBS at HKU and MBChB at CUHK) will be awarded. Graduates are then required to fulfill a year of internship training before registrating with the Medical Council of Hong Kong.

The University of Hong Kong has adopted the new "Problem Based Learning" (PBL) curriculum in 1997. The Chinese University has started a radical reform of its curriculum in 2000 and the transition has been completed in 2005 when the last cohort of students in the old curriculum has graduated. Both Universities' curriculum emphasise early clinical contact, evidence based medicine and life-long learning ability. Students in the Chinese University of Hong Kong can embark on an optional intercalated degree in Medical Science - after two years of study. While those in the University of Hong Kong can undertake a Intercalated Master of Research degree, which also takes an additional year of study.

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Sweden

The medical eduation in Sweden is a five and half year course after which one must practice for 18 months before a license can be granted. University starts straight after Gymnasium and one needs 100% in GPA to get in.

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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, herniorapphy, tubal-ligation and vasectomy.

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United Kingdom

Main article: Medical school (United Kingdom)

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United States

Main article: Medical education in the United States

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Medical students

A person accepted into a medical school and undertaking an educational program in medicine towards 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 undertake both theoretical studies and practical experience during their course, with the earlier years devoted more to the former, and the later years more focused on the latter.

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